How to implement caching with FastRoute?

Use the cachedDispatcher function instead of simpleDispatcher, providing a cache key and optional settings like cacheDriver. This stores compiled routing data to improve performance by avoiding recompilation on each request.

Can FastRoute handle middleware like Laravel?

No, FastRoute is a pure router and does not support middleware out of the box. You need to implement middleware logic separately in your application, often by wrapping the dispatcher in custom handlers.

FastRoute vs Symfony Router: which is better for APIs?

FastRoute is generally faster for raw routing speed due to its compiled regex approach, but Symfony Router offers more features like event listeners and better integration with Symfony components, making it more suitable for complex applications.

How to define optional parameters in FastRoute routes?

Use square brackets around optional segments in the route pattern, e.g., '/user/{id}[/{name}]'. Note that optional parts can only be at the end of the route, as specified in the README.

Is FastRoute compatible with PHP 8.1?

Yes, FastRoute requires PHP 8.1 or newer, as stated in the README, ensuring it leverages modern PHP features and maintains performance optimizations.

How to handle 405 Method Not Allowed responses in FastRoute?

When dispatch returns METHOD_NOT_ALLOWED, use the second array element to get the list of allowed methods and set the Allow header in your response, as noted in the README for HTTP compliance.

Fast Route — High-Performance PHP Request Router

What is Fast Route?

FastRoute is a PHP library that provides a fast, regular expression-based router for HTTP request routing. It efficiently maps HTTP requests to handlers using a compiled regex approach, making it suitable for high-performance PHP applications where routing speed is critical. The library prioritizes performance and simplicity with an efficient regex compilation strategy to minimize routing overhead.

Target Audience

PHP developers building high-performance web applications, APIs, or custom servers where fast request routing is essential, such as those using non-SAPI environments or requiring low-latency routing.

Value Proposition

Developers choose FastRoute for its exceptional routing speed due to compiled regular expressions and built-in caching support, along with a clean, intuitive API that supports flexible route patterns, HTTP method shortcuts, and extensible architecture for customization.

Fast request router for PHP

Use Cases

Best For

High-performance PHP applications where routing speed is critical, such as APIs or microservices.
Projects requiring flexible route patterns with custom regex placeholders and optional segments.
Production environments needing built-in caching of compiled routing data for improved performance.
Applications that must support multiple HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD) with automatic HEAD request fallbacks.
Developers seeking an extensible router where route parsers, data generators, and dispatchers can be overridden.
Organizing routing structures with route groups and nested groups for common prefixes.

Not Ideal For

Projects requiring built-in middleware support for authentication, logging, or request preprocessing
Teams that prefer convention-based routing or auto-discovery over manual route definitions
Full-stack applications needing integrated components like templating, ORM, or form handling

Pros & Cons

Pros

Compiled Regex Performance

Uses a compiled regular expression strategy to minimize routing overhead, making it exceptionally fast for high-traffic applications, as highlighted in the blog post explaining its speed.

Flexible Pattern Matching

Supports custom regex placeholders, optional segments with brackets, and route groups for complex routing needs, allowing precise control over URL structures.

Production-Ready Caching

Built-in cachedDispatcher allows storing compiled routing data to avoid recompilation, boosting performance in production environments with configurable cache drivers.

HTTP Method Shortcuts

Provides shortcut methods like get() and post() for common HTTP verbs, simplifying route definitions and automatically handling HEAD request fallbacks per HTTP spec.

Cons

No Middleware Pipeline

Lacks built-in middleware support, forcing developers to implement their own or use external libraries for features like authentication or CORS, unlike full-stack frameworks.

Manual Request Handling

Requires developers to extract and normalize HTTP methods and URIs manually, as shown in the basic usage example, adding boilerplate code compared to integrated routers.

Limited Ecosystem Integration

Being a standalone router, it doesn't integrate with common PHP framework components like dependency injection or event systems, limiting its use in broader ecosystems.

What is Fast Route?

Target Audience

PHP developers building high-performance web applications, APIs, or custom servers where fast request routing is essential, such as those using non-SAPI environments or requiring low-latency routing.

Value Proposition

Use Cases

Best For

High-performance PHP applications where routing speed is critical, such as APIs or microservices.
Projects requiring flexible route patterns with custom regex placeholders and optional segments.
Production environments needing built-in caching of compiled routing data for improved performance.
Applications that must support multiple HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD) with automatic HEAD request fallbacks.
Developers seeking an extensible router where route parsers, data generators, and dispatchers can be overridden.
Organizing routing structures with route groups and nested groups for common prefixes.

Not Ideal For

Projects requiring built-in middleware support for authentication, logging, or request preprocessing
Teams that prefer convention-based routing or auto-discovery over manual route definitions
Full-stack applications needing integrated components like templating, ORM, or form handling

Pros & Cons

Pros

Compiled Regex Performance

Uses a compiled regular expression strategy to minimize routing overhead, making it exceptionally fast for high-traffic applications, as highlighted in the blog post explaining its speed.

Flexible Pattern Matching

Supports custom regex placeholders, optional segments with brackets, and route groups for complex routing needs, allowing precise control over URL structures.

Production-Ready Caching

Built-in cachedDispatcher allows storing compiled routing data to avoid recompilation, boosting performance in production environments with configurable cache drivers.

HTTP Method Shortcuts

Provides shortcut methods like get() and post() for common HTTP verbs, simplifying route definitions and automatically handling HEAD request fallbacks per HTTP spec.

Cons

No Middleware Pipeline

Lacks built-in middleware support, forcing developers to implement their own or use external libraries for features like authentication or CORS, unlike full-stack frameworks.

Manual Request Handling

Requires developers to extract and normalize HTTP methods and URIs manually, as shown in the basic usage example, adding boilerplate code compared to integrated routers.

Limited Ecosystem Integration

Being a standalone router, it doesn't integrate with common PHP framework components like dependency injection or event systems, limiting its use in broader ecosystems.

Fast Route

What is Fast Route?

Overview

Use Cases

Best For

Not Ideal For

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Projects

Found a gem we're missing?

Fast Route

What is Fast Route?

Overview

Use Cases

Best For

Not Ideal For

Pros & Cons

Pros

Cons

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Projects

Found a gem we're missing?