More Dynamic Primary Sidebar

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More Dynamic Primary Sidebar: Enhancing User Experience through Customizable Navigation

In the world of website navigation, a primary sidebar can be a powerful tool for users to quickly access and explore content. However, the traditional approach of displaying a site-wide table of contents (TOC) in the sidebar may not be the most effective solution for complex websites with deep content hierarchies. In this article, we will explore a proposal for a more dynamic primary sidebar that allows users to customize their navigation experience.

The Current State of Primary Sidebar

The current implementation of the primary sidebar displays a site-wide TOC, which can be beneficial for websites with linear content structures, such as a book with chapter and section-based navigation. However, for websites with complex content hierarchies, this approach can lead to a cluttered and overwhelming sidebar that makes it difficult for users to find what they are looking for.

A New Approach: Enabling Customizable Navigation

To address this issue, a proposal has been put forth to enable a min-level and max-level setting for the sidebar. This would allow users to specify the minimum and maximum levels of the TOC that should be displayed in the sidebar. For example, setting min-level: 2 would display the 2nd level of the TOC and below, while the top-level navigation menu would represent the first level.

Benefits of Customizable Navigation

The benefits of this approach are numerous:

  • Improved user experience: By allowing users to customize their navigation experience, we can provide a more tailored and effective way for users to access and explore content.
  • Reduced clutter: By limiting the number of levels displayed in the sidebar, we can reduce clutter and make it easier for users to find what they are looking for.
  • Increased flexibility: This approach would allow users to create a top-level navigation menu that represents the first level, while the sidebar shows the secondary choices.

The JupyterHub Team Compass: A Real-World Example

The JupyterHub team compass is a great example of a website that uses a similar navigation pattern. In this example, the top-level nav menu represents the first level, while the sidebar shows the secondary choices. This approach provides a clear and intuitive way for users to navigate the website and access the content they need.

Future Development: Dynamically Constructing Navigation

While the current proposal focuses on enabling a min-level and max-level setting for the sidebar, there is potential for further development to dynamically construct navigation from folder structure with less information from the user. This would involve using algorithms and data structures to automatically generate the navigation menu and sidebar based on the website's content hierarchy.

In conclusion, a more dynamic primary sidebar that allows users to customize their navigation experience can greatly enhance the user experience and provide a more effective way for users to access and explore content. By enabling a min-level and max-level setting for the sidebar, we can provide a more tailored and effective way for users to navigate the website. As we move forward with this proposal, we can continue to explore ways to dynamically construct navigation from folder structure with less information from the user.

  • cc @fperez, who was also interested in this proposal.
  • This proposal is a starting point for further discussion and development. We welcome feedback and suggestions from the community.
  • Investigate the feasibility of dynamically constructing navigation from folder structure with less information from the user.
  • Develop a prototype to test the effectiveness of the min-level and max-level setting for the sidebar.
  • Gather feedback from users and the community to inform future development and refinement of the proposal.
    More Dynamic Primary Sidebar: Q&A

In our previous article, we explored a proposal for a more dynamic primary sidebar that allows users to customize their navigation experience. In this article, we will answer some of the most frequently asked questions about this proposal and provide further clarification on the benefits and implementation details.

Q: What is the current state of the primary sidebar, and why is it not effective for complex websites?

A: The current implementation of the primary sidebar displays a site-wide table of contents (TOC), which can be beneficial for websites with linear content structures, such as a book with chapter and section-based navigation. However, for websites with complex content hierarchies, this approach can lead to a cluttered and overwhelming sidebar that makes it difficult for users to find what they are looking for.

Q: How does the proposed min-level and max-level setting for the sidebar work?

A: The min-level and max-level setting would allow users to specify the minimum and maximum levels of the TOC that should be displayed in the sidebar. For example, setting min-level: 2 would display the 2nd level of the TOC and below, while the top-level navigation menu would represent the first level.

Q: What are the benefits of customizable navigation?

A: The benefits of customizable navigation are numerous:

  • Improved user experience: By allowing users to customize their navigation experience, we can provide a more tailored and effective way for users to access and explore content.
  • Reduced clutter: By limiting the number of levels displayed in the sidebar, we can reduce clutter and make it easier for users to find what they are looking for.
  • Increased flexibility: This approach would allow users to create a top-level navigation menu that represents the first level, while the sidebar shows the secondary choices.

Q: Can you provide an example of a website that uses a similar navigation pattern?

A: The JupyterHub team compass is a great example of a website that uses a similar navigation pattern. In this example, the top-level nav menu represents the first level, while the sidebar shows the secondary choices. This approach provides a clear and intuitive way for users to navigate the website and access the content they need.

Q: What is the potential for further development to dynamically construct navigation from folder structure with less information from the user?

A: There is potential for further development to dynamically construct navigation from folder structure with less information from the user. This would involve using algorithms and data structures to automatically generate the navigation menu and sidebar based on the website's content hierarchy.

Q: How can users provide feedback and suggestions for this proposal?

A: We welcome feedback and suggestions from the community. Users can provide feedback and suggestions by commenting on this article or reaching out to us directly.

Q: What are the next steps for this proposal?

A: The next steps for this proposal are to:

  • Investigate the feasibility of dynamically constructing navigation from folder structure with less information from the user.
  • Develop a prototype to test the effectiveness of the min-level and `max-level setting for the sidebar.
  • Gather feedback from users and the community to inform future development and refinement of the proposal.

In conclusion, a more dynamic primary sidebar that allows users to customize their navigation experience can greatly enhance the user experience and provide a more effective way for users to access and explore content. By enabling a min-level and max-level setting for the sidebar, we can provide a more tailored and effective way for users to navigate the website. As we move forward with this proposal, we can continue to explore ways to dynamically construct navigation from folder structure with less information from the user.