- What is digital-creative/column-toggler used for?
- digital-creative/column-toggler is a single-purpose Laravel Nova tool that adds a show/hide control to resource index views so users can tailor table columns at runtime. It carries no domain logic, API surface, or persistence layer of its own. It is an admin-UX lever for dense, role-fragmented index tables, not a platform capability.
- Is column-toggler a Filament plugin or a Laravel Nova package?
- Despite marketing copy that calls it a Filament plugin, the repository, changelog, composer.json constraints, and integration guidance are all for Laravel Nova. Treat the composer.json and changelog as authoritative and plan accordingly. It is not a Filament plugin and not a general Laravel table solution.
- How do I install and register Column Toggler in Laravel Nova?
- Install with Composer, then register the tool in NovaServiceProvider::tools(). You can optionally publish the config and views. Integration is low effort and tightly bounded, measured in hours rather than sprints, but confirm the Nova constraint in composer.json before committing.
- Does column-toggler support Laravel Nova 5, and what about Nova 4?
- Version 0.3.0 was contributed to add Nova 5 support, while 0.2.x is the line to pin if you are still on Nova 4. Check the nova constraint in composer.json to confirm which versions a given release supports, and do not assume one constraint spans both Nova 4 and 5. Verify compatibility in staging rather than from release notes.
- How are column visibility preferences stored in column-toggler?
- Column visibility preferences are stored client-side using localStorage, scoped to the browser and device. There is no server-side persistence, so preferences do not follow users across devices and cannot be centrally governed. If you need audit, compliance, or role-based defaults, the localStorage model cannot satisfy that now or later.
- Will column-toggler conflict with custom Nova index components or filters?
- The toggler renders into the standard Nova header slot, which is a known collision point with custom index components where the control can fail to render at all. Test toggling alongside filters, sorting, pagination, and any customized resources. Include at least one heavily customized resource in your staging rollout.
- Is column-toggler production-ready and how risky is it to depend on?
- The package is a 0.x semver line with single-maintainer concentration, and no automated test coverage against Nova 5 is stated. Its dominant long-term risk is structural: it hooks Nova's frontend table internals, so it is sensitive to Nova major-version churn. The risk is moderate but contained for an admin-UX feature; name an internal owner and an exit plan before adopting.
- Should we build our own column toggle instead of using this package?
- Estimate honestly: a minimal in-house toggle may take only hours to build, versus the recurring cost of tracking a single-maintainer dependency. The buy option is cheapest when you are already on Nova 5 and the need is validated by support tickets or UX review. Decide with a real build-vs-buy number rather than assuming the package is faster.
- How do I upgrade column-toggler from 0.2.3 to 0.3.0 safely?
- Bump 0.2.3 to 0.3.0 on a branch and validate toggling on your highest-traffic resources. If you are on Nova 4, pin 0.2.x and gate the 0.3.0 upgrade on your Nova 5 migration timeline. Do not assume the same version constraint works across both Nova lines.
- Does column-toggler support role-based column defaults, audit, or compliance requirements?
- No. Column visibility is stored in the browser's localStorage, so there is no central governance, audit trail, or role-based default. If operators need enforced column defaults or compliance reporting, you need a server-side solution instead. The package is best framed to stakeholders as an admin-UX convenience, not a governance control.