Add an optional argument 'trailingSlashIsSignificant' to Backbone.Router...

[aholmes]

... so application authors can determine whether their applications treats URIs with a trailing slash as a different resource than URIs without a trailing slash. Defaults to true. This option causes Router to set the 'routeTrailingSlashPattern' variable, which is added to the overall URIs matching regex. #848

[braddunbar]

Hi @aholmes! Thanks for the patch.

Since the optional pattern was added I've been using the following, which I've found more flexible than a global option.

var Router = Backbone.Router.extend({
  routes: {
    // Slash is optional.
    'foo(/)': function() {
    },
    // Slash is required.
    'bar/': function() {
    }
  }
});

Did you already know about this? I saw your appeal for an option in #848, but I didn't see any mention of the technique above. For my money, the above approach is more flexible and explicit than a global option and requires a very small change.

[dgbeck]

Damn, das why he famus

[aholmes]

Hi @braddunbar,
Yes, I knew about the optional pattern. I think it was even mentioned in #848. For me personally, I don't like that solution, and a global rule on the structure of a URI fits my mental model of routing more nicely. It also means I don't need to worry about whether a route is missing the optional parameter when I want all my routes to behave the same. Thanks, though!

[aholmes]

Wrong button!

[braddunbar]

After mulling this over a bit, I think adding a global option is less flexible than the existing options. Adding (/) is not particularly difficult and doesn't lend itself to inconsistencies such as /foo.html vs /foo.html/.

If you absolutely must have it, you can always override Router#route.

var Router = Backbone.Router.extend({

  route: function(route, name, handler) {
    if (_.isString(route) && !/\(\/\)$/.test(route)) route += '(/)';
    return Backbone.Router.prototype.route.apply(this, arguments);
  }

});

[aholmes]

If I can give one more shot at convincing you:

Using the configuration option allows me to treat a trailing / as significant or not across the board. I won't have to add (/) to any routes where I need this (which is all of them), and the configuration option is immediately clear to any one who isn't aware of (/).

Regarding flexibility, if someone is using the configuration option, they probably know why they are using it, and what the gains or losses are.