What Is a Toggle?

A toggle is a switch that allows users to change between different states or modes. In everyday technology, toggles can be found on devices such as smartphones and tablets that allow you to enable or disable WiFi and Bluetooth(r). Toggle switches are also common in software applications where they can be used to switch between different display modes or other settings.

One of the main benefits of using feature toggles is that it allows developers to test new features in a controlled environment before they are made available to the general public. This gives the opportunity to get user feedback and make adjustments as needed before making the feature widely available. Toggles are also useful for limiting the number of changes to an existing feature to prevent breaking any functionality.

The word toggle comes from the English verb to toggle, meaning to switch between positions or alternate. The phrase toggle also carries the connotation of switching quickly between activities, such as switching between screens while video chatting with two friends at once. This use is reflected in the design of many toggle buttons, which resemble sliders and employ visual cues to help users understand their current state.

Toggles are a valuable tool for web designers to utilize, but they must be carefully implemented to ensure users can understand their current state. This means the use of high-contrast colors and careful consideration of cultural differences to avoid causing confusion for users. Toggle switches should also include a clear label that describes what each position represents, as well as state descriptors to help users who are color blind or have impaired vision.

Keeping your toggle code clean is another important consideration. If toggles are not properly managed, they can lead to technical debt and hurt developer productivity. Toggles should be categorized and regularly audited to ensure they are not impacting production performance. Developers should also be disciplined about removing old toggles to avoid creating unnecessary complexity and to ensure that the correct configuration is always exposed.

Visibility toggles can be used to hide content togel sdy within an article. They will remain hidden until a user clicks on the button again to unhide it. While this is a great way to limit who sees certain content in an article, it’s important to note that anyone who knows how to inspect the source code of an article will be able to access any hidden content. For this reason, it’s best to use toggles in conjunction with other elements of your article design such as Collapsible Toggles and Accordions.