Question 1

How do I install and set up Laravel Navigation in a Laravel project?

Accepted Answer

Install via Composer with `composer require spatie/laravel-navigation`, then register your navigation in a service provider using the container events as shown in the README, which allows structured definition and access throughout the app.

Question 2

Laravel Navigation vs Laravel Menu: which one should I choose?

Accepted Answer

Choose Laravel Navigation if you need a renderless backend for custom UI rendering and active state management. Opt for Laravel Menu if you want built-in HTML generation and a richer API for immediate menu output without frontend work.

Question 3

How to add conditional menu items based on user roles with Laravel Navigation?

Accepted Answer

Use the `addIf` method in your navigation definition, passing a condition like `Auth::user()->isAdmin()` and the item details, as demonstrated in the README, to dynamically show or hide sections based on permissions.

Question 4

Can I use Laravel Navigation with Vue.js or React for frontend rendering?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can expose the navigation tree as JSON via an API or in Blade, then consume it in Vue or React components. However, you'll need to handle the rendering logic yourself, as the package doesn't provide frontend bindings.

Question 5

What are the performance implications of using Laravel Navigation?

Accepted Answer

Performance is generally good for typical use cases, but since it builds navigation trees on each request, consider caching the tree data in production for large or complex navigation structures to reduce overhead.

Question 6

How to generate breadcrumbs dynamically with Laravel Navigation?

Accepted Answer

Call the `breadcrumbs()` method on the navigation instance, which returns an array of items. You can append pages in controllers using `activeSection()->add()` for dynamic breadcrumbs, as shown in the README examples.

Question 7

Is Laravel Navigation suitable for simple websites with basic menus?

Accepted Answer

It might be overkill for simple sites with static navigation, as a basic config array could suffice. However, it can still be used if you anticipate future complexity or want consistent active state handling.

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