Named Routes for node.js
A node.js module for naming HTTP routes. Can be used with the express.js framework or independently as standalone. Originally based on antitoxic's node-reversable-router.
Feature overview:
- Support for named routes
- Can be used standalone or as replacement for express.js 4 routing (see named-routes 1.1.4 for express 3).
- URLs can be generated by providing a
name
of the route and the requiredparameters
- Support for optional parts in the route
path
(and URL generation still works with as many optional parts as you want) - Support for anonymous
*
parameters inside the path - Supports converting the last anonymous parameter to pairs of
param
=>value
separated by/
- Improved performance on literal matches
- Supports callbacks for router parameters. Same logic as
express
native router. - Supports middleware route callbacks. Same logic as
express
native router. - Supports array of middleware route callbacks. Same logic as
express
native router.
Install
npm install named-routes
Features
Example
As a replacement for express framework router
In the view files:
// /admin/user/2
... and in the server config:
var express = ;var app = ; var Router = ;var router = ;router;router; app; app;
Please note: in this mode, route paths are matched by express. You can use these patterns: http://expressjs.com/guide/routing.html#route-paths
Extending express4 routers
var searchRouter = express;router;searchRouter;app;
As express routers are designed to be isolated components, calling
url("users")
will return "/users"
, not "/search/users"
. For more
information, see https://github.com/alubbe/named-routes/issues/13.
As a standalone
var Router = ;var router = ; router; //... in a request handlerrouter;
Benefits of named routes
You can easily check the current route in middleware without stating the defined route path. Thus avoding duplication and keeping route paths in a central place.
This allows the path to the route to be changed as frequently while the rest of the logic across middleware or views to remain the same.
Generating URLs
URLs are generated by passing the route name and, optionally, parameters.
If you're using express:
app
As a standalone:
routerrouter router // '/about'router // '/todo/foo/93/1337'router // Throws error, missing parameters
AJAX
While forgetting to pass a parameter (or setting its value equal to undefined
) will trigger an error, you can also pass null
as a parameter value to signal that you would it to be intentionally left blank (including the associated '/' character). This can be helpful when hard-coding ajax urls into front-end javascript.
app
The above assumes you are working in an express view. If you are not, swap out url
with app.namedRoutes.build
if you are in express but outside the view and app.get
with router.add
and url
with router.build
if you using module standalone.
Features exclusive to stand-alone mode
Full support for optional parts of the URL
You can define routes like this:
router;
Brackets define the limits of the optional parts. Here you have 3 optional parts. 2 of them nested in the other.
If you don't pass all the parameters inside a optional part, the part will simply be removed from the generated URL.
So in the views:
;// will generate: /admin/user/edit/4/album/2/qwjdoqiwdasdj12asdiaji198a/test
;// will generate: /admin/user/edit/4/qwjdoqiwdasdj12asdiaji198a/test
;// will generate: /admin/user/album/2/qwjdoqiwdasdj12asdiaji198a/test
;// will generate: /admin/test// because :session parameter is missing and the optional part// that contains it contains also the other 2 parts
Improved matching speed for literal matches
Significant amount of the routes in an web applications are simply hardcoded strings. Things like /admin
or /user/login
.
Such routes will be matched with direct check for equallity without the need for a regular expression execution.
*
parameters inside the path
Anonymous router;
Requesting: /admin/any/user/thing/2
will output:
{
_masked: [ 'any', 'thing'],
id: '2'
}
Analogous in order to generate the same url:
*
anonymous parameter to multiple name:value
parameters
Converting the trailing router;
Requesting: /admin/any/user/thing/2/albums/sort/name/order/desc
will output:
{
_masked: [ 'any', 'thing'],
id: '2',
sort: 'name',
order: 'desc'
}
Analogous in order to generate the same url:
Future development planned
Publish
- Organise and publish tests
Implement
- Query based routing and generation
Investigate
meta-routing Middleware depending on media? mobile, desktop, agent
License
(The MIT License)
Copyright (c) 2014-2016 Andreas Lubbe npm@lubbe.org
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the 'Software'), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED 'AS IS', WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.