In Nextjs web development, Route Handlers play a crucial role in creating custom request handlers for specific routes using Web Request and Response APIs.
What are Route Handlers?
Route Handlers are tools that enable developers to customize how their web application responds to different types of requests for specific routes. These handlers are particularly useful for managing various HTTP methods, such as GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, and OPTIONS.
How do Route Handlers Work?
Developers define Route Handlers in a route file, typically named route.ts for TypeScript projects. Each handler corresponds to a specific HTTP method, such as GET, POST, etc. For instance, GET(request: Request), POST(request: Request), etc., are examples of Route Handlers.
HTTP Methods Supported:
GET: Retrieves data from the server.
POST: Sends data to the server for processing.
PUT: Updates existing data on the server.
PATCH: Partially updates existing data on the server.
DELETE: Removes data from the server.
HEAD: Retrieves headers from the server without fetching the actual content.
OPTIONS: Determines the communication options available for a given resource.
Good to Know:
Route Handlers are exclusive to the app directory and can handle all use cases without needing to use API Routes (pages) alongside.
Parameters:
request (optional): Represents the incoming request and provides control over it, including accessing cookies and the URL.
context (optional): Contains dynamic route parameters for the current route.
Example of Dynamic Routes:
/dashboard/[team]/route.js: params.team would be ‘1’ for the URL /dashboard/1.
/shop/[tag]/[item]/route.js: params.tag would be ‘1’ and params.item would be ‘2’ for the URL /shop/1/2.
/blog/[…slug]/route.js: params.slug would be [‘1’, ‘2’] for the URL /blog/1/2.
NextResponse:
Route Handlers can further enhance the Web Response API by returning a NextResponse object. This enables developers to manage cookies, headers, redirects, and rewrites easily.