Routes

Routes

Each module owns its routes.ts. The file gets discovered by the preload wired in [[module-scaffolding]] — there is no autoloader. Routes have three loads to bear: they're the source of truth for URL generation (typed clients like Tuyau and the server-side URL builder read the named routes), for the middleware chain that guards the endpoint, and for the param typing that keeps garbage input out of the ORM.

Rules

1. Numeric params get router.matchers.number(). Without it, a non-numeric URL reaches the controller, Number('foo') → NaN, and Postgres throws invalid input syntax for type integer — the response is a 500. With the matcher the router 404s upstream, before boot.
2. CRUD verbs go through router.resource(). Custom verb actions (activate, publish, finalize) are separate router.post(...) in the same file, not extra methods on the resource controller.
3. Route names follow the URL hierarchy: parents.children.action. Named routes are the single source of truth for both the typed frontend URL client and the server-side urlFor(...) used inside jobs and listeners. Both derive the URL from the name; the name is a contract.
4. Param names match across parents: for a nested resource named parents.children use .params({ parents: 'parent_id' }) and pin every id: .where('parent_id', router.matchers.number()).where('id', router.matchers.number()). Snake_case, semantic, matching what the URL client expects.
5. Group by shared middleware. Put every route that shares the same auth/middleware stack inside one router.group(() => {...}).middleware(...) block. Public routes live outside, guarded ones inside.

Reference shape

router
  .group(() => {
    // Top-level resource
    router
      .resource('/entities', EntitiesController)
      .only(['index', 'create', 'store', 'show'])
      .where('id', router.matchers.number())
      .as('entities')

    // Verb action on an entity
    router
      .post('/entities/:id/publish', [EntitiesController, 'publish'])
      .where('id', router.matchers.number())
      .as('entities.publish')

    // Nested resource — rename the parent segment + pin every numeric id
    router
      .resource('parents.children', ChildrenController)
      .only(['index', 'store', 'destroy'])
      .params({ parents: 'parent_id' })
      .where('parent_id', router.matchers.number())
      .where('id', router.matchers.number())

    // Verb action inside the nested resource
    router
      .post('/parents/:parent_id/children/:id/approve', [ChildrenController, 'approve'])
      .where('parent_id', router.matchers.number())
      .where('id', router.matchers.number())
      .as('parents.children.approve')
  })
  .middleware(middleware.auth())

Choosing verb vs resource

• router.resource(...) when the endpoint fits a standard CRUD verb: index, create, store, show, edit, update, destroy. Trim with .only([...]) to what the controller actually exposes.
• router.post/get/delete(...) with .as(...) when the action does not fit a CRUD verb: activate, publish, finalize, invite, impersonate. Put them in the same routes.ts as the resource they belong to.

Hardcoding a route pattern

Some server-side callers need the pattern — the raw template with :params, not a filled URL. Example: transmit.authorize('/pattern/:x/...', ...) inside start/transmit.ts. Because that file executes during preload, before Server.boot() calls router.commit(), doing router.findOrFail(name).pattern there throws.

Two options, in order of preference:

1. Hardcode the pattern + add a spec that guards it. Export the pattern as a constant, and write a functional test asserting the constant equals router.findOrFail(name).pattern. If the route ever renames, the test breaks before deploy.
2. Defer with app.ready(...). Only works when the pattern is needed at request-handling time. app.ready fires before router.commit(), so it does not rescue transmit.authorize.

Repo refs

• Resourceful + verb routes with numeric matchers: app/users/routes.ts.
• Verb-only routes: app/notifications/routes.ts.

Anti-patterns

• ❌ Numeric :id without .where('id', router.matchers.number()) — 500 on any non-numeric URL.
• ❌ Verb action stuffed into the resource controller as an extra method — pollutes route naming and forces .only([...]) to grow.
• ❌ router.findOrFail(...) at the top level of start/*.ts — the router isn't committed yet at preload time.
• ❌ Renaming params to id1 / id2 in nested resources — URL clients read semantic names (parent_id, child_id).
• ❌ One giant middleware chain on each individual route instead of a router.group(...).middleware(...) block.

Related skills

[[module-scaffolding]] · [[crud]] · [[actions-events]] · [[notifications]] · [[testing]]