A toggle is a switch that can be flipped between two positions: on and off. It’s common in technology, computing and programming to use toggles for setting changes or enabling different modes. In everyday life, we often toggle between screens as we video chat with two friends at once or switch between stream and map views when browsing a website.
Feature Toggles are one of the most powerful tools in a product developer’s arsenal. When used properly, they can provide a safe and effective way to make code changes without impacting all users or affecting any existing features. However, as with any tool there are risks associated with using Toggles. To minimize these risks, teams should consider the following best practices when designing and implementing Feature Toggles.
1. Give a meaningful name to your toggles.
A good toggle name should clearly communicate the state of the toggle and any implications for users. Toggle names should also match UI elements and visual cues. For example, using a toggle with a slider icon should indicate that the toggle is related to downloading content. A clear and meaningful toggle name can help someone on any team understand the toggle’s purpose when reading error messages in production. It will also help them know who wrote the toggle, how long it has been in the codebase and what it does.
2. Ensure your toggles are appropriately sized.
When creating a toggle, you need to consider its size and the amount of data it will store in the background. The bigger the toggle, the more expensive it will be for your app to operate and manage. As a result, you should only create a toggle for a small amount of data. In addition, you should limit the number of toggles in a release. This will prevent the app from becoming overloaded and slowing down performance.
3. Use a well-designed interface for your toggles.
Toggle switches should be designed with a clear and user-friendly interface that makes it easy for people to update preferences, settings and other types of information. Toggle switches should clearly identify the setting, view or content they affect; have direct labels that describe the state of the toggle; utilize standard UI components; and update their appearance based on their current state. It’s also important to be proactive about removing toggles that are no longer needed. Some teams even put “expiration dates” on their toggles that will fail a test (or even refuse to start the application!) if a toggle is still around after its expiration date.