vapor-docs/routing/parameters.md

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---
currentMenu: routing-parameters
---
# Routing Parameters
Traditional web frameworks leave room for error in routing by using strings for route parameter names and types. Vapor takes advantage of Swift's closures to provide a safer and more intuitive method for accessing route parameters.
## Type Safe
To create a type safe route simply replace one of the parts of your path with a `Type`.
```swift
drop.get("users", Int.self) { request, userId in
return "You requested User #\(userId)"
}
```
This creates a route that matches `users/:id` where the `:id` is an `Int`. Here's what it would look like using manual route parameters.
```swift
drop.get("users", ":id") { request in
guard let userId = request.parameters["id"]?.int else {
throw Abort.badRequest
}
return "You requested User #\(userId)"
}
```
Here you can see that type safe routing saves ~3 lines of code and also prevents runtime errors like misspelling `:id`.
## String Initializable
Any type that conforms to `StringInitializable` can be used as a type-safe routing parameter. By default, the following types conform:
- String
- Int
- Model
`String` is the most generic and always matches. `Int` only matches when the string supplied can be turned into an integer. `Model` only matches when the string, used as an identifier, can be used to find the model in the database.
Our previous example with users can be further simplified.
```swift
drop.get("users", User.self) { request, user in
return "You requested \(user.name)"
}
```
Here the identifier supplied is automatically used to lookup a user. For example, if `/users/5` is requested, the `User` model will be asked for a user with identifier `5`. If one is found, the request succeeds and the closure is called. If not, a not found error is thrown.
Here is what this would look like if model didn't conform to `StringInitializable`.
```swift
drop.get("users", Int.self) { request, userId in
guard let user = try User.find(userId) else {
throw Abort.notFound
}
return "You requested User #\(userId)"
}
```
Altogether, type safe routing can save around 6 lines of code from each route.
### Protocol
Conforming your own types to `StringInitializable` is easy.
```swift
public protocol StringInitializable {
init?(from string: String) throws
}
```
Here is what `Model`'s conformance looks like for those who are curious.
```swift
extension Model {
public init?(from string: String) throws {
if let model = try Self.find(string) {
self = model
} else {
return nil
}
}
}
```
The `init` method can both `throw` and return `nil`. This allows you to `throw` your own errors. Or, if you want the default error and behavior, just return `nil`.
### Limits
Type safe routing is currently limited to three path parts. This is usually remedied by adding route [groups](group.md).
```swift
drop.group("v1", "users") { users in
users.get(User.self, "posts", Post.self) { request, user, post in
return "Requested \(post.name) for \(user.name)"
}
}
```
The resulting path for the above example is `/v1/users/:userId/posts/:postId`. If you are clamoring for more type safe routing, please let us know and we can look into increasing the limit of three.
## Manual
As shown briefly above, you are still free to do traditional routing. This can be useful for especially complex situations.
```swift
drop.get("v1", "users", ":userId", "posts", ":postId", "comments", ":commentId") { request in
let userId = try request.parameters.extract("userId") as Int
let postId = try request.parameters.extract("postId") as Int
let commentId = try request.parameters.extract("commentId") as Int
return "You requested comment #\(commentId) for post #\(postId) for user #\(userId)"
}
```
> Property `request.parameters` is used to extract parameters encoded in the URI _path_ (for example, `/v1/users/1` has a parameter `:userId` equal to `"1"`). In case of parameters passed as a part of a _query_ (e.g. `/v1/search-user?userId=1`), the `request.data` should be used (e.g. `let userId = request.data["userId"]?.string`).
Request parameters can be accessed either as a dictionary or using the `extract` syntax which throws instead of returning an optional.
### Groups
Manual request parameters also work with [groups](group.md).
```swift
let userGroup = drop.grouped("users", ":userId")
userGroup.get("messages") { req in
let user = try req.parameters.extract("userId") as User
}
```