Quick guide to feature flags
What is a Feature Flag?
As of October 2021, beqom has started deploying new features into the Web Application using a mechanism called "Feature Flags". A Feature Flag is essentially a function toggle used to activate/deactivate a targeted feature in the application.
Feature Flags offer advantages for all parties:
- From beqom side, Feature Flags offer a means to deploy new features with more flexibility and more control on the application source code.
- From a client/user perspective, Feature Flags provide an "adjustment period" during which a feature can be enabled or disabled at will in the relevant tenant, before it is definitively integrated into the application.
- For end-users, the activation or deactivation is transparent, simply adding or removing a feature from the application.
Feature Flags are controlled in the Web Application interface by system administrators, who can toggle them on/off at will during the whole lifecycle of the Feature Flag.
Which Permissions are Required to Manage Feature Flags?
Permissions to manage Feature Flags from the (Undefined variable: CompoVariables_WA.Admin) of the Web Application needs to be defined by profile in Admin Portal, under (Undefined variable: CompoVariables_AP.Admin2) > Functional Admin > Profiles > <ProfileName> > Admin > Functional Admin > Feature Flags.
There are two permissions:
- Read: if only this permission is granted to a profile, users belonging to this profile will be able to open the Feature Flags page, but will not be able to perform any action on the toggles
- Modify: when this permission is granted to a profile, users belonging to this profile will be able to toggle Feature Flags on and off
This is an attention message.
If no permissions are granted to a profile, users belonging to this profile will be able to see the Feature Flags menu item in the (Undefined variable: CompoVariables_WA.Admin) of Web App, but the application will return an error message if they attempt to open the page.
How Can I Enable/Disable a Feature Flag?
The Web Application now contains a administration page dedicated to the management of Feature Flags, located in the (Undefined variable: CompoVariables_WA.Admin), under General > Feature Flags.
The page contains the full list of Feature Flags currently available in the beqom application.
To activate/deactivate a Feature Flag, simply change the state of the toggle accordingly in the Feature Flags page.
Click here for the complete list of Feature Flags currently available in the application
What are Feature Flag Dependencies?
Certain Feature Flags are developed with a dependency to another Feature Flag. Usually, a dependency is defined when a feature under Feature Flag would not make any sense without the dependent flag. This is particularly true when two features are implemented at different times or if one Feature Flag is introducing an interface change and the other a related, functional change.
When there are dependencies between flags, a message is displayed in the "Feature Flags" page to inform you that the Feature Flag has dependencies and should be activated along with its parent/child.
A lock icon is displayed next to the flag toggle in the following cases:
- For a child flag if the parent flag is not enabled
- For a parent flag if a child flag is enabled
What is the Lifecycle of a Feature Flag?
Feature Flags are all tied to a predefined calendar that determine their lifecycle, with a specific expiration date. Once the expiration date, called "enablement date", of the Feature Flag is reached, the feature will be definitively integrated into the application and the flag will be removed from the application.
beqom determines the lifecycle of Feature Flags and their enablement dates. The date are communicated in the Online Help. The lifespan of a Feature Flag follows the following pattern:
- Feature Release
- Enablement, 6 months after release. This is the "expiration date" of the Feature Flag, performed by beqom. Before this date, the Feature Flag can be toggled on and off at any time by system administrators.
The application will warning you when enablement of a Feature Flag is imminent, according to the following rule:
From 3 months before the enablement date: the Feature Flag will have an orange background with a message indicating the number of remaining months until enablement.
From 1 month before the enablement date: the Feature Flag will have a red background with a message indicating the number of days remaining until enablement, or "Enforcement Imminent" 1 day before the enablement.
The following figure illustrates the Feature Flag enablement statuses in the beqom application:
Once the enablement date of a Feature Flag has been reached, the feature is permanently integrated to the application and the Feature Flag is removed from the list of available Feature Flags in the application.
How Can I Identify Feature Flags in the Documentation?
In this Knowledge Base, features that are controlled by a Feature Flag are documented in the Online Help. Within each documentation topic, a collapsible/expandable message will indicate that the feature is behind a Feature Flag:
