{ "uuid": [ { "value": "99c87aed-1bac-4f19-9ae2-15e2ccd9cd02" } ], "langcode": [ { "value": "en" } ], "type": [ { "target_id": "daily_email", "target_type": "node_type", "target_uuid": "8bde1f2f-eef9-4f2d-ae9c-96921f8193d7" } ], "revision_timestamp": [ { "value": "2025-05-11T09:00:03+00:00" } ], "revision_uid": [ { "target_type": "user", "target_uuid": "b8966985-d4b2-42a7-a319-2e94ccfbb849" } ], "revision_log": [], "status": [ { "value": true } ], "uid": [ { "target_type": "user", "target_uuid": "b8966985-d4b2-42a7-a319-2e94ccfbb849" } ], "title": [ { "value": "Easy feature flags" } ], "created": [ { "value": "2024-12-22T00:00:00+00:00" } ], "changed": [ { "value": "2025-05-11T09:00:03+00:00" } ], "promote": [ { "value": false } ], "sticky": [ { "value": false } ], "default_langcode": [ { "value": true } ], "revision_translation_affected": [ { "value": true } ], "path": [ { "alias": "\/daily\/2024\/12\/22\/feature-flags", "langcode": "en" } ], "body": [ { "value": "\n

I recently switched to self hosting<\/a> the MP3 files for the episodes of the Beyond Blocks podcast.<\/p>\n\n

The first step was to upload the files, followed by updating the player<\/a> on the episode pages to use the HTML audio element.<\/p>\n\n

As I didn't want the player to switch immediately, I wrapped the new code in a feature flag (or feature toggle) to keep the original player active.<\/p>\n\n

Later, I could swap the player by enabling the feature flag.<\/p>\n\n

How I did it<\/h2>\n\n

Feature flagging is a straight forward concept.<\/p>\n\n

You isolate the code you want to be togglable within a conditional - i.e. an if<\/code> statement - that you can easily change in the future.<\/p>\n\n

My website built with Sculpin, so I can add self_host_podcast_episodes: false<\/code> to my sculpin_site.yml file.<\/p>\n\n

This will be available as site.self_host_podcast_episodes<\/code> and I can use this in my code to show the appropriate player.<\/p>\n\n

Something like:<\/p>\n\n

{% if site.self_host_podcast_episodes %}\n  Show the new player.\n{% else %}\n  Show the old player.\n{% endif %}<\/code><\/pre>\n\n
Here's the thing<\/h2>\n\n
I like feature flags as you can separate deploying a feature from releasing it.<\/p>\n\n
The code can be deployed but not active until the feature is enabled.<\/p>\n\n
It's easy to enable, and easy to revert if needed.<\/p>\n\n
In Drupal applications, I use the Feature Toggle module<\/a>, so I can toggle feature flags by logging in and updating a checkbox.<\/p>\n\n
I also wrote a module<\/a> with a Twig function so I can check if a feature toggle is enabled directly in a Twig template - the same as I'm doing in Sculpin.<\/p>\n\n        ",
            "format": "full_html",
            "processed": "\n          
I recently switched to self hosting<\/a> the MP3 files for the episodes of the Beyond Blocks podcast.<\/p>\n\n
The first step was to upload the files, followed by updating the player<\/a> on the episode pages to use the HTML audio element.<\/p>\n\n
As I didn't want the player to switch immediately, I wrapped the new code in a feature flag (or feature toggle) to keep the original player active.<\/p>\n\n
Later, I could swap the player by enabling the feature flag.<\/p>\n\n
How I did it<\/h2>\n\n
Feature flagging is a straight forward concept.<\/p>\n\n
You isolate the code you want to be togglable within a conditional - i.e. an if<\/code> statement - that you can easily change in the future.<\/p>\n\n
My website built with Sculpin, so I can add self_host_podcast_episodes: false<\/code> to my sculpin_site.yml file.<\/p>\n\n
This will be available as site.self_host_podcast_episodes<\/code>  and I can use this in my code to show the appropriate player.<\/p>\n\n
Something like:<\/p>\n\n
{% if site.self_host_podcast_episodes %}\n  Show the new player.\n{% else %}\n  Show the old player.\n{% endif %}<\/code><\/pre>\n\n
Here's the thing<\/h2>\n\n
I like feature flags as you can separate deploying a feature from releasing it.<\/p>\n\n
The code can be deployed but not active until the feature is enabled.<\/p>\n\n
It's easy to enable, and easy to revert if needed.<\/p>\n\n
In Drupal applications, I use the Feature Toggle module<\/a>, so I can toggle feature flags by logging in and updating a checkbox.<\/p>\n\n
I also wrote a module<\/a> with a Twig function so I can check if a feature toggle is enabled directly in a Twig template - the same as I'm doing in Sculpin.<\/p>\n\n        ",
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