How to switch between menu(Sub)Items using actionButtons within a modular golem framework?

[maxl-amberg]

Hi,

I am building a golem app and would like to implement buttons to directly switch between different menu(Sub)Items (instead of using the sidebarMenu. I managed to do so in a non-modular framework:

library(shiny)
library(shinydashboard)

ui <- dashboardPage(
  dashboardHeader(title = "Calculator"),
  dashboardSidebar(
    sidebarMenu(
                id = "menuItems",
                menuItem("Instructions", tabName = "instructions_menu", icon = icon("wrench")),
                menuItem("Calculator", tabName = "calculator_menu", icon = icon("calculator"), startExpanded = TRUE,
                         menuSubItem("Specific Calculator", tabName = "calculator_submenu", icon = icon("calculator")))
    )
  ),
  dashboardBody(
    tabItems(
      tabItem(tabName = "instructions_menu", h2("Instructions menu content"),
              tagList(
                shinydashboard::infoBox(
                  title = "",
                  span(h4(tags$strong("Instructions")),
                       span(h4("Click ", actionButton('switchToCalculator', 'here'), "to switch to the calculator."))
                  ),
                  icon = icon("wrench"),
                  color = "light-blue",
                  width = 12
                )
              )
      ),
      tabItem(tabName = "calculator_submenu", h2("Calculator menu content"),
              tagList(
                shinydashboard::infoBox(
                  title = "",
                  span(h4(tags$strong("Calculator")), 
                       h4(tags$strong("Specific Calculator")),
                       span(h4("Detailed instructions can be found ", actionButton('switchToInstructions', 'here'), "."))
                  ),
                  icon = icon("calculator"),
                  color = "light-blue",
                  width = 12
                )
              )
      )
    )
  )
)

server <- function(input, output, session) {
  observeEvent(input$switchToCalculator, {
    newtab <- switch(input$menuItems, "instructions_menu" = "calculator_submenu", "calculator_submenu" = "instructions_menu")       # switch from instructions_menu to calculator_submenu
    updateTabItems(session, "menuItems", newtab)
  })
  observeEvent(input$switchToInstructions, {
    newtab <- switch(input$menuItems, "calculator_submenu" = "instructions_menu", "instructions_menu" = "calculator_submenu")       # switch from calculator_submenu to instructions_menu
    updateTabItems(session, "menuItems", newtab)
  })
}

shinyApp(ui, server)

However, I have so far not been successful in implementing it in a modular golem framework.
Since I defined my dashboardPage() (including also the sidebarMenu()) directly in app_ui <- function() { <content> }, which does not contain a ns <- NS(id) in the beginning, I am not sure how to set an id (as the id = "menuItems" in the non-modular framework above) so that it can be identified by the switch()-command in other modules.

So my question would be whether switching between menu(Sub)Items is possible in a modular golem framework, and if yes, whether anybody (@ColinFay) could provide or hint at an example? My guess would be to also define my dashboardPage() (including also the sidebarMenu()) in a separate module where an id is usually included in the following way

mod_name_ui <- function(id){
  ns <- NS(id)
  < content >
  }

but I am not sure whether this is the way to go.

Many thanks in advance!
Maxl

[maxl-amberg]

In the meantime, I have found a solution on my own.
For those interested, here are two helpful links:
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/51039055/call-updatetabitems-from-inside-shiny-module
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/51708815/accessing-parent-namespace-inside-a-shiny-module