Phase 1

Server Configs

Add to the System Console > Experimental section:

Enable experimental sidebar features [ Disabled v ]

• Help text: When enabled, users can access experimental channel sidebar features, including collapsible sections and unreads filtering. If default on, this enables the new sidebar features by default for all users on this server. Users can disable the features in Account Settings > Sidebar > Experimental Sidebar Features. If default off, users must enable the experimental sidebar features in Account Settings. Learn more or give us feedback.

• Dropdown options:

  • Disabled

    • Channel sidebar features are disabled for all users on the server.

  • Enabled (Default On)

    • Sets “Account Settings > Sidebar > Experimental Sidebar Features” to `On` by default (see below)

    • End user can enable/disable this account setting

  • Enabled (Default Off)

    • Sets “Account Settings > Sidebar > Experimental Sidebar Features” to `Off` by default (see below)

    • End user can enable/disable this account setting

  • Enabled (Always On)

    • Channel sidebar features are on for all users on the server. Users cannot disable it.

• Config setting syntax: `ExperimentalChannelSidebarOrganization`: `off` with options off , default_off , default_on and always_on. Config defaults:

  • New servers: off

  • Existing servers: off

  • Cloud servers: N/A

Account Settings

When `ExperimentalChannelSidebarOrganization` config is default_on or default_off then users should see this setting in Account Settings > Sidebar:

Experimental Sidebar Features [On / Off]

• Help text: When enabled, access experimental channel sidebar features, including collapsible sections and unreads filtering. Learn more or give us feedback.

• On:

  • Enables the new sidebar feature set as per the Stage 1 designs

  • Hides the “Account Settings > Sidebar > Channel Switcher” setting so it does not apply.

  • Hides the “Account Settings > Sidebar > Channel grouping and sorting” setting (if it exists because `ExperimentalChannelOrganization: true` in the config) so it does not apply.

• Off: 

  • Disables the new sidebar feature set and reverts to the state + preferences the sidebar was in prior, as per:

  • Displays “Account Settings > Sidebar > Channel Switcher” setting, and restores the preference set for it.

  • Displays “Account Settings > Sidebar > Channel grouping and sorting” setting (only applies if `ExperimentalChannelOrganization: true` in the config), and restores any preferences previously set in it.

• “Learn more” link: https://about.mattermost.com/default-sidebar/

  • Redirect about.mattermost.com to forum post about upcoming sidebar changes and stages? Offers a place for people to provide feedback

    • Blog post should mention how to disable the experimental feature and get back the other settings

  • We should also have a docs page about how to disable the experimental sidebar features (for end users)

• “Give us feedback” link: https://about.mattermost.com/default-sidebar-survey/

  • Redirect about.mattermost.com to the feedback survey

   

Phase 2

Server Configs

No changes from Phase 1.

Account Settings

No changes from Phase 1

Phase 3 (GA Release)

Server Configs

Remove the `ExperimentalChannelSidebarOrganization` config setting and system console setting. It should no longer take effect.

In the System Console > Experimental section add a new config setting:

Enable legacy sidebar [ ] true [ x ] false

• Help text: When enabled, users cannot access new sidebar features including custom, collapsible categories and unread channel filtering. We recommend only enabling the legacy sidebar if users are experiencing breaking changes or bugs.

• Config options:

  • True

    • Enables the old channel sidebar and users cannot use any new sidebar features (categories, drag/drop, unread filtering, etc)

  • False

    • Users see the new sidebar and cannot access the old sidebar.

• Config setting syntax: `EnableLegacySidebar`: `false` with options true and false. Config defaults:

  • New servers: false

  • Existing servers: false

  • Cloud servers: false

• The following config settings are not supported with the new sidebar, but are expected to still be functional with the legacy sidebar enabled. We will eventually deprecate these settings when we deprecate the legacy sidebar in mid 2021.

  • "ExperimentalChannelOrganization" Docs

  • "EnableXToLeaveChannelsFromLHS" Docs

  • "CloseUnusedDirectMessages" Docs

  • "ExperimentalHideTownSquareinLHS" Docs

Account Settings

Remove the Account Setting for Experimental Sidebar Features (introduced in Phase 1)

In Account Settings > Sidebar, add two new settings:

• Group unread channels separately [ On / Off]

  • Help Text: When enabled, all unread channels and direct messages will be grouped together in the sidebar.

  • Default: Off, however:

    • For servers that used the old Uber ExperimentalChannelOrganization (Docs) setting, we should migrate the user preference for the Unreads grouped separately option (See the image below). Meaning, if Account Setting > Channel Grouping and Sorting > Unreads grouped separately option was enabled, then default this new account setting to On.
      
      

      Open

      

       

• Number of direct messages shown [ 20 v ]

  • Help text: Set the maximum number of Direct Messages shown in your channel sidebar. You can also change this setting in the Direct Messages sidebar menu.

  • Options

    • 10

    • 15

    • 20 (default)

    • 40