A toggle allows people to choose between a pair of opposing states, like on and off. It has a specific appearance that distinguishes it from other button types, and it is found across all platforms. Toggles can be used to enable or disable settings, features, and other types of options. Toggles are often used in technology, programming, and communications to provide an easy way to change between two different modes.
A Toggle can be anything from a simple switch in the user interface to an underlying condition in the program, and can rely on any type of information to decide which direction to flip. It is important that toggles are easy to read, provide clear labels, and use standard visual design.
The most common use of Toggles is in release management. When a team starts working on a new feature they will often generate a release toggle in the trunk to leave existing code inactive while they work on the new feature. This helps the team meet delivery targets while still keeping their users safe from regressions that may have to be fixed in a later release.
Release Toggles are typically short-lived and can be changed easily by rolling out a new release with the toggle configured differently. However, Permission Toggles are often long-lived and can be difficult to change due to the way they must be implemented on a request-by-request basis. For this reason it’s generally preferred to use a Dynamic Flag instead of a Release Toggle when possible.
