Introduction

Drupal relies on a core menu component which provides a framework, allowing modules to create and customize navigational elements. These can subsequently be exposed through the theme by way of menus embedded either directly within the theme or as content within blocks. Furthermore, this framework forms the basis for the breadcrumb navigation which is an integral facet of every site's user interface.

Besides menu items exposed by modules, Drupal also provides an optional Menu module which allows the customization of the aforementioned items as well as the creation and management of new user-defined menus and their constituent menu items. Customized menu items are not solely restricted to the domain of the site and can also be linked to external URLs, if necessary.

As a site's complexity grows, so does its menu structure. Consequently, simple and static menu implementations no longer suffice and other alternatives are required. One of the solutions frequently arrived at is the introduction...