path-to-regexp vs path-parse vs url-parse vs path-browserify vs resolve-path
Path and URL Manipulation Comparison
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What's Path and URL Manipulation?

Path and URL manipulation libraries in JavaScript provide developers with tools to work with file system paths and URLs more effectively. These libraries offer functions for parsing, resolving, normalizing, and formatting paths and URLs, which can be complex due to differences in operating systems, protocols, and structures. They help streamline tasks such as extracting components (e.g., hostname, pathname), handling relative and absolute paths, and ensuring compatibility across environments. These libraries are essential for building web applications, server-side code, and tools that require reliable and consistent handling of paths and URLs.

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path-to-regexp67,875,1308,35455.2 kB107 months agoMIT
path-parse56,406,68458-84 years agoMIT
url-parse25,112,9241,03663 kB13-MIT
path-browserify17,744,043183-155 years agoMIT
resolve-path1,074,29332-37 years agoMIT
Feature Comparison: path-to-regexp vs path-parse vs url-parse vs path-browserify vs resolve-path

Path and URL Parsing

  • path-to-regexp:

    path-to-regexp focuses on parsing path patterns and converting them into regular expressions. It is designed for routing and does not parse traditional file system paths or URLs.

  • path-parse:

    path-parse specializes in parsing file system paths. It offers a simple API to extract components of a path, such as root, directory, base, and extension, making it lightweight and efficient for parsing tasks.

  • url-parse:

    url-parse excels at parsing URLs. It breaks down a URL into its components (protocol, hostname, pathname, query, hash) and allows for easy manipulation of these components.

  • path-browserify:

    path-browserify provides a full suite of path manipulation functions, including parsing, but it is not specialized for parsing. It mimics Node.js path module functionality, making it versatile for various path operations.

  • resolve-path:

    resolve-path does not provide parsing capabilities. It focuses on resolving relative paths against a base path, ensuring accurate path resolution rather than parsing.

Path and URL Resolution

  • path-to-regexp:

    path-to-regexp does not perform path resolution. It converts path patterns into regular expressions for matching, but does not resolve paths.

  • path-parse:

    path-parse does not handle path resolution. It is solely focused on parsing paths and extracting their components.

  • url-parse:

    url-parse does not handle URL resolution. It focuses on parsing URLs and manipulating their components, but does not resolve URLs.

  • path-browserify:

    path-browserify provides functions for resolving paths, including handling relative and absolute paths. It mimics Node.js behavior, making it reliable for various resolution tasks.

  • resolve-path:

    resolve-path specializes in resolving relative paths against a base path. It accurately handles different types of paths, making it useful for applications that require precise path resolution.

Path and URL Normalization

  • path-to-regexp:

    path-to-regexp does not handle normalization. It is concerned with converting path patterns into regular expressions and does not modify paths.

  • path-parse:

    path-parse does not provide normalization features. It is focused on parsing paths and does not modify or normalize them in any way.

  • url-parse:

    url-parse does not perform URL normalization. It parses URLs and allows for manipulation, but does not automatically normalize them.

  • path-browserify:

    path-browserify includes normalization functions to clean up paths, removing redundant segments (e.g., .., .) and ensuring consistent path formatting. It follows Node.js conventions for normalization.

  • resolve-path:

    resolve-path normalizes paths as part of the resolution process. It handles redundant segments when resolving relative paths, ensuring the final resolved path is clean and consistent.

Example Code

  • path-to-regexp:

    Path to regexp with path-to-regexp

    import { pathToRegexp } from 'path-to-regexp';
const regexp = pathToRegexp('/users/:id');
const match = regexp.exec('/users/123');
console.log(match[1]); // Outputs: '123'
  • path-parse:

    Path parsing with path-parse

    import parse from 'path-parse';
const parsedPath = parse('/foo/bar/baz.txt');
console.log(parsedPath);
// Outputs: { root: '/', dir: '/foo/bar', base: 'baz.txt', ext: '.txt', name: 'baz' }
  • url-parse:

    URL parsing with url-parse

    import URLParse from 'url-parse';
const parsedUrl = URLParse('https://example.com/path?query=1#hash');
console.log(parsedUrl.hostname); // Outputs: 'example.com'
console.log(parsedUrl.query); // Outputs: 'query=1'
  • path-browserify:

    Path resolution with path-browserify

    import { resolve } from 'path-browserify';
const absolutePath = resolve('/foo', 'bar', '../baz');
console.log(absolutePath); // Outputs: '/foo/bar/baz'
  • resolve-path:

    Path resolution with resolve-path

    import resolvePath from 'resolve-path';
const resolvedPath = resolvePath('/foo/bar', '../baz');
console.log(resolvedPath); // Outputs: '/foo/baz'
How to Choose: path-to-regexp vs path-parse vs url-parse vs path-browserify vs resolve-path
  • path-to-regexp:

    Choose path-to-regexp if you need to convert path patterns (like those used in routing) into regular expressions. It is particularly useful for building custom routers or matching paths against patterns, making it a great choice for frameworks and libraries that require dynamic routing capabilities.

  • path-parse:

    Choose path-parse if you need a lightweight library focused solely on parsing file system paths. It provides a simple API for extracting components of a path (e.g., root, dir, base, ext) and is useful for applications that need to analyze or manipulate paths without additional overhead.

  • url-parse:

    Choose url-parse if you need a comprehensive solution for parsing and manipulating URLs. It provides a detailed breakdown of URL components (e.g., protocol, hostname, pathname, query, hash) and allows for easy modification of these components, making it ideal for applications that require advanced URL handling, such as web scrapers, link generators, or routing systems.

  • path-browserify:

    Choose path-browserify if you need a browser-compatible implementation of Node.js path utilities. It is ideal for projects that require path manipulation features in a browser environment, especially when working with file inputs or creating web applications that mimic Node.js behavior.

  • resolve-path:

    Choose resolve-path if you need to resolve relative paths against a base path. It is useful for applications that require accurate resolution of paths, such as file upload handlers, URL generators, or any functionality that needs to handle relative and absolute paths correctly.

Similar Npm Packages to path-parse

path-parse is a utility library that provides a simple way to parse file paths into their components, such as root, directory, base, name, and extension. This can be particularly useful when working with file paths in Node.js or browser environments. While path-parse is a great tool for handling file paths, there are several alternatives that offer similar functionalities. Here are a few notable options:

  • path-browserify is a browser-compatible implementation of Node.js's path module. It allows developers to work with file paths in a way that is consistent with Node.js, making it easier to write cross-platform code. If you are looking for a way to handle file paths in a browser environment while maintaining compatibility with Node.js conventions, path-browserify is an excellent choice.

  • path-to-regexp is a library that allows you to convert paths into regular expressions, which can be particularly useful for routing in web applications. It is commonly used in frameworks like Express and React Router to match URL patterns. If your primary focus is on routing and matching paths rather than just parsing them, path-to-regexp provides a powerful solution.

  • resolve-path is a utility for resolving relative paths to absolute paths. It can be particularly useful when working with file systems or URLs, helping to simplify the process of path resolution. If your needs revolve around resolving paths rather than just parsing them, resolve-path is a suitable alternative.

  • url-parse is a library that focuses on parsing URLs rather than file paths. It provides a comprehensive way to dissect URLs into their components, such as protocol, host, pathname, query, and hash. If your work involves handling URLs specifically, url-parse is a great option to consider.

To compare these packages and see how they stack up against each other, check out the following link: Comparing path-browserify vs path-parse vs path-to-regexp vs resolve-path vs url-parse.

Similar Npm Packages to url-parse

url-parse is a popular JavaScript library for parsing and manipulating URLs. It provides a simple and efficient way to break down URLs into their components, such as protocol, host, pathname, query string, and hash. This makes it easier for developers to work with URLs in their applications, whether they need to extract specific parts of a URL or construct new URLs from existing components. While url-parse is a robust solution for URL handling, there are several alternatives worth considering:

  • url-join is a lightweight library that focuses specifically on joining URL segments together. It ensures that the resulting URL is properly formatted, handling slashes and other characters gracefully. If your primary need is to concatenate URL parts without worrying about the intricacies of parsing, url-join is an excellent choice. Its simplicity and focused functionality make it ideal for scenarios where you need to build URLs dynamically from various segments.

  • url-parse-lax is a variant of the url-parse library that offers a more lenient approach to parsing URLs. It allows for more flexibility in handling malformed URLs and provides a simpler API for common use cases. If you find that you often deal with URLs that may not conform to strict standards, url-parse-lax can be a great alternative. It retains many of the features of url-parse while providing a more forgiving parsing experience.

To see how these libraries compare, check out the comparison: Comparing url-join vs url-parse vs url-parse-lax.

Similar Npm Packages to path-browserify

path-browserify is a lightweight module that provides a browser-compatible implementation of Node.js's path module. This package allows developers to work with file and directory paths in a way that is consistent with Node.js, making it easier to handle paths in web applications. It offers various utility functions for manipulating and resolving paths, which can be particularly useful when dealing with URLs or file paths in a browser environment.

While path-browserify is a great option for those looking for a Node.js-like path manipulation experience in the browser, there are alternatives worth considering:

  • path is the built-in Node.js module for handling file and directory paths. It provides a comprehensive set of utilities for working with file paths, including functions for joining, resolving, normalizing, and parsing paths. However, since it is designed for a Node.js environment, it is not directly usable in browser applications without a bundler or transpiler. If you are working in a Node.js environment, the native path module is the most efficient choice.
  • path-parse is a lightweight utility that focuses specifically on parsing file paths. It provides a simple function to parse a path string into an object containing its root, directory, base, name, and extension components. This can be particularly useful when you only need to extract information from a path without the additional functionalities provided by the full path module. If your needs are limited to parsing paths, path-parse is a minimalistic and straightforward solution.

To see how path-browserify compares with path and path-parse, check out the comparison: Comparing path vs path-browserify vs path-parse.

README for path-to-regexp

Path-to-RegExp

Turn a path string such as /user/:name into a regular expression.

NPM version NPM downloads Build status Build coverage License

Installation

npm install path-to-regexp --save

Usage

const {
  match,
  pathToRegexp,
  compile,
  parse,
  stringify,
} = require("path-to-regexp");

Parameters

Parameters match arbitrary strings in a path by matching up to the end of the segment, or up to any proceeding tokens. They are defined by prefixing a colon to the parameter name (:foo). Parameter names can use any valid JavaScript identifier, or be double quoted to use other characters (:"param-name").

const fn = match("/:foo/:bar");

fn("/test/route");
//=> { path: '/test/route', params: { foo: 'test', bar: 'route' } }

Wildcard

Wildcard parameters match one or more characters across multiple segments. They are defined the same way as regular parameters, but are prefixed with an asterisk (*foo).

const fn = match("/*splat");

fn("/bar/baz");
//=> { path: '/bar/baz', params: { splat: [ 'bar', 'baz' ] } }

Optional

Braces can be used to define parts of the path that are optional.

const fn = match("/users{/:id}/delete");

fn("/users/delete");
//=> { path: '/users/delete', params: {} }

fn("/users/123/delete");
//=> { path: '/users/123/delete', params: { id: '123' } }

Match

The match function returns a function for matching strings against a path:

  • path String or array of strings.
  • options (optional) (Extends pathToRegexp options)
    • decode Function for decoding strings to params, or false to disable all processing. (default: decodeURIComponent)
const fn = match("/foo/:bar");

Please note: path-to-regexp is intended for ordered data (e.g. paths, hosts). It can not handle arbitrarily ordered data (e.g. query strings, URL fragments, JSON, etc).

PathToRegexp

The pathToRegexp function returns a regular expression for matching strings against paths. It

  • path String or array of strings.
  • options (optional) (See parse for more options)
    • sensitive Regexp will be case sensitive. (default: false)
    • end Validate the match reaches the end of the string. (default: true)
    • delimiter The default delimiter for segments, e.g. [^/] for :named parameters. (default: '/')
    • trailing Allows optional trailing delimiter to match. (default: true)
const { regexp, keys } = pathToRegexp("/foo/:bar");

Compile ("Reverse" Path-To-RegExp)

The compile function will return a function for transforming parameters into a valid path:

  • path A string.
  • options (See parse for more options)
    • delimiter The default delimiter for segments, e.g. [^/] for :named parameters. (default: '/')
    • encode Function for encoding input strings for output into the path, or false to disable entirely. (default: encodeURIComponent)
const toPath = compile("/user/:id");

toPath({ id: "name" }); //=> "/user/name"
toPath({ id: "café" }); //=> "/user/caf%C3%A9"

const toPathRepeated = compile("/*segment");

toPathRepeated({ segment: ["foo"] }); //=> "/foo"
toPathRepeated({ segment: ["a", "b", "c"] }); //=> "/a/b/c"

// When disabling `encode`, you need to make sure inputs are encoded correctly. No arrays are accepted.
const toPathRaw = compile("/user/:id", { encode: false });

toPathRaw({ id: "%3A%2F" }); //=> "/user/%3A%2F"

Stringify

Transform TokenData (a sequence of tokens) back into a Path-to-RegExp string.

  • data A TokenData instance
const data = new TokenData([
  { type: "text", value: "/" },
  { type: "param", name: "foo" },
]);

const path = stringify(data); //=> "/:foo"

Developers

  • If you are rewriting paths with match and compile, consider using encode: false and decode: false to keep raw paths passed around.
  • To ensure matches work on paths containing characters usually encoded, such as emoji, consider using encodeurl for encodePath.

Parse

The parse function accepts a string and returns TokenData, the set of tokens and other metadata parsed from the input string. TokenData is can used with match and compile.

  • path A string.
  • options (optional)
    • encodePath A function for encoding input strings. (default: x => x, recommended: encodeurl)

Tokens

TokenData is a sequence of tokens, currently of types text, parameter, wildcard, or group.

Custom path

In some applications, you may not be able to use the path-to-regexp syntax, but still want to use this library for match and compile. For example:

import { TokenData, match } from "path-to-regexp";

const tokens = [
  { type: "text", value: "/" },
  { type: "parameter", name: "foo" },
];
const path = new TokenData(tokens);
const fn = match(path);

fn("/test"); //=> { path: '/test', index: 0, params: { foo: 'test' } }

Errors

An effort has been made to ensure ambiguous paths from previous releases throw an error. This means you might be seeing an error when things worked before.

Unexpected ? or +

In past releases, ?, *, and + were used to denote optional or repeating parameters. As an alternative, try these:

  • For optional (?), use an empty segment in a group such as /:file{.:ext}.
  • For repeating (+), only wildcard matching is supported, such as /*path.
  • For optional repeating (*), use a group and a wildcard parameter such as /files{/*path}.

Unexpected (, ), [, ], etc.

Previous versions of Path-to-RegExp used these for RegExp features. This version no longer supports them so they've been reserved to avoid ambiguity. To use these characters literally, escape them with a backslash, e.g. "\\(".

Missing parameter name

Parameter names must be provided after : or *, and they must be a valid JavaScript identifier. If you want an parameter name that isn't a JavaScript identifier, such as starting with a number, you can wrap the name in quotes like :"my-name".

Unterminated quote

Parameter names can be wrapped in double quote characters, and this error means you forgot to close the quote character.

Express <= 4.x

Path-To-RegExp breaks compatibility with Express <= 4.x in the following ways:

  • The wildcard * must have a name, matching the behavior of parameters :.
  • The optional character ? is no longer supported, use braces instead: /:file{.:ext}.
  • Regexp characters are not supported.
  • Some characters have been reserved to avoid confusion during upgrade (()[]?+!).
  • Parameter names now support valid JavaScript identifiers, or quoted like :"this".

License

MIT

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