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A toggle is a switch that can be in either one of two states: on or off. They are used to control features, like a phone’s WiFi or Bluetooth. They can also be used to change settings, like the display mode on a smartphone. Toggle is also a verb, meaning to switch between different settings or programs. For example, you might toggle between video chats with two friends at once.

Using toggles allows teams to create, test, and release new software features without needing to use code branches under more traditional waterfall development models. Toggles can hide new functionality until the team is ready to release it for market testing, user feedback, or the next phase of their development process. Toggles can also help support agile processes, so that teams can deploy features even while their code is still in progress.

Creating and managing feature toggles can add a lot of complexity to your codebase. To minimize this overhead, make sure you only use toggles for features that will have a positive impact on your users. Also, be sure to name your toggles in a meaningful way. This helps others on your team understand where the toggle came from, how long it has been in the codebase, and what it does. Also, avoid letting old toggles hang around. Prune them as soon as they are no longer necessary, so you don’t end up with a long list of unused toggles that is difficult to manage.