A toggle is a switch that allows you to change a property (such as on/off or true/false). In software it’s a way of turning features on and off.

The toggle is a popular feature in many software programs as it’s simple, flexible, and user-friendly. The idea behind it is to give users the power to update their preferences, settings, or other information easily and quickly with minimal disruptions. This is especially important when it comes to large programs with a high number of options, or for applications with a lot of data that can be overwhelming.

There are several ways of implementing toggles in code. Some are more simple but less dynamic, while others are more sophisticated but require a lot of additional complexity.

The most common way of implementing a toggle is with a conditional statement. These range from very simple, if/else statements to complex decision trees that act upon a wide variety of conditions. This is a good option for a toggle that requires a single switch but would be inappropriate for a more general config management system.

One of the biggest issues with using toggles is that it can be difficult to see which state a switch is in. This can be solved by making the toggles more visually distinct by using high-contrast colors and adding states descriptors to them. It’s also important to evaluate the societal and cultural implications of the color choices as they can impact user perception of the switch state. Some teams also place expiration dates on toggles so that they are automatically removed from production once they’re no longer necessary, limiting the amount of unused or old toggles in production code.