What Is a Toggle?

A toggle is a switch that has two positions: on and off. You can use a toggle to switch between different programs or settings on your computer. For example, you can toggle the Caps Lock key to turn on or off the function.

The Sense of Toggle:

In computing, a toggle refers to any option item that can be marked on or off, and the word is used in software as well as hardware. This includes the Caps Lock and Num Lock keys on a keyboard, and the various toggles in options menus in most applications.

Toggle Labels:

The labels on a toggle should describe what the control will do when the switch is on; they should not be neutral or ambiguous. They should be written in standard design and should be directly visible.

Toggle Color:

The color of a toggle can help users identify what state it’s in, and it should be high contrast. It’s also important to consider how the color can be interpreted by culturally diverse groups.

Togle Expiration Dates:

Savvy teams use a feature flag removal process whereby a toggle is removed when it reaches an expiration date – this can be as short as a week or as long as a year! This approach helps keep a team’s codebase under control while also ensuring that the toggles aren’t clogging up their test environment.

In summary, a savvy team views Feature Toggles as inventory which comes with a carrying cost and seeks to keep them as low as possible. This often requires a centralized system for managing toggle configuration.