Optional URL parameters

[chaance]

In v5, a dynamic URL parameter could be optional if a trailing ? is added to the Route component's path:

<Route path="/blog/:postId/:action?" component={BlogPost} />

This doesn't work quite the same in v6. To achieve something similar, you'd need to use nested routes with <Outlet />:

<Route path="/blog" element={<BlogPostLayout />}>
  <Route path=":action" element={<BlogPost />} />
  <Route path="" element={<BlogPost />} />
</Route>

function BlogPostLayout() {
  let context = useSomeSharedLogic();
  return <Outlet context={context} />;
}

Many users have expressed that this change requires some significant refactoring to their apps, and that bringing back support for the v5 API for optional params would be a simpler solution for them. See the original issue here.

To consider this potential change, I'd start by asking: would simply changing the way the v6 matching algorithm works with a trailing ? potentially break existing v6 apps?

Note: Please keep the comments kind and productive. This is not a space to vent about changes you don't like, but to help create solutions for yourself and others. Off-topic or overly negative comments may be removed at any time.

[timdorr]

This is now superseded by #9546

[ryanflorence]

Locked in favor of ^