A toggle is a switch that allows users to update preferences, settings, and functionality. This user-interface element usually looks like a slider, and is often colored to provide visual cues of its current state. It is used in technology, computing, programming, and communications to allow users to easily toggle between different states or options. Toggle switches can be an excellent way to allow users to update their views of data, but they need to be carefully designed to avoid confusion.
Ideally, toggles should enforce a mutually exclusive state and deliver a clear and immediate result when pressed. The toggle should also use high-contrast colors to signal changes in state, and include a description of the current state alongside it. Designers should avoid relying on color alone to signal states as this can lead to accessibility issues, especially for people with vision impairments.
Toggle switches are useful for changing between different views or configurations, and they can also be useful in implementing complex features that require the user to make a choice of options. This type of user interface element should be avoided if possible, as it creates cognitive stress for the user. Instead, designers should try to achieve the same effect with less cognitively stressful interface elements such as dropdowns or radio buttons.
While the term toggle is commonly associated with a simple on/off switch, it actually refers to any type of user interface that allows a user to change between two mutually exclusive states. It is often seen in software, but it can also be found in hardware or other types of systems. For example, some devices have a toggle that can be pressed to enable the screen to display an image or text on the touchscreen. Toggles can also be found in physical devices such as phones, cars, or computers.
For the purposes of this article, we will be discussing software toggles that are managed by code. In the past, many developers have hard-coded these toggles in static files or by using a preprocessor’s #ifdef feature. While these methods are generally fine at a smaller scale, they become cumbersome when you begin to have large numbers of toggles that need to be configured at runtime. As a result, many teams now opt to move toggle configuration into some form of centralized store such as an existing application DB. This is a much more dynamic approach and often comes with its own set of challenges such as consistency across a fleet of servers or building out a sophisticated admin UI for viewing and modifying toggle configuration.
Toggle configurations should be tested by ensuring that the toggles that are expected to go live in production are flipped On and that any toggles you intend to release will be flipped Off. It is also wise to test with any existing or legacy behavior that will be enabled when the toggles are flipped Off and any new or future functionality that will be enabled when they are flipped On. This will help ensure that any regressions are caught and addressed before they reach production.
