A toggle is a switch that has two positions, either on or off. It’s commonly used in computers to control multiple functions at once, such as switching between programs and keyboard shortcuts (Alt+Tab). As a verb, it means to switch back and forth between activities, such as toggling between screens while video chatting with friends.
Toggles are a powerful form element that can be used to update user preferences, settings, and other types of data. They can improve usability and accessibility by providing direct labels, standard visual design, and immediate results. However, they should be used sparingly and carefully to avoid confusing or misdirecting users.
When it comes to implementing toggles, best practices include making them clear and consistent, using them for only one purpose, and providing context for the current state of the toggle. It’s also important to make sure that toggles are accessible for users with disabilities. This can be achieved by ensuring that they always fire mutually exclusive events, like checkboxes or radio buttons, and that there are clear visual cues to help users identify the current state.
Often, developers use toggles to implement feature flags in the codebase. This is done to prevent new features from being pushed to production until they’re complete, and it allows teams to meet their delivery goals while still delivering working software. It’s important to note, however, that using toggles to manage feature flags can be a dangerous practice if not handled properly. This is because toggles can be hard to debug if they are used for too broad of a set of conditions or variables.
The best way to avoid this is to create separate toggles for each different scenario in which a feature flag is used. This will not only help ensure that each toggle is only applied to the correct code path, but it will also make debugging easier when errors occur.
Another good practice when using toggles is to name them descriptively, so that the current state of the toggle is immediately apparent to users. This can be accomplished by using appropriate color, animation, or other visual cues. Additionally, it’s a good idea to provide explicit text descriptions of what each toggle does, so that the current state is clearly labeled.
When designing and developing apps, it’s crucial to consider how each feature will be managed by the team. This will ultimately affect how the toggle is used, and how it will impact the end-user. For instance, it’s important to avoid using toggles to manage complex decision trees, or to implement fitness tests. In these cases, it’s usually better to use a feature flag instead of a toggle. This is because toggles are only helpful when they allow users to update their preferences, settings, or other types of data. If these things are changed by a toggle, the code will likely need to be changed significantly to support that behavior. This can cause significant changes in the app’s functionality, which isn’t always possible with a feature flag.
