[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #49054: Introduce Left-Hand Navigation Menu Headers and Zones

[WordPress Trac]

#49054: Introduce Left-Hand Navigation Menu Headers and Zones
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 Reporter:  crdunst      |      Owner:  (none)
     Type:  enhancement  |     Status:  new
 Priority:  normal       |  Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  General      |    Version:
 Severity:  normal       |   Keywords:
  Focuses:  ui           |
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 First time posting, please be kind :) I've been meaning to drop by with
 some feedback for a while. Feel free to move, reword, split out or delete
 this ticket if the format is wrong.

 I'm primarily a developer, but with a background in UI design. I've been
 building with WP for 8 years, and work with client sites day-to-day when
 they're loaded with plugins, rather than 'vanilla' installs.

 The plugin architecture is great, but numerous plugins can mean numerous
 left menu options for site-owners, interspersed with post type links. This
 can quickly get out-of-hand, and overwhelming for end-users.

 Of course every plugin author thinks that their plugin warrants
 prominence. I'm looking at you SEO and Analytics plugins.

 **Menu Zones:**

 **1)** Have 'zones' of menus with headers, all on the left menu, based on
 function. So a heading of '''Content''' with post type links underneath
 (pages, posts, plus custom post types).

 Then '''Settings''' with 'Tools', 'Plugins', 'Settings' etc underneath.

 Lastly, a '''Plugins''' header where SEO plugin authors, slider authors
 and such can drop their links.

 To be clear, this is simply introducing headers between the left-menu
 links.

 **2)** Restrict or Guide placement in the correct zone.

 Theme developers should be able to place left-menu links in any category.
 They know their theme best.

 It's difficult to programatically restrict plugin authors to 'zones', but
 establishing the convention is a start. The plugin approval process might
 choose to reject an SEO plugin for placing their link in the 'Content'
 zone, but allow an Events plugin to place a link there.

 **Bonus: Top Navigation**

 Don't allow plugin authors to place links in the top nav (again, SEO and
 Analytics plugins are the biggest culprits).  This just breaks the concept
 of everything on the left, and the left-to-right direction of 'select,
 edit, publish'.

 The top menu can easily become overwhelmed given the text is horizontal.

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/49054>
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