toggle

Toggle is a term used to describe a device or action that alternates between two distinct states. It can denote a mechanical fastener found on clothing, where a cord passes through a pair of holes and secures with a cylindrical or knob-shaped toggle, or a switch that changes electrical connections when its lever is moved.

A toggle switch is an electrical switch actuated by a lever that latches into one of two positions, typically on and off. Toggle mechanisms also appear in non-electrical hardware, such as toggle clamps and toggle latches, which use a linkage to hold components in two stable positions.

In software and digital interfaces, a toggle is a user interface control that represents a binary state, such as on/off or enabled/disabled; toggling changes that state. In programming, toggling commonly refers to flipping a boolean variable or a bit, for example by applying a logical NOT or by XOR with a value of 1.

Toggle devices are found in household electronics, instrumentation, clothing, and user experience design. They emphasize simplicity, binary state representation, and quick state switching.