file-routing-expressjs

A dependency-free, flexible, system-based file routing for Express.

Installation

npm install file-routing-expressjs

Usage

This package integration in your project is very simple. You will need to wrap your Express instance with an mapRoutes(config) that will bind the routes directly to the app.

import express from "express";
import path from "path";
import { mapRoutes } from "file-routing-expressjs";

const ROUTES_PATH = path.resolve(__dirname, "..", "app", "routes");

const app = express();

// Option 1: Basic usage
mapRoutes({app: app, target: ROUTES_PATH})

// Option 2: If you need to log the endpoints binded by mapRoutes use this
async function main() {
    const { endpoints } = await mapRoutes({app: app, target: ROUTES_PATH});
    console.table(endpoints);
}

main();

app.listen(3000, ()=> console.log("I'm listening mother father"));

Options

• target: The root directory for your route files. Defaults to /src/routes.
• app: The instance of the Express application used for handling routes.

Routes Directory Structure

Files located in your project's options.target directory will automatically correspond to a matching URL path.

Note: Files that start with an underscore (_) or do not have a .ts or .js extension will not be bound to the app.

📦routes  
 ┣ 📂api  
 ┃ ┗ 📜index.ts
 ┃ ┗ 📜_middleware.ts # global middlewares for '/api' 
 ┣ 📂[users] # dynamic params 
 ┃ ┣ 📂[user]
 ┃ ┃ ┣ 📜index.ts  
 ┃ ┣ 📜books.ts  
 ┃ ┣ 📜index.ts
 ┃ ┣ 📜_middleware.ts
 ┃ ┣ 📜_error.ts
 ┃ ┗ 📜_config.ts # /:users config file (path pattern etc.)
 ┣ 📜index.ts # '/' endpoint - default route
 ┣ 📜posts.ts # '/posts' endpoint
 ┣ 📜_error.ts # global error handler

The folder structure is quite simple and straightforward, as you can see. 💀💀💀

• /api/<?pattern_in_index>
• /:users<?patter_in_config>/<?pattern_in_index>
• /:users<?patter_in_config>/books<?pattern_in_books>
• /:users<?patter_in_config>/:user/<?pattern_in_index>
• /<?pattern_in_index>
• /posts<?pattern_in_posts>

Examples

HTTP Method Handling

If you export functions such as get, post, put, patch, all or delete from a route file, they will automatically be mapped to their respective HTTP/Express methods .

export const _get = (req, res, next) => {...}
export const _post = (req, res) => {...}
export const _delete = (req, res) => {...}
export const _put = (req, res, next) => {...}
export const _patch = (req, res, next) => {...}
export const _all = (req, res, next) => {...}

Route Pattern

For a directory

In the example above, there's a file named /[users]/_config.ts. In this file, you should export an object that is used to configure the route pattern for that specific endpoint. This configuration object can include settings like a custom URL pattern or route validation.

// Option 1: default export
export default {
    pattern: /[a-fA-F0-9]{24}/g // this could be a Regex or a string 
};

// Option 2: named export
export const config = {
    pattern:'[a-fA-F0-9]{24}'
};

• /:users([a-fA-F0-9]{24})/<?pattern_in_index>

If users path is not a dynamic route your endpoint will be:

• /([a-fA-F0-9]{24})/<?pattern_in_index>

For JS/TS files

You can define a global pattern that applies to all HTTP methods in Express routes, or alternatively, specify a distinct pattern for each method within the route file. This allows for flexible URL handling, depending on whether you need a consistent format for all methods or different structures for specific HTTP methods.

// Option 1: a pattern for each method
export const config = {
    pattern: {
        get: /[A-Z]{3}-[0-9]{4}-[a-z]{2}/,
        post: /([0-9]{5})/,
        put: /[A-Z]{2}[0-9]{2}/
        delete: /(^\d{5}(-\d{4})?$)/,
        patch: /(^([01]\d|2[0-3]):([0-5]\d)$)/,
        all: /^\d{13,19}$/
    }
}

// Option 2: a global pattern 
export const config = {
    pattern: /[A-Z]{3}-[0-9]{4}-[a-z]{2}/
}

Option 1

| method | endpoint | | ---------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | | GET | /:users([a-fA-F0-9]{24})/([A-Z]{3}-[0-9]{4}-[a-z]{2}) | | POST | /:users([a-fA-F0-9]{24})/([0-9]{5}) | | PUT | /:users([a-fA-F0-9]{24})/([A-Z]{2}[0-9]{2}) | | DELETE | /:users([a-fA-F0-9]{24})/(^\d{5}(-\d{4})?$) | | PATCH | /:users([a-fA-F0-9]{24})/(^([01]\d\|2[0-3]):([0-5]\d)$) | | ALL | /:users([a-fA-F0-9]{24})/(^\d{13,19}$) |

Note: If you specify an all pattern in the configuration object, it will be used as the default pattern for any HTTP methods that are not explicitly defined.

Option 2

| method | endpoint | | ---------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | | GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, PATCH, ALL | /:users([a-fA-F0-9]{24})/([A-Z]{3}-[0-9]{4}-[a-z]{2}) |

Middleware

You can apply route-specific middleware in Express by exporting an array of request handlers directly from your route file.

For a directory

In the example above, there's a file named /[users]/_middleware.ts. In this file, you should export a middleware or the list of middlewares you want to apply on the endpoint (/users in this case). The middleware will wrap all the sub routes of /:users

import authMiddleware from "../middlewares/authMiddleware";
import rateLimitingMiddleware from "../middlewares/rateLimitingMiddleware";
import testMiddleware from "../middlewares/testMiddleware";

// Option 1: A list of middleware functions
export const middlewares = [
    authMiddleware,
	rateLimitingMiddleware
    testMiddleware
];

// Option 2: A single middlware function
export const middlewares = testMiddleware;

// default export or named export
export default middlewares;

For JS/TS files

You can define a global middleware/list of middlewares that wraps to all HTTP methods in Express routes, or alternatively, specify a distinct middleware/list of middlewares for each method within the route file.

// Option 1: One middleware for all the exisiting requests handlers
export const middlewares = authMiddleware;

// Option 2: A list of middlewares for all the exisiting requests handlers
export const middlewares = [rateLimitingMiddleware, authMiddleware, testMiddleware];

// Option 3: A map of methods with middlware/list of middlewares
export const middlewares = {
    get: [testMiddleware, rateLimitingMiddleware],
    all: authMiddleware
};

Note: Any route handlers that are not explicitly defined will be wrapped by the all middleware, if such middleware exists.

Error Handling

You can apply route-specific middleware in Express by exporting an array of request handlers directly from your route file.

For a directory

In the example above, there is a file named /[users]/_error_.ts. Within this file, you should export an error handler function, which can be either a default or named export. This function will handle errors specific to [users] directory route and the routes under it.

import globalErrorHandler from "../middlewares/globalErrorHandler";

export const errorHandler = globalErrorHandler;

// default export or named export
export default errorHandler;

For JS/TS files

You can define an error handler that wraps all HTTP methods in Express routes, or alternatively, specify a distinct error handler for each method within the route file.

import testErrorHandler from "../middlewares/testErrorHandler";
import clientErrorHandler from "../middlewares/clientErrorHandler";

// Option 1: A handler fro all the existing methods
export const error = clientErrorHandler;

// Option 2: A map of methods with error handlers
export const error = {
    put: testErrorHandler,
    all: clientErrorHandler
};

Note: Any route handlers that are not explicitly defined will be wrapped by the all error handler, if such error handler exists.

Examples - TS

For a directory

_config.ts

import { DirRouteConfig } from "file-routing-expressjs";
const config: DirRouteConfig = {
    pattern: "[A-Z]{2}-\\d{4}"
};

export default config;

_middleware.ts

import { RouterDirMiddleware } from "file-routing-expressjs";
import authMiddleware from "../middlewares/authMiddleware";
import testMiddleware from "../middlewares/testMiddleware";

export const middlewares: RouterDirMiddleware = [
    authMiddleware,
    testMiddleware
];

_error.ts

import { ErrorHandler } from "file-routing-expressjs";
import errorsMiddleware from "../middlewares/errorsMiddleware";

export const errorHandler: ErrorHandler = errorsMiddleware;

For JS/TS files

import { RequestHandler } from "express";
import { RouterFileMiddleware, RouterFileError, RouteConfig } from "file-routing-expressjs";
import testMiddleware from "../../middlewares/testMiddleware";
import authMiddleware from "../../middlewares/authMiddleware";
import clientErrorHandler from "../../middlewares/clientErrorMiddlware";

export const config: RouteConfig = {
    pattern: {
        get: /[A-Z]{3}-[0-9]{4}-[a-z]{2}/,
        all: /[a-fA-F0-9]{24}/
    }
};
export const middlewares: RouterFileMiddleware = {
    get: testMiddleware,
    all: authMiddleware
};
export const error: RouterFileError = clientErrorHandler;

export const _get: RequestHandler = (req, res, next)=> {...}
export const _post: RequestHandler = (req, res, next)=> {...}
export const _put: RequestHandler = (req, res, next)=> {...}