Feature Flag

Releasing new features or updates to a subset of users before rolling them out to everyone is commonly known as “feature flags” or “feature toggles”.

Feature flags allow you to release a new feature or update to a small percentage of users and gradually increase the percentage of users who have access to the feature.

How to implement it?

To implement feature flags in your application, you can use a variety of tools and techniques. Here are a few common methods:

• Rollout: Rollout is a popular open-source feature flagging solution that enables you to release new features or updates to a subset of users. Rollout works by embedding feature flags in your application code and using a control panel to toggle the flags on and off for different users or groups.

• LaunchDarkly: LaunchDarkly is a commercial feature flagging solution that provides a range of features for managing and controlling feature releases. It allows you to target specific users or groups with new features or updates, and provides detailed analytics and monitoring capabilities.

• Custom code: You can also implement feature flags using custom code in your application. This involves adding conditional logic to your code that checks whether a feature flag is enabled before executing the corresponding code.

• Cloud Providers: Many cloud providers like AWS, GCP, and Azure provide feature flagging solutions as a service which can be easily integrated with your applications.

Conclusion

Once you have implemented feature flags in your application, you can gradually roll out new features or updates to a small percentage of users, monitor their behavior and feedback, and gradually increase the percentage of users who have access to the feature. This can help you identify and address issues before releasing to your entire user base, and ensure a smoother rollout process.