A toggle is a switch that can be set to either an on or off position. It is a useful tool in software development for controlling what functionality is available to users of your program. When used correctly, toggles can make the user experience much more responsive and customizable by allowing developers to implement multiple configurations of an application.
Feature Toggles can be an effective way to experiment with new features and see how they are received by your users before rolling them out into production code. This practice supports newer agile development models and eliminates the need to build out entire features on code branches before bringing them into trunk for release.
The word toggle derives from an old-fashioned pin passed through the eye of a rope to secure it in place. The meaning of the word has shifted somewhat from this original meaning but the basic concept is still the same. In computer technology, a toggle refers to a Boolean variable that can be set to either an on or an off position. The toggle can then be controlled by an event or action, such as a button click. When the toggle is clicked, the variable is changed from one position to another, affecting what function is enabled or disabled.
In user interface design, toggles are commonly employed as an alternative to sliders and menus to provide a more compact and intuitive control. The toggle is generally designed to resemble a slide switch with the label on the right side of the switch, making it easy for users to interpret what the control will do. Using visual cues such as color and movement can help avoid confusion.
Some common uses of toggles in UI design include enabling light and dark themes, providing an option to show or hide a progress bar, and setting the default text color or background color for a page. Toggles can also be implemented to control the behavior of a product, such as showing or hiding an article’s vignette.
When creating a toggle, it is important to keep the size of the scope of the switch in mind. While it may be tempting to create a large number of if-else statements, this can create a mess that will take weeks or months to debug in production. To avoid this, it is best to stick with a limited number of toggles that are well defined.
Many teams also create a set of standard toggle configurations which will be the default when releasing new features. It’s also wise to test any toggle configurations that you intend to release with all toggles flipped On and any fallback configuration with all toggles flipped Off. This will help prevent any surprise regressions in a future release.