Typed React Router Proxy

A powerful, type-safe route management utility for React Router.

It provides a declarative way to define routes with hierarchy, automatically handles and validates route parameters, manages typed query parameters, and provides a type-safe proxy for navigation and link generation.

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Features

• Type Safety: Full TypeScript type inference for route names, mandatory path parameters, and query parameters.
• Hierarchical & Modular Routes: Define nested routes and inherit paths from parent routes across modules using { parent: ... } or .extend().
• Relative Path Calculation (path({ relativeTo })): Compute relative paths for nested React Router route definitions without manual string slicing.
• Navigation Proxy: Navigate using an intuitive, typed API (push, replace, link, params, queryParams, name).
• Standalone Route Building (buildRoute): Build URLs and typed route configurations outside React components without navigation functions.
• Query Parameters: Strongly-typed query parameters with automatic formatting and filtering of null/undefined values (withQueryParams).
• URL Sanitization: Automatically normalizes leading and trailing slashes.
• React Router Integration: Works seamlessly with react-router (useNavigate, useRoutes, <Link>, <NavLink>).

---

Installation & Setup

Import the utility from typed-react-router-proxy:

import {
  buildRoute,
  createRoutes,
  defineRoute,
  defineRouteConfig,
  Routes,
  RouteDefinition,
} from 'typed-react-router-proxy';

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Core Concepts & Quick Start

1. Define Routes

Create a route configuration file. Parameters (e.g., :userId, :projectId) are automatically inferred from path strings.

import {
  createRoutes,
  defineRoute,
  defineRouteConfig,
  Routes,
} from 'typed-react-router-proxy';

// 1. Define route keys (Enums or constants)
export enum UserRoutes {
  LIST = 'list',
  DETAIL = 'detail',
  CREATE = 'create',
  POST_DETAIL = 'postDetail',
  SEARCH = 'search',
}

// 2. Base route definition
const baseRoute = defineRoute('users');

// 3. Define route configurations
const USER_ROUTES_CONFIG = defineRouteConfig({
  [UserRoutes.LIST]: baseRoute,
  // Parameters are inferred from ':userId'
  [UserRoutes.DETAIL]: baseRoute.extend(':userId'),
  [UserRoutes.CREATE]: baseRoute.extend('create'),
  // Multiple parameters are supported
  [UserRoutes.POST_DETAIL]: baseRoute.extend(':userId/posts/:postId'),
  // Query parameters can be added using withQueryParams<T>()
  [UserRoutes.SEARCH]: baseRoute.extend('search').withQueryParams<{ query: string; page?: number }>(),
});

// 4. Export configuration type
export type UserRoutesType = typeof USER_ROUTES_CONFIG;

// 5. Create routes proxy and static route definitions
export const {
  useRoutes: useUserRoutes,
  routes: userRoutes,
}: Routes<UserRoutesType> = createRoutes<UserRoutesType>(USER_ROUTES_CONFIG);

2. Configure React Router

Use the route configuration (userRoutes) and its relativePath or path() helpers inside your React Router setup.

import React from 'react';
import { useRoutes, Navigate } from 'react-router';
import { UseRoutes } from 'typed-react-router-proxy';
import {
  userRoutes,
  useUserRoutes,
  UserRoutesType,
} from './users-routes.config';

export default function UsersRouter() {
  const routes: UseRoutes<UserRoutesType> = useUserRoutes();

  return useRoutes([
    {
      path: userRoutes.list.relativePath, // "users"
      element: <UserList />,
    },
    {
      path: userRoutes.create.relativePath, // "create"
      element: <UserCreate />,
    },
    {
      path: userRoutes.detail.relativePath, // ":userId"
      element: <UserDetail />,
    },
    {
      path: '*',
      element: <Navigate to={routes.list().link} replace />,
    },
  ]);
}

3. Navigate & Generate Links in Components

import React from 'react';
import { Link } from 'react-router';
import { UseRoutes } from 'typed-react-router-proxy';
import { useUserRoutes, UserRoutesType } from './users-routes.config';

export default function UserCard({ userId }: { userId: string }) {
  const routes: UseRoutes<UserRoutesType> = useUserRoutes();

  const handleEdit = () => {
    // Navigate using push (adds entry to browser history)
    routes.detail({ userId }).push();
  };

  const handleReplace = () => {
    // Navigate using replace (replaces current entry in browser history)
    routes.detail({ userId }).replace();
  };

  return (
    <div>
      {/* Generate typed href string using .link */}
      <Link to={routes.detail({ userId }).link}>
        View Profile
      </Link>

      {/* Query params can be passed as second arg for routes with path params */}
      <Link to={routes.search({ query: 'john', page: 1 }).link}>
        Search
      </Link>

      <button onClick={handleEdit}>Edit</button>
      <button onClick={handleReplace}>Replace</button>
    </div>
  );
}

---

Detailed Use Cases & Examples

Use Case 1: Modular Routes & Cross-Module Hierarchy (parent)

When building modular applications, child modules frequently inherit from a parent module's route without duplicating paths.

// 1. Root router: src/router/routes.config.ts
export enum AppRoutes {
  HOME = 'home',
  ADMIN = 'admin',
}

const APP_ROUTES = defineRouteConfig({
  [AppRoutes.HOME]: defineRoute(''),
  [AppRoutes.ADMIN]: defineRoute('admin'),
});

export type AppRoutesType = typeof APP_ROUTES;
export const {
  useRoutes: useAppRoutes,
  routes: appRoutes,
}: Routes<AppRoutesType> = createRoutes<AppRoutesType>(APP_ROUTES);

// 2. Administration submodule: src/modules/admin/users/users-routes.config.ts
import { appRoutes } from '@router/routes.config';

export enum AdminUserRoutes {
  LIST = 'list',
  DETAIL = 'detail',
  SETTINGS = 'settings',
}

// Attach the sub-route to the parent module route
const baseAdminUserRoute = defineRoute('users', { parent: appRoutes.admin });

const ADMIN_USER_ROUTES = defineRouteConfig({
  [AdminUserRoutes.LIST]: baseAdminUserRoute,
  [AdminUserRoutes.DETAIL]: baseAdminUserRoute.extend(':userId'),
  [AdminUserRoutes.SETTINGS]: baseAdminUserRoute.extend(':userId/settings'),
});

export type AdminUserRoutesType = typeof ADMIN_USER_ROUTES;
export const {
  useRoutes: useAdminUserRoutes,
  routes: adminUserRoutes,
}: Routes<AdminUserRoutesType> = createRoutes<AdminUserRoutesType>(ADMIN_USER_ROUTES);

Resulting Paths:

• adminUserRoutes.list.path() $\rightarrow$ "/admin/users"
• adminUserRoutes.detail.path() $\rightarrow$ "/admin/users/:userId"
• routes.detail({ userId: '42' }).link $\rightarrow$ "/admin/users/42"

---

Use Case 2: Deep Nesting & React Router Sub-Routers with path({ relativeTo })

When mounting a nested router at /admin/*, child routes need their path relative to the ancestor /admin rather than the absolute root path.

import React from 'react';
import { useRoutes } from 'react-router';
import { appRoutes } from '@router/routes.config';
import { adminUserRoutes } from './users-routes.config';

export default function AdminSubRouter() {
  return useRoutes([
    {
      // Computes "users" instead of "admin/users"
      path: adminUserRoutes.list.path({ relativeTo: appRoutes.admin }),
      element: <AdminUsersList />,
    },
    {
      // Computes "users/:userId" instead of "admin/users/:userId"
      path: adminUserRoutes.detail.path({ relativeTo: appRoutes.admin }),
      element: <AdminUserDetail />,
    },
  ]);
}

---

Use Case 3: Multiple Path Parameters

Path parameters are fully extracted and typed as a combined object:

const PROJECT_ROUTES = defineRouteConfig({
  SUBTASK_DETAIL: defineRoute('projects')
    .extend(':projectId')
    .extend('tasks/:taskId')
    .extend('subtasks/:subtaskId'),
});

export const { useRoutes: useProjectRoutes } = createRoutes(PROJECT_ROUTES);

// In a component:
const routes = useProjectRoutes();

// TypeScript enforces all three arguments: { projectId, taskId, subtaskId }
routes.SUBTASK_DETAIL({
  projectId: 'p-100',
  taskId: 't-20',
  subtaskId: 'st-3',
}).push();
// Navigates to: "/projects/p-100/tasks/t-20/subtasks/st-3"

---

Use Case 4: Typed Query Parameters (withQueryParams)

Query parameters are defined via .withQueryParams<T>().

• For routes without path parameters, query parameters are the first argument (optional Partial<T>).
• For routes with path parameters, query parameters are the second argument (optional Partial<T>).
• undefined and null values are omitted automatically from the generated query string.

type FilterQueryParams = {
  sort?: 'asc' | 'desc';
  page?: number;
  search?: string;
  isActive?: boolean;
};

const SEARCH_ROUTES = defineRouteConfig({
  CATALOG: defineRoute('catalog').withQueryParams<FilterQueryParams>(),
  ITEM_DETAILS: defineRoute('catalog/:itemId').withQueryParams<{ tab?: string; highlight?: boolean }>(),
});

export const { useRoutes: useSearchRoutes } = createRoutes(SEARCH_ROUTES);

// In a component:
const searchRoutes = useSearchRoutes();

// 1. Route without path parameters
searchRoutes.CATALOG({ search: 'react', page: 2 }).link;
// Result: "/catalog?search=react&page=2"

searchRoutes.CATALOG().link;
// Result: "/catalog"

// 2. Route with path parameters and query parameters
searchRoutes.ITEM_DETAILS({ itemId: 42 }, { tab: 'reviews', highlight: true }).link;
// Result: "/catalog/42?tab=reviews&highlight=true"

---

Use Case 5: Inspecting Route Execution (name, params, queryParams)

Calling a route function returns metadata about the route invocation:

const routeInfo = routes.DETAIL({ userId: '123' }, { tab: 'info' });

console.log(routeInfo.name);        // 'detail'
console.log(routeInfo.link);        // '/users/123?tab=info'
console.log(routeInfo.params);      // { userId: '123' }
console.log(routeInfo.queryParams); // { tab: 'info' }

---

Use Case 6: Building Routes Without Navigation (buildRoute)

buildRoute allows manipulating routes, resolving URLs, and getting typed parameters/query parameters statically without requiring React hooks or navigation functions (push, replace). This is useful outside React components, in utilities, services, server-side code, or when generating links without navigation hooks:

import { buildRoute } from 'typed-react-router-proxy';
import { userRoutes } from './users-routes.config';

// 1. Route without parameters
const listRoute = buildRoute(userRoutes.list);
console.log(listRoute.link); // "/users"

// 2. Route with path parameters
const detailRoute = buildRoute(userRoutes.detail, { userId: '123' });
console.log(detailRoute.link);   // "/users/123"
console.log(detailRoute.params); // { userId: '123' }

// 3. Route with path parameters and query parameters
const searchRoute = buildRoute(userRoutes.search, { query: 'john', page: 1 });
console.log(searchRoute.link);        // "/users/search?query=john&page=1"
console.log(searchRoute.queryParams); // { query: 'john', page: 1 }

---

API Reference

defineRoute(path, options?)

Creates a composable RouteDefinition.

• path: string - The path segment. Parameters can be specified using :paramName. Leading/trailing slashes are stripped automatically.
• options.parent: RouteDefinition (optional) - A parent route definition to inherit from.

defineRouteConfig(config)

Helper function for route configuration objects. Ensures full TypeScript parameter inference for all route keys without manual generic casting.

createRoutes(config)

Takes a route configuration and returns:

• useRoutes(): A React Hook returning a proxy object with callable route methods.
• routes: The original static RouteDefinition configuration object (for defining router trees and calculating relative paths).

buildRoute(route, ...args)

Statically builds the URL and returns a route configuration object for a RouteDefinition with typed path and query parameters, without requiring navigation functions.

• route: RouteDefinition - The route definition to build.
• ...args: Path parameters (if required) and query parameters (if defined).
• Returns: StaticRouteConfig ({ link: string, params: Params, queryParams: QueryParams }).

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RouteDefinition Methods & Properties

Member	Type	Description
relativePath	string	The route's own path segment (e.g. ":userId" or "create").
path(options?)	(options?: { relativeTo?: RouteDefinition }) => string	Returns the resolved path string. If relativeTo is provided, stops at the specified ancestor.
extend(nextPath)	(nextPath: string) => RouteDefinition	Creates a child route segment inheriting parameters from the parent.
withQueryParams<T>()	<T>() => RouteDefinition	Attaches a TypeScript query parameter type to the route definition.
format(...args)	(...args: BuildRouteArgs) => string	Statically builds and returns the resolved URL string.

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Static Route Object (StaticRouteConfig)

Returned by buildRoute(route, ...args):

Property	Type	Description
link	string	The complete URL string with path and query parameters resolved.
params	Params | undefined	The path parameters passed to buildRoute.
queryParams	QueryParams | undefined	The query parameters passed to buildRoute.

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Route Proxy Invocation Object (RouteConfig)

When invoking a route on the proxy returned by useRoutes() (e.g., routes.DETAIL(...)), extends StaticRouteConfig with navigation methods:

Property	Type	Description
name	string | number | symbol	Key of the route in the route config.
link	string	The complete URL string with path and query parameters resolved.
params	Params | undefined	The path parameters passed to the route invocation.
queryParams	QueryParams | undefined	The query parameters passed to the route invocation.
push()	() => void	Navigates to link using navigate(link).
replace()	() => void	Navigates to link with { replace: true }.