React Router Nested Route renders inside of parent route, how to render seperately?

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05-10-2024

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Unnesting Your React Routes: How to Render Nested Routes Independently

The Problem: You're building a React application with nested routes using react-router-dom. You want to render a nested route separately, outside of its parent route's view, but the nested route is appearing within the parent's component. This can disrupt your layout and design, making it difficult to achieve the desired UI.

Rephrasing the Issue: Imagine you're building a website with a navigation menu. When you click on "Products," a list of products should appear on the main page. However, you also want a separate "Product Details" page accessible through a link on the product list. Instead of appearing on its own, the product details are showing up within the product list, creating a cluttered experience.

Scenario and Code Example:

import { BrowserRouter, Routes, Route, Link } from "react-router-dom";

function ProductList() {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Product List</h1>
      <ul>
        <li><Link to="/products/1">Product 1</Link></li>
        <li><Link to="/products/2">Product 2</Link></li>
      </ul>
      {/* Nested Route rendering inside ProductList */}
      <Routes>
        <Route path="/products/:id" element={<ProductDetails />} />
      </Routes>
    </div>
  );
}

function ProductDetails() {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Product Details</h1>
    </div>
  );
}

function App() {
  return (
    <BrowserRouter>
      <Routes>
        <Route path="/" element={<ProductList />} />
      </Routes>
    </BrowserRouter>
  );
}

export default App;

Analysis and Solution:

The issue arises because the nested route <Route path="/products/:id" element={<ProductDetails />} /> is declared within the ProductList component, causing it to render within that component's view.

To render the ProductDetails component separately, we need to move the nested route declaration outside the ProductList component. This can be achieved by utilizing the Routes component's ability to nest routes within a parent route:

import { BrowserRouter, Routes, Route, Link } from "react-router-dom";

function ProductList() {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Product List</h1>
      <ul>
        <li><Link to="/products/1">Product 1</Link></li>
        <li><Link to="/products/2">Product 2</Link></li>
      </ul>
    </div>
  );
}

function ProductDetails() {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>Product Details</h1>
    </div>
  );
}

function App() {
  return (
    <BrowserRouter>
      <Routes>
        {/* Parent route for "/products" */}
        <Route path="/products" element={<ProductList />}>
          {/* Nested route within "products" parent */}
          <Route path=":id" element={<ProductDetails />} />
        </Route>
      </Routes>
    </BrowserRouter>
  );
}

export default App;

Explanation:

1. We create a parent route <Route path="/products" element={<ProductList />} /> to encompass all routes related to products.
2. Within the parent route, we declare the nested route <Route path=":id" element={<ProductDetails />} />. This ensures that the ProductDetails component is only rendered when the route matches /products/:id.
3. The ProductList component now renders the product list, while ProductDetails renders independently on a separate page when a product is clicked.

Additional Insights:

• You can further customize your routes by adding different nested routes under the products parent route. For example, you could create a route for "product-categories" or "product-search".
• Be mindful of route nesting levels for maintaining clarity in your application's structure.
• Refer to the react-router-dom documentation for more advanced features and routing patterns.

References:

• React Router v6 Documentation

Key Takeaways:

• Proper route nesting is crucial for achieving desired UI behavior with react-router-dom.
• By declaring nested routes within their parent route, you can render them independently, creating a better user experience.

Remember, by carefully crafting your routes and using appropriate nesting strategies, you can create a seamless and well-structured React application with a clear and intuitive user interface.