A toggle is a switch that has two positions, on or off. It is often used in software to change options or preferences. For example, you can find toggles in the settings menu on a computer or mobile device. It is the preferred control for changing options in a screen because it takes less space than a radio button.
The term toggle can also describe a piece of hardware, such as the keyboard’s Caps Lock and Num Lock keys. When a user presses one of these switches, it turns on that function. Pressing it again will turn off the function. In software, toggles allow developers to test functionality with a small segment of users before rolling it out to everyone.
It is important to keep the number of feature toggles low in a codebase. This is because each toggle comes with a carrying cost in terms of management overhead. Savvy teams will have a process for vetting when a toggle is no longer necessary and then remove it promptly. This may be through adding a task to the team’s backlog or building a process into their feature management tool.
A feature toggle is a powerful tool that can be leveraged to support a variety of workflows. However, it is essential to understand its limitations and apply best practices when using them. This will ensure that they add value and don’t become a source of frustration for dev teams or users.
