Category as Navigation -- current state

[ed. note: more than one blog post has been about categories. In this post, I'll try to summarize the category-as-navigation framework prototype to date.]

One of my weaknesses is dynamic anything. With that in mind, I present category-as-navigation, a way to dynamically specify the site's navigation.

The idea has some basis in reality. The public side of the app is mostly a catalog of rental equipment, supplies and services. So it makes sense that at least the side menu could be the categories to which those items belong. That way, visitors browse the catalog using a familiar navigation. This navigation of the catalog is how the current site works.

Extending this model to include a standard top navigation menu is a possible leap of insanity. The idea is that site's navigation is a hierarchy of catagories where all things, including the administrative side, are accessed through these categories via the navigation of these categories.

ADVANTAGES

Navigation is dynamic, no need to change anything in code. Navigation is consistent throughout and handled programmatically.

DISADVANTAGES

Navigation can get screwed up if the database becomes screwed up through a code bug or configuration error. Potential for hacking the site if the database is compromised. Navigation infrastructure is obscure because it is programmatic. May not handle all navigation needs.

STATUS

Currently, the programmatic, categories-as-navigation is implemented in the prototype. It is working but I'm not happy about the navigation code being ugly and convoluted.

UPDATE: I scrapped the idea of dynamic top-level site navigation but kept the categories for the side menu navigation.