Rails - Mar 2005 - Menus / Navigation classes

Hi,

I''ve been thinking of separating my menu/nav ''data''
from its
presentation layer in the view. For example, I''m currently hardcoding
my
menus as a <table> of ''link_to''s, and I''m
thinking of doing something
more flexible to hold the ''menu data'', and pass the
''menu data'' object
to  ''render_partial'' which would apply some presentation to
the menu, be
it a top dhtml style thing, or a left column menu etc. 

Anyhow, maybe I''m reinventing the wheel. Does anyone have any
comments/pointers to a RoR menu api which I can take advantage of?

Thanks Neville.
psuedo menu code below:

Class MenuItem
  def initialize(url, desc)
    @url = url
    @desc = desc
  end
end

Class MenuColumn
   def initialize(url, desc)
     @url = url
     @desc = desc
   end

   def addItem(menuItem)
     @n += 1
     @items[n] = menuItem
   end
End

Class Menu
   def addColumn(menuColumn)
     @n += 1
     @columns[n] = menuColumn
   end
End

Neville,

I didn''t go to the extent of creating my own classes, but I did
something very similar for an application that I''m working on right
now.
I used the "acts_as_tree" and "acts_as_list" properties of
ActiveRecord
to give items in my NavItem table a hierarchy and order. Hieraki uses
this for it''s Chapter menu items as well.

You may find that those two "acts" might work for you and save you
some
work, so if you aren''t familiar with them, do check them out.

-- 
DeLynn Berry
delynnb-+9FQAZFMD0vCste6SmUHRhL4W9x8LtSr@public.gmane.org

-----Original Message-----
From: rails-bounces-1W37MKcQCpIf0INCOvqR/iCwEArCW2h5@public.gmane.org
[mailto:rails-bounces-1W37MKcQCpIf0INCOvqR/iCwEArCW2h5@public.gmane.org] On
Behalf Of Neville
Burnell
Sent: Monday, March 14, 2005 11:38 PM
To: rails-1W37MKcQCpIf0INCOvqR/iCwEArCW2h5@public.gmane.org
Subject: [Rails] Menus / Navigation classes


Hi,

I''ve been thinking of separating my menu/nav ''data''
from its
presentation layer in the view. For example, I''m currently hardcoding
my
menus as a <table> of ''link_to''s, and I''m
thinking of doing something
more flexible to hold the ''menu data'', and pass the
''menu data'' object
to  ''render_partial'' which would apply some presentation to
the menu, be
it a top dhtml style thing, or a left column menu etc. 

Anyhow, maybe I''m reinventing the wheel. Does anyone have any
comments/pointers to a RoR menu api which I can take advantage of?

Thanks Neville.
psuedo menu code below:

Class MenuItem
  def initialize(url, desc)
    @url = url
    @desc = desc
  end
end

Class MenuColumn
   def initialize(url, desc)
     @url = url
     @desc = desc
   end

   def addItem(menuItem)
     @n += 1
     @items[n] = menuItem
   end
End

Class Menu
   def addColumn(menuColumn)
     @n += 1
     @columns[n] = menuColumn
   end
End


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