Foreword

I'm not sure why, out of all the ColdFusion Summit 2021 recordings, the first one I picked to watch was Ben Nadel's presentation on feature flags. I had never heard the term before, but I've known Ben for years—he always has great information to bring to our developer community. Not even halfway through the presentation, it was like getting hit by a lightning bolt—this is what I need! I couldn't wait to implement feature flags for the clients I currently had. I went right to work making that happen; and it was a huge success. A couple of years later, I found myself giving my own presentation on feature flags at CF Summit.

Feature flags can be that life-changing for a developer. Think of the first time you learned about source control and all the problems it solved. Feature flags are like that. They are deceptively simple; but the more your development revolves around them, the more things you find they can do for you. They are a big hit with clients, too, especially those who have often seen bugs make it to production. Helping me do my job better and letting my clients think I'm a genius in the process?! Sign me up!

Ben Nadel brings his years of experience to the table in this new book, explaining what feature flags are and how they work in very clear, simple-to-understand instructions and sample code. You'll find best practices, solutions to common problems, and ideas for different ways in which you can use flags in your own projects—as well as what not to do. This book is a treasure trove of information that is otherwise very hard to come by on the topic. So enjoy your journey into this new world of feature flags. You will never be the same again!

— Mary Jo Sminkey

Mary Jo Sminkey is a Senior Web Developer at CFWebtools and a frequent presenter at ColdFusion conferences with over 25 years of experience.