Create .NET Feature Flag in ConfigCat

[Nicole-Scalera]

Overview

• As mentioned in another repository, I've been researching new tools to integrate into my game development workflow.
• I found one called ConfigCat, a feature flag service in the GitHub Student Developer pack.
• I'll break down details below, as well as my plans for experimenting with this new find.

My Understanding of ConfigCat

• I'm actually writing this description directly after a 20-minute demo with a guy named Zoltan who works there.
• He showed me in real-time how ConfigCat can safely toggle new features of a game/software on and off using the website dashboard.
  • You can also use code, I think, but I will create a new issue for that later on.
• He used a basic .NET application by opening like 40 command consoles on his screen at once (it was crazy).
• The background of the consoles appeared red.
• But then, on the website he pointed out a feature flag that, when toggled "on", immediately turned all the backgrounds to green!
• I sketched the photo below to help visualize it.

Why Does This Matter?

• You might be wondering, "Nikki, why does this matter?"
• Great question! Here's my thought process:
  • If I learn ConfigCat well enough, I'll be able to quickly deploy and toggle new features for games.
  • This can be done without the hassle of creating and merging all different and confusing branches on my repo.

Long-Lived Feature Branching

• Granted, Git's standard branch-and-merge workflow completely revolutionized the world of software development (I will die on this hill!).

• However, the beauty of GitHub (and the open-source community) is that it's okay to acknowledge that it has a time and place to be present.
• Relying on long-lived feature branches can send you into integration hell.
  • This is the same reason I started experimenting with Graphite.
• Fortunately, millions of developers have banded together to enhance the traditional workflow.

Connecting to ConfigCat

• That being said, I can avoid stabilization issues (like my most recent struggle) by using the tools provided by ConfigCat.
• For example, if I decide that there's a feature I don't want to use at the moment, I can turn it on or off directly from the website's dashboard.
• This is so much more useful than creating a new branch in which I try to surgically remove a feature that has been carefully implemented.

Goals

• Although Zoltan's example was done with .NET, there's info on how to utilize it in Unity (which runs on the .NET framework).
• Looking at the docs, it may require some extra effort, so I'll start with .NET, and then branch out to Unity.

• I plan to create detailed records of my learning journey with ConfigCat.