feat(dees-simple-appdash): add nested sidebar subviews and preserve submit labels from slotted text

changelog.md

@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 2026-04-08 - 3.68.0 - feat(dees-simple-appdash)
+add nested sidebar subviews and preserve submit labels from slotted text
+
+- support grouped navigation items with expandable subviews and parent-to-first-subview fallback in the app dashboard
+- allow dees-form-submit to derive its button text from light DOM content when no explicit text property is set
+
 ## 2026-04-07 - 3.67.1 - fix(repo)
 no changes to commit
 

ts_web/00_commitinfo_data.ts

@@ -3,6 +3,6 @@
  */
 export const commitinfo = {
   name: '@design.estate/dees-catalog',
-  version: '3.67.1',
+  version: '3.68.0',
   description: 'A comprehensive library that provides dynamic web components for building sophisticated and modern web applications using JavaScript and TypeScript.'
 }

ts_web/elements/00group-form/dees-form-submit/dees-form-submit.ts

@@ -75,12 +75,23 @@ export class DeesFormSubmit extends DeesElement {
         .text=${this.text}
         ?disabled=${this.disabled}
         @clicked=${this.submit}
-      >
+      ></dees-button>
-        <slot></slot>
-      </dees-button>
     `;
   }
 
+  public async firstUpdated() {
+    // Capture light DOM text content as the button label. dees-button wipes
+    // its own light DOM during extractLightDom(), so we cannot simply forward
+    // a <slot> into it — we have to hoist the text onto the .text property
+    // ourselves before handing it to dees-button.
+    if (!this.text) {
+      const slotText = this.textContent?.trim();
+      if (slotText) {
+        this.text = slotText;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   public async submit() {
     if (this.disabled) {
       return;

ts_web/elements/00group-simple/dees-simple-appdash/dees-simple-appdash.demo.ts

@@ -353,12 +353,35 @@ export const demoFunc = () => html`
           name: 'Analytics',
           iconName: 'lucide:lineChart',
           element: DemoViewAnalytics,
+          subViews: [
+            {
+              name: 'Overview',
+              iconName: 'lucide:activity',
+              element: DemoViewAnalytics,
+            },
+            {
+              name: 'Reports',
+              iconName: 'lucide:fileText',
+              element: DemoViewDashboard,
+            },
+          ],
         },
         {
           name: 'Settings',
           iconName: 'lucide:settings',
-          element: DemoViewSettings,
+          subViews: [
-        }
+            {
+              name: 'Profile',
+              iconName: 'lucide:user',
+              element: DemoViewSettings,
+            },
+            {
+              name: 'Billing',
+              iconName: 'lucide:creditCard',
+              element: DemoViewSettings,
+            },
+          ],
+        },
       ] as IView[]}
       @logout=${() => {
         console.log('Logout event triggered');

ts_web/elements/00group-simple/dees-simple-appdash/dees-simple-appdash.ts

@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ declare global {
 export interface IView {
   name: string;
   iconName?: string;
-  element: DeesElement['constructor']['prototype'];
+  element?: DeesElement['constructor']['prototype'];
+  subViews?: IView[];
 }
 
 export type TGlobalMessageType = 'info' | 'success' | 'warning' | 'error';
@@ -250,6 +251,55 @@ export class DeesSimpleAppDash extends DeesElement {
         white-space: nowrap;
       }
 
+      .viewTab .chevron {
+        flex: 0 0 auto;
+        font-size: 14px;
+        opacity: 0.5;
+        transform: rotate(-90deg);
+        transition: transform 0.2s ease, opacity 0.15s ease;
+      }
+
+      .viewTab.hasSubs:hover .chevron {
+        opacity: 0.75;
+      }
+
+      .viewTab.hasSubs.groupActive .chevron {
+        transform: rotate(0deg);
+        opacity: 0.9;
+      }
+
+      .subViews {
+        display: flex;
+        flex-direction: column;
+        gap: 2px;
+        margin: 2px 0 4px 12px;
+        padding-left: 12px;
+        position: relative;
+      }
+
+      .subViews::before {
+        content: '';
+        position: absolute;
+        left: 0;
+        top: 4px;
+        bottom: 4px;
+        width: 1px;
+        background: var(--dees-color-border-default);
+      }
+
+      .viewTab.sub {
+        padding: 8px 12px;
+        font-size: 12px;
+      }
+
+      .viewTab.sub dees-icon {
+        font-size: 14px;
+      }
+
+      .viewTab.sub.selected::before {
+        left: -12px;
+      }
+
       .appActions {
         padding: 12px 8px;
         border-top: 1px solid var(--dees-color-border-default);
@@ -563,10 +613,12 @@ export class DeesSimpleAppDash extends DeesElement {
           <div class="viewTabs-container">
             <div class="section-label">Navigation</div>
             <div class="viewTabs">
-              ${this.viewTabs.map(
+              ${this.viewTabs.map((view) => {
-                (view) => html`
+                const hasSubs = !!view.subViews?.length;
+                const groupActive = hasSubs && this.isGroupActive(view);
+                return html`
                   <div
-                    class="viewTab ${this.selectedView === view ? 'selected' : ''}"
+                    class="viewTab ${this.selectedView === view ? 'selected' : ''} ${hasSubs ? 'hasSubs' : ''} ${groupActive ? 'groupActive' : ''}"
                     @click=${() => this.loadView(view)}
                   >
                     ${view.iconName ? html`
@@ -575,9 +627,34 @@ export class DeesSimpleAppDash extends DeesElement {
                       <dees-icon .icon="${'lucide:file'}"></dees-icon>
                     `}
                     <span>${view.name}</span>
+                    ${hasSubs ? html`
+                      <dees-icon class="chevron" .icon="${'lucide:chevronDown'}"></dees-icon>
+                    ` : ''}
                   </div>
-                `
+                  ${hasSubs && groupActive ? html`
-              )}
+                    <div class="subViews">
+                      ${view.subViews!.map(
+                        (sub) => html`
+                          <div
+                            class="viewTab sub ${this.selectedView === sub ? 'selected' : ''}"
+                            @click=${(e: Event) => {
+                              e.stopPropagation();
+                              this.loadView(sub);
+                            }}
+                          >
+                            ${sub.iconName ? html`
+                              <dees-icon .icon="${sub.iconName.includes(':') ? sub.iconName : `lucide:${sub.iconName}`}"></dees-icon>
+                            ` : html`
+                              <dees-icon .icon="${'lucide:dot'}"></dees-icon>
+                            `}
+                            <span>${sub.name}</span>
+                          </div>
+                        `
+                      )}
+                    </div>
+                  ` : ''}
+                `;
+              })}
             </div>
           </div>
           <div class="appActions">
@@ -771,8 +848,23 @@ export class DeesSimpleAppDash extends DeesElement {
   }
 
 
+  private isGroupActive(view: IView): boolean {
+    if (this.selectedView === view) return true;
+    return view.subViews?.some((sv) => sv === this.selectedView) ?? false;
+  }
+
   private currentView!: DeesElement;
   public async loadView(viewArg: IView) {
+    // Group-only parent: resolve to first sub view with an element
+    if (!viewArg.element && viewArg.subViews?.length) {
+      const firstNavigable = viewArg.subViews.find((sv) => sv.element);
+      if (firstNavigable) {
+        return this.loadView(firstNavigable);
+      }
+      return; // nothing navigable — ignore click
+    }
+    if (!viewArg.element) return; // safety: no element and no subs → no-op
+
     const appcontent = this.shadowRoot!.querySelector('.appcontent')!;
     const view = new viewArg.element();
     if (this.currentView) {