Reverse-routing done right for Express 3/4

about.md

Reverse Routing for Express

Benefits:

• Reverse routing (with query support)
• Enforcement of utilizing Controllers
• Global middleware per Controller
• Seperate method from middleware for testability
• Probably other things.. but those are the most important.

index.js

var app = express();

// Initialize router
var router = require('./router')(app);

// Import routes (relative to router location)
// 
// ./router.js -> ./:filename 
//
// 'site' -> expands to -> ./site.js
router.import([
  'site'
]);

router.js

var querystring = require('querystring');
var reverse = require('reverse-path');
var lodash = require('lodash');

module.exports = function (app) {
  app.locals.reverse = function (name, options, query) {
    var path = app.routes[name];
    return path ? reverse(path, options) + (query ? querystring.stringify(query) : '') : '';
  };

  app.use(function (req, res, next) {
    res.reverse = app.locals.reverse;
    next();
  });

  return {
    import: function importRoutes (files) {
      app.routes = {};

      lodash.each(files, function (filename) {
        var router = require('./' + filename);
        var middleware = router.middleware;
        var routes;

        delete router.middleware;
        routes = Object.keys(router);

        lodash.forEach(routes, function (name) {
          var route = router[name];

          // Setup middleware array
          route.middleware = route.middleware || [];

          // Concat global middleware
          if (middleware) {
            route.middleware = middleware.concat(route.middleware);
          }

          // Setup route
          global.log.debug('Setting up route', route.method, route.name, route.path);
          app[route.method](route.path, route.middleware, route.controller);
          app.routes[route.name] = route.path;
        });
      });
    }
  };
};

site.js

var csurf = require('csurf');

/**
 * Controller Middleware
 * 
 * Applies to all routes in this controller.
 *
 * @type {Array}
 */
exports.middleware = [
  csurf()
];

/**
 * Site index view
 *
 * @type {Object}
 */
exports.index = {
  method: 'get',
  name: 'index',
  path: '/',

  controller: function (req, res) {
    res.redirect(req.user ?
      res.reverse('dashboard') :
      res.reverse('login'));
  }
};

/**
 * Dashboard view
 *
 * @type {Object}
 */
exports.dashboard = {
  method: 'get',
  name: 'dashboard',
  path: '/dashboard',
  
  // Authentication middleware, or route specific middleware
  // middleware: [isAuthorized],

  controller: function (req, res) {
    res.render('dashboard', {
      user: req.user
    })
  }
};