Feature Request: Convert Superset Header Navigation to Sidebar Layout

[dexter4life2]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.

Yes. The current top-header navigation in Superset (Client Portal) becomes limiting as more features and plugins are introduced. Users with lower screen resolutions or complex menu structures often face usability issues. A sidebar-based navigation would improve scalability, user experience, and alignment with modern UI/UX practices.

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Describe the solution you'd like

Replace or add an option to switch from the top header navigation bar to a collapsible sidebar layout. Key features could include:

• Vertical sidebar with expandable sections (e.g., dashboards, charts, datasets).
• Customizable items via user settings or config overrides.
• Optional collapse/expand toggle to maximize workspace.
• Sticky sidebar (remains visible during scroll).
• Connect button to show modal providing database connection from external clients

This change could be introduced as:

• A default layout or part of the default layout to ensure the sidebar state remains consistent across various views
• Remove rendering from webpack, and flask SDK and instead render it using react

Duration

• Approximately 4 days

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Additional context

Many modern data platforms like Metabase, Looker, and Grafana use sidebar navigation for improved usability and information architecture. Superset could benefit from this evolution in terms of both user experience and long-term scalability.

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