325:(or canary launch or canary deployment) allows developers to have features incrementally tested by a small set of developers. Feature flags like an alternate way to do canary launches and allow targeting by geographic locations or even user attributes. If a feature's performance is not satisfactory, then it can be rolled back without any adverse effects. It is named after the use of canaries to warn miners of toxic gases (
190:
36:
254:
inside these conditional statements can be toggled 'on or off' depending on the value of the feature toggle. This allows developers to control the flow of their software and bypass features that are not ready for deployment. A block of code behind a runtime variable is usually still present and can
273:
There are two main types of feature toggle. One is a release toggle, which the developer determines to either keep or remove before a product release depending on its working. The other is a business toggle, which is kept because it satisfies a different usage compared to that of the older code.
340:
states that a feature toggle "should be your last choice when you're dealing with putting features into production". Instead, it is best to break the feature into smaller parts that each can be implemented and safely introduced into the released product without causing other problems.
270:. Toggle debt arises due to the dead code present in software after a feature has been toggled on permanently and produces overhead. This portion of the code has to be removed carefully as to not disturb other parts of the code.
141:
The third use of the technique is to allow developers to release a version of a product that has unfinished features. These unfinished features are hidden (toggled) so that they do not appear in the
367:
433:
266:
The main usage of feature toggles is to avoid conflict that can arise when merging changes in software at the last moment before release, although this can lead to
112:. In agile settings the toggle is used in production, to switch on the feature on demand, for some or all the users. Thus, feature toggles do make it easier to
630:
787:
459:
263:
would not be executable. A feature flag approach could use any of these methods to separate code paths in different phases of development.
344:
Feature-toggling is used by many large websites including Flickr, Disqus, Etsy, Reddit, Gmail and
Netflix, as well as software such as
526:
247:
495:
357:
337:
229:
109:
75:
313:
Feature groups consist of feature toggles that work together. This allows the developer to easily manage a set of related toggles.
207:
260:
211:
792:
655:
243:
113:
97:
57:
634:
731:
251:
681:
577:
256:
200:
146:
46:
362:
127:
706:
255:
be conditionally executed, sometimes within the same application lifecycle; a block of code behind a
138:
it. Software integration cycles get shorter, and a version ready to go to production can be provided.
93:
149:
features into and out of the productive branch, and hence allows many small incremental versions of
131:
123:
465:
491:
427:
135:
105:
758:"Office FeatureGates: How Microsoft Can Break and Fix Their Applications in Under 24 Hours"
446:
326:
134:
is deployed into a test environment once, the toggle allows to turn the feature on, and
267:
142:
551:
781:
390:
345:
412:
604:
130:. The feature is integrated into the main branch even before it is completed. The
527:"How to do Canary Release / Progressive Delivery with ConfigCat | ConfigCat Blog"
189:
117:
101:
757:
17:
150:
214: in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
552:"Canary Testing - Using Blue-Green Deployments and Feature Flags"
116:
often. Advanced roll out strategies such as canary roll out and
183:
126:
is supported by feature toggles, even if new releases are not
29:
447:
How GitHub
Leverages Feature Flags to Ship Quickly and Safely
368:
Comparison of open-source configuration management software
391:"ALM Rangers - Software Development with Feature Toggles"
277:
Feature toggles can be used in the following scenarios:
53:
45:
may contain excessive or inappropriate references to
104:. A condition within the code enables or disables a
656:"How does Etsy manage development and operations?"
578:"Canary launches – how and why to canary release"
284:Enhancing an existing feature in an application.
96:provides an alternative to maintaining multiple
304:An entry in an external feature flag service.
8:
411:Martin Fowler 29 October 2010 (2010-10-29).
432:: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
732:"Preparing the Netflix API for Deployment"
631:"Partial Deployment with Feature Switches"
230:Learn how and when to remove this message
76:Learn how and when to remove this message
379:
281:Adding a new feature to an application.
425:
56:by removing references to unreliable
7:
406:
404:
385:
383:
212:adding citations to reliable sources
60:where they are used inappropriately.
513:Programming JavaScript Applications
461:Programming JavaScript Applications
301:A property in a configuration file.
128:deployed to production continuously
294:Feature toggles can be stored as:
25:
358:Software configuration management
605:"Flipping Out - code.flickr.com"
242:Feature toggles are essentially
188:
156:A feature toggle is also called
34:
199:needs additional citations for
287:Hiding or disabling a feature.
1:
707:"Developing Gmail's new look"
788:Software development process
27:Software development process
809:
756:Wolfe, Mike (2022-05-30).
298:Row entries in a database.
145:. There is less effort to
629:dcramer (July 9, 2010).
290:Extending an interface.
120:are easier to handle.
488:Managing Feature Flags
486:Echagüe, Pato (2014).
257:preprocessor directive
248:conditional statements
47:self-published sources
511:Elliot, Eric (2018).
363:Software product line
348:or Microsoft Office.
246:that are used inside
793:Computer programming
449:, infoq, 2021-05-09.
346:Google Chrome Canary
208:improve this article
94:software development
174:conditional feature
124:Continuous delivery
558:. 26 February 2021
490:. O'Reilly Media.
415:. Martinfowler.com
395:msdn.microsoft.com
662:. 4 February 2011
515:. O'Reilly Media.
250:. Therefore, the
240:
239:
232:
86:
85:
78:
16:(Redirected from
800:
772:
771:
769:
768:
753:
747:
746:
744:
742:
728:
722:
721:
719:
717:
703:
697:
696:
694:
692:
678:
672:
671:
669:
667:
652:
646:
645:
643:
642:
633:. Archived from
626:
620:
619:
617:
615:
600:
594:
593:
591:
589:
582:launchdarkly.com
574:
568:
567:
565:
563:
548:
542:
541:
539:
538:
523:
517:
516:
508:
502:
501:
483:
477:
476:
474:
473:
464:. Archived from
456:
450:
444:
438:
437:
431:
423:
421:
420:
408:
399:
398:
387:
235:
228:
224:
221:
215:
192:
184:
98:feature branches
81:
74:
70:
67:
61:
38:
37:
30:
21:
808:
807:
803:
802:
801:
799:
798:
797:
778:
777:
776:
775:
766:
764:
762:nolongerset.com
755:
754:
750:
740:
738:
730:
729:
725:
715:
713:
705:
704:
700:
690:
688:
682:"reddit/reddit"
680:
679:
675:
665:
663:
660:codeascraft.com
654:
653:
649:
640:
638:
628:
627:
623:
613:
611:
602:
601:
597:
587:
585:
576:
575:
571:
561:
559:
550:
549:
545:
536:
534:
525:
524:
520:
510:
509:
505:
498:
485:
484:
480:
471:
469:
458:
457:
453:
445:
441:
424:
418:
416:
413:"FeatureToggle"
410:
409:
402:
389:
388:
381:
376:
354:
335:
319:
311:
236:
225:
219:
216:
205:
193:
182:
170:feature flipper
82:
71:
65:
62:
51:
39:
35:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
806:
804:
796:
795:
790:
780:
779:
774:
773:
748:
723:
711:googleblog.com
698:
673:
647:
621:
603:Harmes, Ross.
595:
584:. 7 April 2015
569:
543:
518:
503:
496:
478:
451:
439:
400:
378:
377:
375:
372:
371:
370:
365:
360:
353:
350:
334:
331:
327:Miner's canary
323:canary release
318:
317:Canary release
315:
310:
309:Feature groups
307:
306:
305:
302:
299:
292:
291:
288:
285:
282:
238:
237:
196:
194:
187:
181:
180:Implementation
178:
158:feature switch
143:user interface
90:feature toggle
84:
83:
42:
40:
33:
26:
24:
18:Canary release
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
805:
794:
791:
789:
786:
785:
783:
763:
759:
752:
749:
737:
733:
727:
724:
712:
708:
702:
699:
687:
683:
677:
674:
661:
657:
651:
648:
637:on 2013-11-05
636:
632:
625:
622:
610:
606:
599:
596:
583:
579:
573:
570:
557:
553:
547:
544:
532:
531:configcat.com
528:
522:
519:
514:
507:
504:
499:
497:9781492028598
493:
489:
482:
479:
468:on 2016-09-15
467:
463:
462:
455:
452:
448:
443:
440:
435:
429:
414:
407:
405:
401:
396:
392:
386:
384:
380:
373:
369:
366:
364:
361:
359:
356:
355:
351:
349:
347:
342:
339:
338:Martin Fowler
332:
330:
328:
324:
316:
314:
308:
303:
300:
297:
296:
295:
289:
286:
283:
280:
279:
278:
275:
271:
269:
264:
262:
261:commented out
258:
253:
249:
245:
234:
231:
223:
213:
209:
203:
202:
197:This section
195:
191:
186:
185:
179:
177:
175:
171:
167:
163:
159:
154:
152:
148:
144:
139:
137:
133:
129:
125:
121:
119:
115:
111:
107:
103:
99:
95:
91:
80:
77:
69:
59:
55:
49:
48:
43:This article
41:
32:
31:
19:
765:. Retrieved
761:
751:
739:. Retrieved
735:
726:
714:. Retrieved
710:
701:
689:. Retrieved
685:
676:
664:. Retrieved
659:
650:
639:. Retrieved
635:the original
624:
612:. Retrieved
608:
598:
586:. Retrieved
581:
572:
560:. Retrieved
555:
546:
535:. Retrieved
533:. 2022-02-09
530:
521:
512:
506:
487:
481:
470:. Retrieved
466:the original
460:
454:
442:
417:. Retrieved
394:
343:
336:
322:
320:
312:
293:
276:
272:
265:
241:
226:
220:October 2016
217:
206:Please help
201:verification
198:
173:
169:
166:feature gate
165:
162:feature flag
161:
157:
155:
140:
122:
89:
87:
72:
63:
52:Please help
44:
736:netflix.com
556:unlaunch.io
268:toggle debt
118:A/B testing
102:source code
782:Categories
767:2024-08-27
686:github.com
641:2013-10-10
609:flickr.net
537:2022-12-22
472:2016-09-14
419:2013-09-27
374:References
54:improve it
741:9 January
716:9 January
691:9 January
666:9 January
614:9 January
588:9 January
562:14 August
244:variables
428:cite web
352:See also
333:Adoption
151:software
66:May 2022
132:version
114:release
110:runtime
108:during
106:feature
58:sources
494:
252:blocks
172:, or
147:merge
743:2017
718:2017
693:2017
668:2017
616:2017
590:2017
564:2021
492:ISBN
434:link
136:test
329:).
259:or
210:by
100:in
92:in
784::
760:.
734:.
709:.
684:.
658:.
607:.
580:.
554:.
529:.
430:}}
426:{{
403:^
393:.
382:^
321:A
176:.
168:,
164:,
160:,
153:.
88:A
770:.
745:.
720:.
695:.
670:.
644:.
618:.
592:.
566:.
540:.
500:.
475:.
436:)
422:.
397:.
233:)
227:(
222:)
218:(
204:.
79:)
73:(
68:)
64:(
50:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
