[changed] handler keys to be optional

gimme some of that sweet, sweet DOM diffing

closes #97

Author: ryanflorence

UPGRADE_GUIDE.md

@@ -5,6 +5,51 @@ To see discussion around these API changes, please refer to the
 [changelog](/CHANGELOG.md) and git log the commits to find the issues
 they refer to.
 
+0.5.x -> 0.6.x
+--------------
+
+If you have dynamic segments and are depending on `getInitialState`,
+`componentWillMount`, or `componentDidMount` to fire between transitions
+to the same route--like `users/123` and `users/456`, then you have two
+options: add `addHandlerKey={true}` to your route and keep the previous
+behavior (but lose out on performance), or implement
+`componentWillReceiveProps`.
+
+```js
+// 0.5.x
+<Route handler={User} path="/user/:userId"/>
+
+// 0.6.x
+<Route handler={User} path="/user/:userId" addHandlerKey={true} />
+
+// 0.5.x
+var User = React.createClass({
+  getInitialState: function() {
+    return {
+      user: getUser(this.props.params.userId);
+    }
+  }
+});
+
+// 0.6.x
+var User = React.createClass({
+  getInitialState: function() {
+    return this.getState();{
+  },
+
+  componentWillReceiveProps: function(newProps) {
+    this.setState(this.getState(newProps));
+  },
+
+  getState: function(props) {
+    props = props || this.props;
+    return {
+      user: getUser(props.params.userId)
+    };
+  }
+});
+```
+
 0.4.x -> 0.5.x
 --------------
 

docs/api/components/Route.md

@@ -23,6 +23,26 @@ inherit the path of their parent.
 
 The component to be rendered when the route is active.
 
+### `addHandlerKey`
+
+Defaults to `false`.
+
+If you have dynamic segments in your URL, a transition from `/users/123`
+to `/users/456` does not call `getInitialState`, `componentWillMount` or
+`componentWillUnmount`. If you are using those lifecycle hooks to fetch
+data and set state, you will also need to implement
+`componentWillReceiveProps` on your handler, just like any other
+component with changing props. This way, you can leverage the
+performance of the React DOM diff algorithm. Look at the `Contact`
+handler in the `master-detail` example.
+
+If you'd rather be lazy, set this to `true` and the router will add a
+key to your route, causing all new DOM to be built, and then the life
+cycle hooks will all be called.
+
+You will want this to be `true` if you're doing animations with React's
+TransitionGroup component.
+
 ### `preserveScrollPosition`
 
 If `true`, the router will not scroll the window up when the route is

docs/guides/overview.md

@@ -289,6 +289,22 @@ how you can turn this parameter into state on your component. Or for a
 more basic approach, make an ajax call in `componentDidMount` with the
 value.
 
+Important Note About Dynamic Segments
+-------------------------------------
+
+If you have dynamic segments in your URL, a transition from `/users/123`
+to `/users/456` does not call `getInitialState`, `componentWillMount` or
+`componentWillUnmount`. If you are using those lifecycle hooks to fetch
+data and set state, you will also need to implement
+`componentWillReceiveProps` on your handler, just like any other
+component whose props are changing. This way you can leverage the
+performance of the React DOM diff algorithm. Look at the `Contact`
+handler in the `master-detail` example.
+
+If you'd rather be lazy, you can use the `addHandlerKey` option and set
+it to `true` on your route to opt-out of the performance. See also
+[Route][Route].
+
 Links
 -----
 
@@ -306,5 +322,6 @@ it has to offer. Check out the [API Docs][API] to learn about
 redirecting transitions, query parameters and more.
 
   [AsyncState]:../api/mixins/AsyncState.md
+  [Route]:../api/components/Route.md
   [API]:../api/
 

examples/animations/app.js

@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ var Image = React.createClass({
 var routes = (
   <Routes>
     <Route handler={App}>
-      <Route name="image" path="/:service" handler={Image}/>
+      <Route name="image" path="/:service" handler={Image} addHandlerKey={true} />
     </Route>
   </Routes>
 );

examples/master-detail/app.js

@@ -130,12 +130,17 @@ var Index = React.createClass({
 });
 
 var Contact = React.createClass({
-  getInitialState: function() {
+  getStateFromStore: function(props) {
+    props = props || this.props;
     return {
-      contact: ContactStore.getContact(this.props.params.id)
+      contact: ContactStore.getContact(props.params.id)
     };
   },
 
+  getInitialState: function() {
+    return this.getStateFromStore();
+  },
+
   componentDidMount: function() {
     ContactStore.addChangeListener(this.updateContact);
   },
@@ -144,13 +149,15 @@ var Contact = React.createClass({
     ContactStore.removeChangeListener(this.updateContact);
   },
 
+  componentWillReceiveProps: function(newProps) {
+    this.setState(this.getStateFromStore(newProps));
+  },
+
   updateContact: function () {
     if (!this.isMounted())
       return;
 
-    this.setState({
-      contact: ContactStore.getContact(this.props.params.id)
-    });
+    this.setState(this.getStateFromStore())
   },
 
   destroy: function() {
@@ -204,20 +211,6 @@ var NotFound = React.createClass({
   }
 });
 
-var routes = (
-  <Route handler={App}>
-    <DefaultRoute handler={Index}/>
-    <Route name="new" path="contact/new" handler={NewContact}/>
-    <Route name="not-found" path="contact/not-found" handler={NotFound}/>
-    <Route name="contact" path="contact/:id" handler={Contact}/>
-  </Route>
-);
-
-React.renderComponent(
-  <Routes children={routes}/>,
-  document.getElementById('example')
-);
-
 // Request utils.
 
 function getJSON(url, cb) {
@@ -249,3 +242,18 @@ function deleteJSON(url, cb) {
   req.open('DELETE', url);
   req.send();
 }
+
+var routes = (
+  <Route handler={App}>
+    <DefaultRoute handler={Index}/>
+    <Route name="new" path="contact/new" handler={NewContact}/>
+    <Route name="not-found" path="contact/not-found" handler={NotFound}/>
+    <Route name="contact" path="contact/:id" handler={Contact}/>
+  </Route>
+);
+
+React.renderComponent(
+  <Routes children={routes}/>,
+  document.getElementById('example')
+);
+

examples/simple-master-detail/app.js

@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ var State = React.createClass({
 var routes = (
   <Routes>
     <Route handler={App}>
-      <Route name="state" path="state/:abbr" handler={State}/>
+      <Route name="state" path="state/:abbr" addHandlerKey={true} handler={State}/>
     </Route>
   </Routes>
 );

modules/components/Routes.js

@@ -411,10 +411,12 @@ function computeHandlerProps(matches, query) {
     props = Route.getUnreservedProps(route.props);
 
     props.ref = REF_NAME;
-    props.key = Path.injectParams(route.props.path, match.params);
     props.params = match.params;
     props.query = query;
 
+    if (route.props.addHandlerKey)
+      props.key = Path.injectParams(route.props.path, match.params);
+
     if (childHandler) {
       props.activeRouteHandler = childHandler;
     } else {