Compact Navigation & Menu Panels

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Rules from common-docs/systems/platform/ui-shell/FEATURE.md — edit there, never here (python3 common-docs/meta/scripts/one_home.py --write).

1. Delete means archive, everywhere. A delete that does not archive is a defect.
2. A menu regroup ships as a side-by-side demo page with a what-goes-where list, never as a direct change.
3. Every surface mounts the canonical menu. Use NonEditableContextMenu or EditableContextMenu from features/context-menu-v3/. Never use a bespoke DropdownMenu or a raw contextmenu handler, and never keep both.
4. A menu without a source is a defect. A menu with no contentSource, entity or surfaceName opens with every verb dark. Fix these before unwired surfaces.
5. Lists built on EntityListPage inherit the row menu through ItemContextMenu. They need their own wiring only for surface-specific sections.
6. A window or overlay mounts its own menu. It never delegates to the page under it.
7. Reuse the domain's action registry. Never create a second one.
8. Secret-bearing surfaces follow VaultContextMenu. Pass getApplicationScope, force selection: "", put names and field keys in the content (never values or notes), and pass no entity.
9. Done means the menu opens clean. The console shows no INERT MENU or VALUE MAPPING GAP scream.
10. Chat is a universal agent host. Never bind a page-agent roster to it.
11. Anything with an id shows it through the one canonical id component (display plus one-click copy).
12. Flagship and first-run screens get a bespoke elevated stage, not the 28px app-chrome controls.
13. Before a link goes to Arman, every screen on its path passes the Steve Jobs bar (walked and fixed by an Opus reviewer).
14. Admin tables filter, search and sort on the server, and people are picked by name or email, never by id.
15. Wasted vertical space is the worst sin; every status shown is backed by real state.
16. A new output style or menu layout is a NEW function used only by the new path; never thin a shared builder.
17. A page fetches only what it shows, each thing once; every removed fetch ships its on-engagement load.

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Look rules (type, color, components) come from the style guide: ../common-docs/systems/platform/ui-shell/STYLE-GUIDE.md — this skill only adds menu structure.

Canonical sizing and spacing rules for navigation sidebars, list panels, and compact menus across the project. Every value below is a hard default — deviate only with justification.

Sizing Tokens

Sidebar Container

Property	Value	Notes
Width	w-36 to w-44	Never wider than w-44 (~176px). Use w-36–w-40 when labels are short.
Background	bg-muted/30	Subtle tint, not solid bg-card.
Border	border-r border-border/60	60% opacity, not full border-border.
Visibility	hidden md:flex	Always hidden on mobile; use MobileDock or stacked list instead.
Scroll	Wrap content in <ScrollArea className="h-full w-full">	Never overflow-y-auto on the aside itself.

Nav Item — Top-Level (Flat or Parent)

Property	Value
Font	type-secondary
Padding	px-3 py-1.5
Gap	gap-2
Icon	h-3.5 w-3.5
Active BG	bg-accent text-accent-foreground font-medium
Active icon	text-primary
Inactive	text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground
Hover BG	hover:bg-muted/80
Shape	No rounded corners on rows — full-bleed highlight.

Nav Item — Child (Second Tier)

Property	Value
Font	type-meta
Padding	pl-8 pr-3 py-1
Gap	gap-1.5
Icon	h-3 w-3
Active	text-primary font-medium (no background)
Inactive icon	text-muted-foreground

Section Headers (Grouped Lists)

Property	Value
Font	type-meta uppercase tracking-wider — non-content overline chrome only; the scale has no 10px
Color	text-muted-foreground
Padding	px-3 pt-3 pb-1
Separator	border-t border-border/40 above the header, not <Separator> components.

Filter Bar / Chip Row

Property	Value
Container	px-3 py-1.5 flex items-center gap-1.5 flex-wrap
Chip	Chip / Badge from @ai-matrx/design-system (never a hand-built pill); selected state via the component's tone
Search input	SearchField from @ai-matrx/design-system/controls
Select dropdown	Select from @ai-matrx/design-system/controls

Footer / Status Bar

Property	Value
Padding	px-4 py-1.5 or px-4 py-2
Font	type-secondary (status text is content)
Background	bg-muted/20
Border	border-t border-border/60
Buttons	Button from @ai-matrx/design-system/controls

Anti-Patterns

These are the exact mistakes to fix when refactoring existing sidebars:

Bad	Fix
w-52, w-64, or wider	Reduce to w-36–w-44
text-sm / text-xs / text-[11px] classes on nav items	Use type-secondary (child rows type-meta)
py-2, py-3 on nav rows	Use py-1.5 (top-level) or py-1 (child)
gap-3 between icon and label	Use gap-2 (top-level) or gap-1.5 (child)
h-4 w-4 icons in nav	Use h-3.5 w-3.5 (top-level) or h-3 w-3 (child)
rounded-md on nav rows	Remove — use full-bleed row highlights
bg-primary text-primary-foreground active	Use bg-accent text-accent-foreground
p-3, p-4 wrapper padding inside sidebar	Use py-1 with no horizontal padding on the wrapper; let rows handle px-3
space-y-6 between groups	Use border-t border-border/40 separator + tight header
<Separator> component	Replace with a border-t on the section header
bg-card sidebar background	Use bg-muted/30
border-border (full opacity)	Use border-border/60
text-lg sidebar title	Remove header entirely or use a type-meta uppercase section label

Two-Tier Expandable Pattern

For sidebars where a top-level item reveals sub-items (like Settings > Preferences):

const isExpanded = isActive && !!item.children;

{/* Parent */}
<Link href={item.children ? `${item.href}?tab=${item.children[0].param}` : item.href}
  className={cn(
    'flex items-center gap-2 px-3 py-1.5 transition-colors type-secondary',
    'hover:bg-muted/80',
    isActive ? 'bg-accent text-accent-foreground font-medium'
             : 'text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground',
  )}
>
  <span className={cn('shrink-0', isActive ? 'text-primary' : 'text-muted-foreground')}>
    {item.icon}
  </span>
  <span className="truncate">{item.title}</span>
</Link>

{/* Children — only when expanded */}
{isExpanded && (
  <div className="py-0.5">
    {item.children.map(child => (
      <Link key={child.param}
        href={`${item.href}?tab=${child.param}`}
        className={cn(
          'flex items-center gap-1.5 pl-8 pr-3 py-1 transition-colors type-meta',
          'hover:bg-muted/80',
          isChildActive ? 'text-primary font-medium'
                        : 'text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground',
        )}
      >
        <span className={cn('shrink-0',
          isChildActive ? 'text-primary' : 'text-muted-foreground',
        )}>{child.icon}</span>
        <span className="truncate">{child.title}</span>
      </Link>
    ))}
  </div>
)}

Grouped Sections Pattern

For sidebars with categorized groups (like a file manager):

<aside className="hidden md:flex w-40 shrink-0 border-r border-border/60 bg-muted/30">
  <ScrollArea className="h-full w-full">
    <nav>
      {groups.map((group, i) => (
        <div key={group.label}>
          {/* Section header — acts as separator */}
          <div className={cn(
            'px-3 pt-3 pb-1 type-meta uppercase tracking-wider text-muted-foreground',
            i > 0 && 'border-t border-border/40',
          )}>
            {group.label}
          </div>
          {group.items.map(item => (
            <Link key={item.href} href={item.href}
              className={cn(
                'flex items-center gap-2 px-3 py-1.5 transition-colors type-secondary',
                'hover:bg-muted/80',
                isActive ? 'bg-accent text-accent-foreground font-medium'
                         : 'text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground',
              )}
            >
              <item.icon className={cn('h-3.5 w-3.5 shrink-0',
                isActive ? 'text-primary' : 'text-muted-foreground',
              )} />
              <span className="truncate">{item.label}</span>
            </Link>
          ))}
        </div>
      ))}
    </nav>
  </ScrollArea>
</aside>

Refactoring Checklist

When converting an existing sidebar to this system:

1. Container: w-36–w-44, bg-muted/30, border-r border-border/60
2. Remove wrapper padding: No p-3/p-4 on the scroll content wrapper
3. Items: type-secondary, px-3 py-1.5, gap-2, icons h-3.5 w-3.5
4. Active state: bg-accent text-accent-foreground font-medium (not bg-primary)
5. No rounded rows: Remove rounded-md from item classes
6. Section separators: Replace <Separator> and space-y-6 with border-t border-border/40 on headers
7. Remove sidebar titles: Drop text-lg font-semibold headers; use section labels if grouping is needed
8. Icons: Lucide React only, h-3.5 w-3.5 for top-level, h-3 w-3 for children
9. ScrollArea: Wrap nav content in <ScrollArea>, not overflow-y-auto
10. Mobile: hidden md:flex on the aside; provide MobileDock or stacked list alternative