The application list appears in the navigation bar of a site, and when opened, shows icons that correspond to applications.
Clicking on these icons will open the front end of that application.
The application list can be hidden from appearing at all in the Design panel if you would prefer users to navigate your site relying solely on your menu.
If you do have the list visible, the main menu becomes one of the main ways your user base browses and opens the applications they need to perform duties.
Subsequently, the application icons that appear to each user when the list is opened can be customised to suit different duties or tasks they need to perform.
Application administrators of Menu Builder can make the changes covered in this guide.
Consider who needs access to what
After a site is installed, all application icons will be visible to everyone who opens the list, because the 'all registered' permission is set on each icon by default.
It is perfectly fine to have all application icons appear to everyone, but there are benefits to streamlining the list to best fit what you want the users to interact with.
It can be useful to first consider the differences in access that may exist across your user base.
For example, the way basic users need to navigate the site and the applications they need to open will be different to an administrator or user with extra responsibilities like creating content.
These differences can be reflected in the application icons that appear to each user to assist site navigation if preferred.
Users will only see application icons listed that they have been permitted to view, so by changing the users/roles/groups entered across the icons, a unique view is built depending on who is opening the list.
An example has been provided at the end of this article.
How to change the permissions on each icon
Head to Admin > Menu Builder > Applications.
All application links will be listed:
Click the key symbol to open the 'view' permission for the corresponding application icon.
Change the permissions set here to update which users/roles/groups will see the icon in their application list.
'All registered' is entered against all the links by default, so remove this and enter different users/roles/groups instead.
Anyone left out of the permission will not see the application icon in their list.
We recommend editing the 'admin' icon and ensuring only administrators via a group or Role are allowed to view this:
The admin icon leads to the admin side of applications, so it's best practice for only administrators to see and use this.
Toggle visibility
If you would like to hide the application buttons entirely for all users, their visibility can be toggled using the eye symbol in line with each link.
This works well for applications not in use, so it makes sense to hide the icon from everyone.
Any application with the green eye symbol will be visible (to those given permission) , whereas the red eye symbol means the icon is hidden from everyone (regardless of permissions)
How to change the order of the icons
The application list is ordered alphabetically by default, but this can be changed by administrators to suit your preference and site usage.
When in Admin > Menu Builder> Applications, the order of the icons can be changed by dragging and dropping them.
Reload the page to test whether the order has updated based on your changes successfully.
The changes will apply to all users affected on their next page refresh or log into the system.
Application dividers
Dividers can be added to the Application list by clicking on the 'add divider' button.
Drag & drop this to change its order or delete it using the trash can icon.
Dividers are useful to segment applications by type or the users that will be accessing them, e.g, basic user vs administrator vs content creator.
Application List Example
Set up access on application icons based on your particular user base and the division of responsibility across it. The below is just an example of what can be achieved.
'Basic user' - 'All registered' has been left in the most popular applications icon permissions I want them to see and interact with:
User with 'Extra responsibility' - A divider has been used to add additional icons that will appear only to those in the People Role entered them as they manage these and basic users do not need to open these applications:
Administrators - They see all sections, including one created with another divider to include the 'admin' icon, and applications they alone manage, so no one else needs to see.
