Express JS reverse URL route (Django style)

Question

Express JS reverse URL route (Django style)

I'm using Express JS and I want a functionality similar to Django's reverse function. So if I have a route, for example

app.get('/users/:id/:name', function(req, res) { /* some code */ } )

I'd like to use a function for example

reverse('/users/:id/:name', 15, 'John');

or even better

reverse('/users/:id/:name', { id : 15, name : 'John' });

which will give me the url /users/15/John. Does such function exist? And if not then do you have any ideas how to write such function (considering Express' routing algorithm)?

node.js
routing
express

Answer 1

Here is your code:

function reverse(url, obj) { 
    return url.replace(/(\/:\w+\??)/g, function (m, c) { 
        c=c.replace(/[/:?]/g, ''); 
        return obj[c] ? '/' + obj[c] : ""; 
    }); 
}

reverse('/users/:id/:name', { id: 15, name: 'John' });
reverse('/users/:id?', { id: 15});
reverse('/users/:id?', {});

Answer 2

I've just created the package reversable-router that solves this along other problems for the routing.

Example from the readme:

app.get('/admin/user/:id', 'admin.user.edit', function(req, res, next){
    //...
});

//.. and a helper in the view files:
url('admin.user.edit', {id: 2})