Path helper interface for menu module [#475968]

So menu module lets you create a hierarchical structure for any kind of stuff in Drupal (nodes, users, panels pages, views, arbitrary page callbacks from contrib modules). However, because of that, it only accepts a system path as input. i.e. I can put node/1 as the path, but there's absolutely zero way to choose that path from anywhere except my browser's address bar.

This was an issue found at usability testing in Baltimore, and I think it's also a small step we could take towards http://www.d7ux.org/structure/

So what I think we need is an interface where I can find the path for:

1. a node
2. a user
3. a taxonomy term
4. a thingy provided by a contrib module (let's say panels page, or view - ignore arguments for now, they'd have to take care of that interface themselves)
5. still put an arbitrary path in directly.

At least for now, menu module would still have absolutely zero knowledge of what lives at the path - it'd just be the initial input which has this helper.

The actual finding of the node could be handled by autocomplete - but I think we need a two step thing - select the node, then confirm this and some javascript sets the path of the menu item. a single autocomplete which tries to handle core entities plus arbitrary contrib stuff would be a nightmare to design and really, really slow.

I have no idea how this'd look on edit, let's ignore that for now. Maybe we don't show it on edit unless you want to change the path.

Here's the existing interface:

Comment	File	Size	Author
	menu.png	27.17 KB	catch

Comments

Comment #1

yoroy commented 29 May 2009 at 00:46

hello.

Comment #2

merlinofchaos commented 29 May 2009 at 06:35

This is backward. If you want to make this Good, you don't look up the path from this location, you have a toolbox that lets you arbitrarily create a menu item to the path you happen to be at. This is why the auto menu item for a node works well. But that's too weak. It should be universal. Just click in a toolbox, select 'edit menu entry for this page' or something and presto chango.

Comment #3

catch

he/him

English

commented 29 May 2009 at 09:29

That's a good point, we probably need three things:

1. Looking at an overview of your menu and adding something there (which is what this issue is about)
2. Being on a path and adding a menu item for it. #2 from merlinofchaos (doesn't exist yet, sort of possible with node/edit)
3. Being on a path which already has a menu item, and wanting to add a child page from there (book module)

#3 is a subset of #1 - you may want to add existing stuff, or you might want to create new stuff - this can be handled pretty much from the same interface assuming a link/button and drupal_get_destination().

For #2. Let's start small, easy to rip out and replace with a universal menu item adder. If you want to make a menu item, you probably want to be able to choose an alias from the same spot.
#476298: Add menu selector to taxonomy edit forms
#476294: Add path alias to user edit
#476290: Add path alias to taxonomy term edit