[development] The menu - does it have to be different on each page?

[Johan Forngren]

Good points, see comments below

Brandon Bergren write:
> ...
> (Thought provoking questions, hopefully)
>
> WWFAPID? (What would FormsAPI do?)
  $menu['menu'] = array(
    '#type' => 'menu',
    '#path' => array ('menu', 'yet', 'another', 'path', 'etc'),
    '#title' => t('Menu'),
    '#tree' => TRUE,
    '#collapsible' => TRUE,
    '#collapsed' => TRUE,
  );
  $menu['menu']['item'] = array('
    '#type' => 'node',
    '#nid' => 1337,
    '#title' => t('Node'),
    '#description' => t('A node item'),
    '#weight' => 5,
  );
  $menu['menu']['item2'] = array('
    '#type' => 'page',
    '#callback' => 1337,
    '#title' => t('A page'),
    '#path' => array(t('translatable'), t('path')),
  );
>
> Would doing a more formsapi-ish approach make the code easier to read? 
> Slower? Faster?
Not sure
>
> Why isn't the menu *always* a semi-static thing that modules get a 
> chance to alter?
If the code above is loaded in bootstrap it will be
>
> Why is the menu responsible for paths, really? Wouldn't a seperate 
> system for paths that could tell the menu to "expand to root" certain 
> items work too? Couldn't modules take the menu object and tell it to 
> expand the module's relevant roots, and then the module mark its own 
> items as being active?
>
> Why does the menu try to do everything itself? Why not delegate some 
> stuff to the modules?
IMO paths is rather related to menu items, or it should be...
> Why do modules publish individual menu items? Why not publish local 
> roots and a callback for the menu system to get the children when 
> needed? Wouldn't this make (taxonomy|category|whatever)_menu modules 
> less bug prone?
>
> Is there any reason the menu manager can't just become a *service* to 
> modules? (i.e. an interface to let the admin (user even?) organize the 
> children under module local roots?) Is the ability to move the 
> originals around such a good idea? Why not make it easier to duplicate 
> items instead? Could "alternate paths to this item" be stored in the 
> menu item?
Duplicates is not a good idea IMO, but it should be easier to 
duplicate/create shortcuts to menu items, without messing up the entire 
system