A toggle is a type of switch that is either on or off. It is commonly used in responsive web design to enable users to choose between different layouts and display options based on screen size or device type. Toggles can also be used to provide a dark or light theme for an application based on the user’s preference.
The term “toggle” is also used to refer to a pin passed through the eye of a rope or chain to hold it in place. In programming, the concept is similar in that it is a way to temporarily disable functionality until it can be enabled again.
A toggle switch can be set to any value, but it is most often used in conjunction with a condition, such as a test or a piece of data. Feature Toggles use this logic to control the behavior of a system based on some criteria.
There are a number of ways to implement a Toggle, ranging from simple but less dynamic approaches such as commenting through more sophisticated methods such as preprocessors or a dedicated config file. Ultimately the best method for managing Toggle Configuration will vary depending on the scale and complexity of the system. At a minimum a centralized location for managing toggle configuration is usually required to prevent duplication and to ensure consistency across the fleet of servers.
Many teams will use a Toggle as part of an A/B testing process. This allows the team to test new features with a subset of the audience and to measure the impact on performance, conversion or retention. A Toggle can be activated for a given cohort by a number of different triggers, including the results of a fitness test, a setting in a toggle management platform or a config file update.
When implementing Toggles it is important to consider the user experience and how easy it will be for users to understand what is on or off. Toggle configuration is often represented with a simple on/off switch, however the choice of which icon and which color to use can have a significant effect on user perception. It is also essential to keep in mind societal and cultural contexts when choosing colors for Toggles as the choice of red, for example, can have significant negative impact on some audiences.
Finally, it is important to be strategic in the use of Toggles and to remove them as soon as their lifecycle has run its course. Otherwise, idle Toggles can accumulate a large amount of overhead in the form of unnecessary code and slowing down performance. It is often possible to reduce this overhead by introducing a process for vetting when toggling may be an appropriate solution and using a toggle management platform to facilitate their removal. This is typically an iterative and ongoing process as the features in question are brought into production. By following these steps, you can ensure that your users are getting the best possible user experience from your application.
