Welcome to the world of feature flags! If you’re looking to efficiently manage the roll-out of features in your applications, GO Feature Flag is a lightweight and open-source solution that simplifies the process. In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to get started with GO Feature Flag, along with tips for troubleshooting.

What is GO Feature Flag?

GO Feature Flag is a handy tool that helps software developers manage feature rollouts in a controlled manner. Imagine you own a bakery and you want to introduce a new type of cupcake only to a few loyal customers before serving it to everyone. That’s essentially what feature flags do for your software! It allows you to test new features in a real-world environment without exposing them to all users at once.

What Can I Do with GO Feature Flag?

• Store configuration flags in various locations (e.g., HTTP, S3, Kubernetes).
• Use different formats for flag configurations such as JSON, TOML, and YAML.
• Apply complex rules to target specific user groups.
• Conduct A/B testing and progressively roll out features.
• Get notifications when flags change.
• Support multiple programming languages through the Open Feature SDKs.

Getting Started with GO Feature Flag

Before you dive in, there are a couple of ways to use GO Feature Flag: through Open Feature SDKs or as a GO Module. For multi-language support, we recommend using the relay-proxy, which acts as a centralized management system for your flags.

Create a Feature Flag Configuration

Create a YAML file containing your flag configurations. Here is an example:

test-flag:
  variations:
    my-new-feature: true
    my-old-feature: false
  defaultRule:
    percentage:
      my-new-feature: 20
      my-old-feature: 80

This means 20% of users will get to access ‘my-new-feature’ while 80% will see ‘my-old-feature’.

Set Up the Relay Proxy

Create another YAML configuration file for the relay proxy:

listen: 1031
pollingInterval: 1000
startWithRetrieverError: false
retriever:
  kind: file
  path: goff-flag-config.yaml
exporter:
  kind: log

Then run the relay proxy locally using Docker:

docker run -p 1031:1031 -v $(pwd)/flag-config.yaml:/goff-flag-config.yaml -v $(pwd)/goff-proxy.yaml:/goff-proxy.yaml gofeatureflag/go-feature-flag:latest

Can I Use GO Feature Flag with Any Language?

Initially, GO Feature Flag was designed for the GO language only. However, it now supports multiple languages through the use of a relay proxy, resembling how you might want to share your new cupcake recipe with other bakeries.

Where to Store My Flags File?

You can store your flags file in several ways:

• GitHub
• AWS S3
• Local files
• Google Cloud Storage
• Kubernetes ConfigMaps

For a comprehensive list and more details check out the official documentation.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues while using GO Feature Flag, here are some solutions to common problems:

• Ensure your flag configurations are correctly formatted. Use the provided YAML, JSON, or TOML syntax examples.
• Verify that your relay proxy is running and reachable at the expected endpoint.
• Check for the latest version updates of GO Feature Flag, as new features and bug fixes are frequently released. Access the release information here.

For more insights, updates, or to collaborate on AI development projects, stay connected with fxis.ai.

Conclusion

Feature flags are an essential tool in modern software development for a reason: they provide you with granular control over your feature rollouts. With GO Feature Flag, you can ensure a smooth experience for your users, while also testing new functionalities effectively. At fxis.ai, we believe that such advancements are crucial for the future of AI, as they enable more comprehensive and effective solutions. Our team is continually exploring new methodologies to push the envelope in artificial intelligence, ensuring that our clients benefit from the latest technological innovations.