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React
A VerticalNav component accepts list items as a JSON object and includes additional functionality like collapsible nested menus.
| Name | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
ariaNavLabel | string | An optional arial label for the <nav> element in this component.
This prop is necessary when there is more than one nav element on a page. | |
className | string | Additional classes to be added to the root element | |
collapsed | boolean | false | Whether or not the menu is in a collapsed state |
component | any | When provided, this will render the passed in component for all VerticalNavItems. This is useful when
integrating with React Router's <Link> or using your own custom component.
If more specific control is needed, each VerticalNavItem object also accepts a component prop. | |
selectedId | string | The id of the selected VerticalNavItem. This will also set the
selected prop on the item's parents. | |
id | string | ||
itemsrequired | VerticalNavItemProps[] | An array of VerticalNavItem data objects | |
nested | boolean | Indicates this list is nested within another nav item. | |
onLinkClick | (evt: MouseEvent<Element, MouseEvent> | KeyboardEvent<Element>, id: string, url: string) => any | Called when one of the nav links is clicked, with the following arguments:
SyntheticEvent,
id, url |
<VerticalNavItem> component
| Name | Type | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
ariaCollapsedStateButtonLabel | string | Expand sub-navigation | Aria label for the toggle button when the sub-navigation is collapsed |
ariaExpandedStateButtonLabel | string | Collapse sub-navigation | Aria label for the toggle button when the sub-navigation is expanded |
className | string | Additional classes to be added to the root element | |
component | any | When provided, this will render the passed in component. This is useful when
integrating with React Router's <Link> or using your own custom component. | |
defaultCollapsed | boolean | false | Whether or not the item's sub-navigation is in a collapsed state by default |
onClick | (evt: MouseEvent<Element, MouseEvent> | KeyboardEvent<Element>, id: string, url: string) => any | Called when the link is clicked, with the following arguments:
SyntheticEvent,
id, url.
This takes precedence over the VerticalNav onLinkClick prop | |
onSubnavToggle | (id: string, collapsed: boolean) => any | Called when this item's subnav is collapsed or expanded, with the
following arguments: id, collapsed | |
id | string | Optional identifier. This can be handy if you're passing in an
onClick handler. A unique ID will be generated if one isn't provided. | |
items | any[] | An array of nested VerticalNavItem data objects to be rendered in a
sub-navigation list. | |
labelrequired | ReactNode | Text to render for this nav item | |
url | string | A URL to navigate to if this item is a link | |
selected | boolean | If this item is currently selected |
Styles
The following CSS variables can be overridden to customize VerticalNav components:
Guidance
When to use
- To display a navigational hierarchy with one to three levels.
- To display the “sub-navigation” within a section of the website.
When to consider alternatives
- If the site has fewer than five pages, consider organizing the page without a navigational hierarchy.
- If your page already has a horizontal and vertical navigation bar, consider ways to simplify your navigation system.
- If your content is within a frame or sub-area of a page, consider ways to simplify your navigation system.
Usage
- Indicate where a user is within the navigational hierarchy. Use the
.ds-c-vertical-nav__label--currentmodifier to show users which page they have navigated to. - Keep the navigation links short and follow sentence case. They can be shorter derivatives of page titles themselves.
- If the navigation hierarchy is too long, users may miss items at the bottom. If it’s too deep, users may miss items that require too many clicks. Usability test to find the right balance between breadth and depth.
Accessibility
- Users should be able to tab through each link.
- If you have nested menus that are collapsible, ensure the toggle button has its
aria-controlsandaria-expandedattributes set. This is done automatically for you if you're using the React components. - If your navigation list is longer than 3 items, consider using a skip navigation link. This allows screen reader and keyboard users to skip to the main content area(s).
- If a skip navigation link is not an option, consider using:
- A valid, descriptive page header
- Landmark regions like
<header>,<main>,<aside>,<footer>
- When naming the optional
ariaNavLabelprop, keep in mind:- This prop is necessary only when there is more than one nav element on a page.
- Don't include the word "Menu" in the label. Most screen readers will announce that information already. Instead, provide more context to what's in the menu and/or its location. Like "Main" or "Social".
Related patterns
Learn more
Component maturity
For more information about how we tested and validated our work for each checklist item, read our component maturity documentation.