Chaining With `app.route()`

app.route(path) returns a chainable object — read once, attach multiple HTTP methods.

2 min read Level 1/5 #express#routing#chaining

What you'll learn

When a single path has many HTTP methods, app.route(path) reduces repetition.

The Long Way

app.get("/users/:id",    getUser);
app.patch("/users/:id",  updateUser);
app.put("/users/:id",    replaceUser);
app.delete("/users/:id", deleteUser);

app.route("/users/:id")
  .get(getUser)
  .patch(updateUser)
  .put(replaceUser)
  .delete(deleteUser);

Same behavior, one path string. Less noise.

app.route("/users/:id")
  .all(requireAuth)
  .get(getUser)
  .delete(requireAdmin, deleteUser);

.all() adds middleware to every method on this path.

Router#route works the same way:

const r = Router();

r.route("/")
  .get(listUsers)
  .post(createUser);

r.route("/:id")
  .get(getUser)
  .patch(updateUser)
  .delete(deleteUser);

For resource files where the same path has 3+ methods, chaining is cleaner. For one-off routes, separate calls are clearer.

Personal style varies. The most important thing is consistency within your project.