Feature Flag

palak231

Hi this is Palak Sharma
I am in final year of my engineering. I and our group is developing software, but we have little bit confusion about Feature Flag, that how it can help in Software Development. I am not much aware about it, can anyone help in this regards.
Hoping for some positive response.
Thanks

anushka866

Hi @palak231
Well We can understand Feature Flag or Feature Toggle by below bullets:-

Feature Toggle is also known as Feature Flag.
In Software Development process Feature Flag is a process as well as technique that allows code to be turn On or turn Off without deploying code.
In general Feature Toggle is a testing process in software development phase which is used to enable as well as disable functionality remotely without deploying any code.
Feature flags or toggle is a software engineering technique that turns select functionality on and off during runtime, without deploying new code
In other language we can say that when a developer is going to develop any software then the process which is used to enable or disable functionality remotely without deploying code is called Features Flag or Feature Toggle.
Various feature toggles as well as flags are uses during Software Testing process, A feature flag whose job is complete should be removed.
In most simple way we can say feature toggles as well as feature flags are on/off switches that allow us to dynamically enable and disable some parts as well as some functions of a system. Even during its execution time.
Feature toggles is a technique as well as a process to facilitate dark launches by implementing toggles in the code, which enables switching between old and new functionality.
While testing the new feature with a feature toggle, the toggle needs to be tested as well as the feature itself.
In simple word Feature Toggle is like a On-Off switch used for changing the state of system functionalities and preferences.
As an alternative to configuration files, feature flags can be stored in some sort of database and this method is known as alternative storage method. It is a convenient place to store your settings and they can often be easily updated.
Feature flags or feature toggles sometime calls feature controls are a software development best practice of gating functionality, used by large organizations like Google and Meta (Facebook).
I had also seen an article where detailed information about Feature Flag is published, you can also check it by clicking here.

Hope it will helps you.
Thanks