- How do I install ebess/nova-collapsible-sidebar in Laravel Nova?
- Install it with Composer using composer require ebess/nova-collapsible-sidebar. Laravel package auto-discovery registers the service provider, then publish the package assets with php artisan vendor:publish and follow the package README for any Nova asset registration. There are no migrations or database changes. The latest release referenced in the evaluation is 0.1.2, so pin that exact version if you test it.
- Does ebess/nova-collapsible-sidebar support Laravel Nova 4?
- There is no confirmed support for Nova 4 in the available materials. The last release is from October 2018, which predates Nova 2, 3, and 4 and their Vue 3, Inertia, Tailwind, and reworked navigation changes. Because the package binds to Nova's front-end DOM and CSS internals, you must test it against your exact Nova version rather than assume compatibility. Treat a Nova 4 install as a spike, not a supported path.
- How is the collapsed sidebar state persisted for each user?
- The collapsed state is almost certainly stored client-side, such as in browser local storage, rather than as a per-account preference. That means it follows a browser profile, not a user across devices, and it will reset in incognito or on shared machines. Admins cannot see or manage the setting. Expect occasional it keeps resetting support tickets if you deploy it broadly.
- What is toggleKeyCode and can the keyboard shortcut conflict with forms?
- The toggleKeyCode mechanism is a document-level keyboard listener, which is why it can collide with form inputs, browser shortcuts, or a command palette. Test the shortcut while focused inside text fields and with common browser key combinations. If the key code is configurable, choose a value that avoids collisions; otherwise review the source and consider removing or guarding the global listener. Icon-only navigation also needs accessible names, focus states, and screen-reader semantics.
- Is ebess/nova-collapsible-sidebar actively maintained?
- No. The package has one maintainer, roughly 32 stars, no test suite, and no release activity for about seven years. Assume zero upstream support and no fixes for new Nova versions. If you adopt it, plan to own a fork and pin the exact tag in a private repository.
- Is there a license, and can I fork and redistribute this package internally?
- No license file is evidenced in the available materials, so default copyright applies and all rights are reserved. That is a legal gap you must clear before vendoring, forking, or redistributing it internally. Have legal review the repository and any published terms before you make it part of your deployment. Until then, treat it as a reference implementation rather than a dependency.
- Does this package require database tables, migrations, or API changes?
- No. It is a presentation-layer asset injection for Nova's admin SPA and does not add database tables, migrations, queues, API routes, or auth paths. Installation is Composer plus asset publishing. The risk is front-end durability, not backend integration.
- How should I test this collapsible sidebar before using it in production?
- Run a staging spike with 0.1.2 pinned on your exact Nova version before production. Verify collapse and expand, persistence across reloads and sessions, the keyboard toggle inside and outside form fields, console errors across your top resource screens, and layout regressions in tables and dashboards. Set a hard decision gate at the end of the spike. If it fails, reimplement natively instead of patching vendor files.
- Will it work alongside Nova's default navigation menu and survive upgrades?
- It is designed to work alongside Nova's standard menu with minimal setup, but it does so by binding to Nova's DOM structure, Vue component boundaries, and CSS class names. Those are private front-end details, not a published contract. A Nova major upgrade can break selectors or throw JavaScript errors that degrade the primary admin navigation. Commit composer.lock and record the validated Nova version.
- Should I build my own collapsible sidebar instead of using this package?
- Check whether your current Nova version already offers collapsible navigation natively or through an official first-party tool. If not, building it is often cheaper than adopting an unlicensed, dormant dependency: a CSS custom property for nav width, one storage key, and Nova::script or Nova::style registration, or a custom Nova tool. The package is still useful as a reference implementation. Read it, then own the code in your repository.