Implementing a navigation structure (menu)

Hello there!

I'm wondering if anyone have a *best practice* for implementing a navigation structure in terms of a menu for a web site?

Background: the web site will consist of a quite large number of JSPs (frameless), presenting mostly static information. Besides from the actual content pages, the users wants to manage the menu within Teamsite, i.e. edit/delete menu items, link menu items to certain pages and so on.

I'm thinking of using templating, creating a data-type that lets the users build up a tree structure with several replicas.

Once the site is deployed, my thought was to (serverside-) include the menu information in every JSP (eiter as raw XML or formatted) and let the JSP (when requested) *hook* into the menu, determining what menu item to highlight.

Any experts out there that could advice?
Thanks in advance!

Best Regards
Martin

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Comments

Gerard

Well I'm not an "expert", but we use the same approach. The only difference is that we generate a javascript source file (just containing the menu arrays) that is jsp:included in every jsp for menu navigation. The javascript procedures for accessing and using the arrays are included as a separate .js file too. Together these 2 .js files deal with our site navigation (www.fortisbank.nl)

MartinAtCitat

Thank you Gerard for your answer,
I guess it makes more sense having the menu information in js code from start, not having to handle the XML DOM on every request.

Are the editors able to preview the menu before generating, i.e. view the menu in a 'user-friendly' and 'as is in production site' way? Possibly with a separate presentation template?

Best Regards
Martin