[DEPR]: Remove ability to modify Learning MFE sidebar behavior with waffle flags

[brian-smith-tcril]

RFC Start Date

2025-02-27

Target Plan Accepted Date

2025-03-14

Target Transition Unblocked Date

2025-03-14

Earliest Breaking Changes Unblocked Date

2025-06-06

Earliest Open edX Named Release Without This Functionality

Ulmo - 2025-06

Forum post

https://discuss.openedx.org/t/deprecation-ability-to-modify-learning-mfe-sidebar-behavior-with-waffle-flags/15119

Rationale

There are currently multiple ways to configure sidebar behavior in the Learning MFE:

• Using Frontend Plugin Framework slots (as of feat: wrap existing sidebars in frontend-plugin-framework PluginSlots frontend-app-learning#1543, to be released in Teak)
• Using the following waffle flags:
  • courseware.enable_navigation_sidebar
  • courseware.always_open_auxiliary_sidebar

There are downsides to having multiple ways to do one thing:

• Supporting 2 things requires more work from MFE maintainers than supporting 1 thing.
• Having 2 ways to configure something is more complicated for site operators than having 1 way.

There are also downsides to the waffle flags themselves:

• Supporting the waffle flags in the Learning MFE adds more complexity than the Frontend Plugin Framework slots do.
• The waffle flags do not provide as much flexibility in customization as the Frontend Plugin Framework slots do.

Removal

The following waffle flags will be removed:

• courseware.enable_navigation_sidebar
• courseware.always_open_auxiliary_sidebar

All of the logic surrounding those waffle flags in frontend-app-learning will be removed.

Replacement

Context: All logic surrounding the use of courseware.enable_navigation_sidebar and courseware.always_open_auxiliary_sidebar has already been wrapped in Frontend Plugin Framework slots (as of openedx/frontend-app-learning#1543, to be released in Teak). This means the "default content" of the sidebar slots is where the logic is being used.

The default content of the sidebar slots in the Learning MFE will now always behave as it does currently when courseware.enable_navigation_sidebar is true and courseware.always_open_auxiliary_sidebar is false.

Site operators that wish to replicate any behavior that differs from that default will need to be move that logic into plugins that can be used with the existing sidebar slots.

Deprecation

No response

Migration

No response

Additional Info

No response

Task List

No response

[KristinAoki]

@brian-smith-tcril does this mean that the left sidebar will become that default behavior and the top unit navigation and breadcrumbs will be deprecated? To my knowledge both of those items rendering are dependent on the waffle flag.

[brian-smith-tcril]

does this mean that the left sidebar will become that default behavior and the top unit navigation and breadcrumbs will be deprecated?

Yes! This would not, however, remove the course_breadcrumbs_slot. What feels like an ideal path forward to me would be to migrate the default content of the course_breadcrumbs_slot (the CourseBreadcrumbs component) out into a plugin that can be used with that slot for site operators that want to offer breadcrumb navigation.

[sarina]

The acceptance date fro this DEPR has passed so we can go ahead and move forward with code removal.

[sarina]

@GlugovGrGlib @PKulkoRaccoonGang would you or someone at RG who is familiar with this be able to pick this up with Core Contributor hours?

[sarina]

cc @jristau1984 & @robrap just in case you're not aware of this

[robrap]

@sarina: Thanks for bringing this ticket to our attention.

1. This ticket is marked as Proposed on the board, and not Accepted. The board is part of the warning system to operators about what tickets require attention.
2. We now have new columns as well, including Replacement Ready. The above comment notes that there is an idea for replacing breadcrumbs, but it has not been implemented, so this isn't ready to move forward.
3. According to the updated process, once the replacement is ready, operators would have 1 month (or less or more based on discussion) to switch over before the change lands.
4. Lastly, we forgot in the DEPR WG meeting to review all the tickets, and this ticket makes it clear that some are out of date. I added this an agenda item to: https://openedx.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/COMM/pages/4712300546/DEPR+Meetings+Notes+2025. However, if there are tickets that you wish to move forward, please check if they need to move on the board. Thank you!

[brian-smith-tcril]

I have changed the state to "Accepted"

[PKulkoRaccoonGang]

@GlugovGrGlib @PKulkoRaccoonGang would you or someone at RG who is familiar with this be able to pick this up with Core Contributor hours?

@sarina yes, I think we can help with that 💯