# JsRoutes
[](https://github.com/railsware/js-routes/actions/workflows/ci.yml)
Generates javascript file that defines all Rails named routes as javascript helpers
## Intallation
Your Rails Gemfile:
``` ruby
gem "js-routes"
```
## Setup
There are several possible ways to setup JsRoutes:
* [Quick and easy](#quick-start)
* Uses Rack Middleware to automatically update routes locally
* Automatically generates routes files on `assets:precompile` in production
* Works great for a simple Rails application
* [Webpacker ERB Loader](#webpacker)
* Requires ESM module system (the default)
* Doesn't support typescript definitions
* [Advanced Setup](#advanced-setup)
* Allows very custom setups
* [Sprockets](#sprockets) legacy
* Deprecated and not recommended for modern apps
### Quick Start
Setup [Rack Middleware](https://guides.rubyonrails.org/rails_on_rack.html#action-dispatcher-middleware-stack)
to automatically generate and maintain `routes.js` file and corresponding
[Typescript definitions](https://www.typescriptlang.org/docs/handbook/declaration-files/templates/module-d-ts.html) `routes.d.ts`:
#### Use a Generator
Run a command:
``` sh
rails generate js_routes:middleware
```
#### Setup Manually
Add the following to `config/environments/development.rb`:
``` ruby
config.middleware.use(JsRoutes::Middleware)
```
Use it in any JS file:
``` javascript
import {post_path} from '../routes';
alert(post_path(1))
```
Upgrade js building process to update js-routes files in `Rakefile`:
``` ruby
task "javascript:build" => "js:routes:typescript"
# For setups without jsbundling-rails
task "assets:precompile" => "js:routes:typescript"
```
Add js-routes files to `.gitignore`:
```
/app/javascript/routes.js
/app/javascript/routes.d.ts
```
### Webpacker ERB loader
**IMPORTANT**: this setup doesn't support IDE autocompletion with [Typescript](https://www.typescriptlang.org/docs/handbook/declaration-files/templates/module-d-ts.html)
#### Use a Generator
Run a command:
``` sh
./bin/rails generate js_routes:webpacker
```
#### Setup manually
The routes files can be automatically updated without `rake` task being called manually.
It requires [rails-erb-loader](https://github.com/usabilityhub/rails-erb-loader) npm package to work.
Add `erb` loader to webpacker:
``` sh
yarn add rails-erb-loader
rm -f app/javascript/routes.js # delete static file if any
```
Create webpack ERB config `config/webpack/loaders/erb.js`:
``` javascript
module.exports = {
module: {
rules: [
{
test: /\.erb$/,
enforce: 'pre',
loader: 'rails-erb-loader'
},
]
}
};
```
Enable `erb` extension in `config/webpack/environment.js`:
``` javascript
const erb = require('./loaders/erb')
environment.loaders.append('erb', erb)
```
Create routes file `app/javascript/routes.js.erb`:
``` erb
<%= JsRoutes.generate() %>
```
Use routes wherever you need them:
``` javascript
import {post_path} from 'routes.js.erb';
alert(post_path(2));
```
### Advanced Setup
**IMPORTANT**: that this setup requires the JS routes file to be updates manually
Routes file can be generated with a `rake` task:
``` sh
rake js:routes
# OR for typescript support
rake js:routes:typescript
```
In case you need multiple route files for different parts of your application, you have to create the files manually.
If your application has an `admin` and an `application` namespace for example:
**IMPORTANT**: Requires [Webpacker ERB Loader](#webpacker) setup.
``` erb
// app/javascript/admin/routes.js.erb
<%= JsRoutes.generate(include: /admin/) %>
```
``` erb
// app/javascript/customer/routes.js.erb
<%= JsRoutes.generate(exclude: /admin/) %>
```
You can manipulate the generated helper manually by injecting ruby into javascript:
``` erb
export const routes = <%= JsRoutes.generate(module_type: nil, namespace: nil) %>
```
If you want to generate the routes files manually with custom options, you can use `JsRoutes.generate!`:
``` ruby
path = Rails.root.join("app/javascript")
JsRoutes.generate!(
"#{path}/app_routes.js", exclude: [/^admin_/, /^api_/]
)
JsRoutes.generate!(
"#{path}/adm_routes.js", include: /^admin_/
)
JsRoutes.generate!(
"#{path}/api_routes.js", include: /^api_/, default_url_options: {format: "json"}
)
```
#### Typescript Definitions
JsRoutes has typescript support out of the box.
Restrictions:
* Only available if `module_type` is set to `ESM` (strongly recommended and default).
* Webpacker Automatic Updates are not available because typescript compiler can not be configured to understand `.erb` extensions.
For the basic setup of typscript definitions see [Quick Start](#quick-start) setup.
More advanced setup would involve calling manually:
``` ruby
JsRoutes.definitions! # to output to file
# or
JsRoutes.definitions # to output to string
```
Even more advanced setups can be achieved by setting `module_type` to `DTS` inside [configuration](#module_type)
which will cause any `JsRoutes` instance to generate defintions instead of routes themselves.
### Sprockets (Deprecated)
If you are using [Sprockets](https://github.com/rails/sprockets-rails) you may configure js-routes in the following way.
Setup the initializer (e.g. `config/initializers/js_routes.rb`):
``` ruby
JsRoutes.setup do |config|
config.module_type = nil
config.namespace = 'Routes'
end
```
Require JsRoutes in `app/assets/javascripts/application.js` or other bundle
``` js
//= require js-routes
```
Also in order to flush asset pipeline cache sometimes you might need to run:
``` sh
rake tmp:cache:clear
```
This cache is not flushed on server restart in development environment.
**Important:** If routes.js file is not updated after some configuration change you need to run this rake task again.
## Configuration
You can configure JsRoutes in two main ways. Either with an initializer (e.g. `config/initializers/js_routes.rb`):
``` ruby
JsRoutes.setup do |config|
config.option = value
end
```
Or dynamically in JavaScript, although only [Formatter Options](#formatter-options) are supported:
``` js
import {configure, config} from 'routes'
configure({
option: value
});
config(); // current config
```
### Available Options
#### Generator Options
Options to configure JavaScript file generator. These options are only available in Ruby context but not JavaScript.
* `module_type` - JavaScript module type for generated code. [Article](https://dev.to/iggredible/what-the-heck-are-cjs-amd-umd-and-esm-ikm)
* Options: `ESM`, `UMD`, `CJS`, `AMD`, `DTS`, `nil`.
* Default: `ESM`
* `nil` option can be used in case you don't want generated code to export anything.
* `documentation` - specifies if each route should be annotated with [JSDoc](https://jsdoc.app/) comment
* Default: `true`
* `exclude` - Array of regexps to exclude from routes.
* Default: `[]`
* The regexp applies only to the name before the `_path` suffix, eg: you want to match exactly `settings_path`, the regexp should be `/^settings$/`
* `include` - Array of regexps to include in routes.
* Default: `[]`
* The regexp applies only to the name before the `_path` suffix, eg: you want to match exactly `settings_path`, the regexp should be `/^settings$/`
* `namespace` - global object used to access routes.
* Only available if `module_type` option is set to `nil`.
* Supports nested namespace like `MyProject.routes`
* Default: `nil`
* `camel_case` - specifies if route helpers should be generated in camel case instead of underscore case.
* Default: `false`
* `url_links` - specifies if `*_url` helpers should be generated (in addition to the default `*_path` helpers).
* Default: `false`
* Note: generated URLs will first use the protocol, host, and port options specified in the route definition. Otherwise, the URL will be based on the option specified in the `default_url_options` config. If no default option has been set, then the URL will fallback to the current URL based on `window.location`.
* `compact` - Remove `_path` suffix in path routes(`*_url` routes stay untouched if they were enabled)
* Default: `false`
* Sample route call when option is set to true: `users() // => /users`
* `application` - a key to specify which rails engine you want to generate routes too.
* This option allows to only generate routes for a specific rails engine, that is mounted into routes instead of all Rails app routes
* Default: `Rails.application`
* `file` - a file location where generated routes are stored
* Default: `app/javascript/routes.js` if setup with Webpacker, otherwise `app/assets/javascripts/routes.js` if setup with Sprockets.
#### Formatter Options
Options to configure routes formatting. These options are available both in Ruby and JavaScript context.
* `default_url_options` - default parameters used when generating URLs
* Example: `{format: "json", trailing_slash: true, protocol: "https", subdomain: "api", host: "example.com", port: 3000}`
* Default: `{}`
* `prefix` - string that will prepend any generated URL. Usually used when app URL root includes a path component.
* Example: `/rails-app`
* Default: `Rails.application.config.relative_url_root`
* `serializer` - a JS function that serializes a Javascript Hash object into URL paramters like `{a: 1, b: 2} => "a=1&b=2"`.
* Default: `nil`. Uses built-in serializer compatible with Rails
* Example: `jQuery.param` - use jQuery's serializer algorithm. You can attach serialize function from your favorite AJAX framework.
* Example: `function (object) { ... }` - use completely custom serializer of your application.
* `special_options_key` - a special key that helps JsRoutes to destinguish serialized model from options hash
* This option exists because JS doesn't provide a difference between an object and a hash
* Default: `_options`
## Usage
Configuration above will create a nice javascript file with `Routes` object that has all the rails routes available:
``` js
import {
user_path, user_project_path, company_path
} as Routes from 'routes';
users_path()
// => "/users"
user_path(1)
// => "/users/1"
user_path(1, {format: 'json'})
// => "/users/1.json"
user_path(1, {anchor: 'profile'})
// => "/users/1#profile"
new_user_project_path(1, {format: 'json'})
// => "/users/1/projects/new.json"
user_project_path(1,2, {q: 'hello', custom: true})
// => "/users/1/projects/2?q=hello&custom=true"
user_project_path(1,2, {hello: ['world', 'mars']})
// => "/users/1/projects/2?hello%5B%5D=world&hello%5B%5D=mars"
var google = {id: 1, name: "Google"};
company_path(google)
// => "/companies/1"
var google = {id: 1, name: "Google", to_param: "google"};
company_path(google)
// => "/companies/google"
```
In order to make routes helpers available globally:
``` js
import * as Routes from '../routes';
jQuery.extend(window, Routes)
```
### Get spec of routes and required params
Possible to get `spec` of route by function `toString`:
```js
import {user_path, users_path} from '../routes'
users_path.toString() // => "/users(.:format)"
user_path.toString() // => "/users/:id(.:format)"
```
Route function also contain method `requiredParams` inside which returns required param names array:
```js
users_path.requiredParams() // => []
user_path.requiredParams() // => ['id']
```
## Rails Compatibility
JsRoutes tries to replicate the Rails routing API as closely as possible. If you find any incompatibilities (outside of what is described below), please [open an issue](https://github.com/railsware/js-routes/issues/new).
### Object and Hash distinction issue
Sometimes the destinction between JS Hash and Object can not be found by JsRoutes.
In this case you would need to pass a special key to help:
``` js
import {company_project_path} from '../routes'
company_project_path({company_id: 1, id: 2}) // => Not enough parameters
company_project_path({company_id: 1, id: 2, _options: true}) // => "/companies/1/projects/2"
```
## What about security?
JsRoutes itself does not have security holes.
It makes URLs without access protection more reachable by potential attacker.
If that is an issue for you, you may use one of the following solutions:
### Explicit Import + ESM Tree shaking
Make sure `module_type` is set to `ESM` (the default) and JS files import only required routes into the file like:
``` javascript
import {
inbox_path,
inboxes_path,
inbox_message_path,
inbox_attachment_path,
user_path,
} from '../routes'
```
Such import structure allows for moddern JS bundlers like [Webpack](https://webpack.js.org/) to only include explicitly imported routes into JS bundle file.
See [Tree Shaking](https://webpack.js.org/guides/tree-shaking/) for more information.
### Exclude option
Split your routes into multiple files related to each section of your website like:
``` javascript
// admin-routes.js.erb
<%= JsRoutes.generate(include: /^admin_/) %>
// app-routes.js.erb
<%= JsRoutes.generate(exclude: /^admin_/) %>
```
## Advantages over alternatives
There are some alternatives available. Most of them has only basic feature and don't reach the level of quality I accept.
Advantages of this one are:
* Rails 4,5,6 support
* [ESM Tree shaking](https://webpack.js.org/guides/tree-shaking/) support
* Rich options set
* Full rails compatibility
* Support Rails `#to_param` convention for seo optimized paths
* Well tested
#### Thanks to [contributors](https://github.com/railsware/js-routes/contributors)
#### Have fun
## License
[](https://app.fossa.io/projects/git%2Bgithub.com%2Frailsware%2Fjs-routes?ref=badge_large)