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What Is a Toggle?

Toggle is a term that describes the physical switch found in many technology devices and software programs. It enforces a mutually exclusive state, either on or off, and allows the user to press the desired setting. When used as a programming term, toggles are implemented in the form of conditional statements that evaluate a variety of input and output variables to determine which direction a feature should go.

A toggle can be triggered by a number of different inputs including fitness tests from other features in the codebase, settings from feature management tools, or variables set by configuration files. The decision on which way a toggle will go is then based on those variables and whether or not the switch lands in the on position. Toggles are a useful tool for dev teams because they allow them to manage feature development without having to create and maintain a full-featured branch of the codebase to support that feature. This saves time and resources that could be better spent on additional product enhancements or solving user issues.

In practice, Toggles can be divided into four general categories: release, operational, feature, and permission toggles. Each category requires different strategies for managing them.

Release Toggles support the toggling of a feature during production, usually for just a few weeks or less. Once the feature is proven stable, it is moved to a permanent branch of the codebase and its status becomes the default for all users. Operation Toggles support the temporary disabling of non-essential features during high latency periods. This can reduce user frustration and improve site performance by reducing resource consumption during critical periods.

Feature Toggles are more long-lived than Release Toggles and can be used to control which features are available to all users. They are a key component of many platform updates, such as improving search and navigation or enabling features that are only available to premium members. Toggles are also useful when introducing new features to an existing community.

Visibility Toggles allow article owners to hide sections and items in their articles from viewers. This feature is only active in the presentation view of an article and can be activated by hovering over the relevant element with your mouse. The eye icon will appear and the section or item will become a little opaque to indicate it has been hidden. Toggling it back off will reveal the content again.

Some elements cannot be toggled, such as the article title, subheading, credits, and the article vignette. Additionally, some technical limitations prevent the use of toggles on toggable elements such as maps, key/value items, prompt linked articles, and quotes. The toggle feature may also not work properly with some dynamic content such as spoilers that load later on the page.

Toggles are an important part of any site, especially those with large communities. With the right strategy, they can help you balance a diverse range of features to best suit the needs of your readers while also supporting your production goals. By following a few simple best practices, you can implement a successful Toggle system and ensure your readers always get the most up to date information available.