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Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

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Introduction

FastRoute is a lightweight, high-performance PHP routing library that uses a dispatcher pattern to match incoming HTTP requests to registered routes. It provides a simple yet powerful API for defining routes and handling different HTTP methods.

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How FastRoute Works

FastRoute operates on a three-step process:
  1. Route Registration: Define your routes using a RouteCollector
  2. Dispatcher Creation: Compile routes into an optimized dispatcher
  3. Route Matching: Match incoming requests and execute handlers

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Creating the Dispatcher

The dispatcher is created using FastRoute\simpleDispatcher(), which accepts a callback function that receives a RouteCollector instance:
index.php
$dispatcher = FastRoute\simpleDispatcher(function(RouteCollector $r)  {
    // Load API routes
    $apiRoutes = require __DIR__ . '/routes/api.php';
    $apiRoutes($r);

    // Load web routes
    $webRoutes = require __DIR__ . '/routes/web.php';
    $webRoutes($r);
});
The dispatcher compiles all routes into an optimized data structure for fast lookups. This happens once during initialization.

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Dispatching Requests

Once the dispatcher is created, you can match incoming requests by calling the dispatch() method with the HTTP method and URI:
index.php
$request_uri = $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'];
$method = $_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'];

$uri = parse_url($request_uri, PHP_URL_PATH);

$routeInfo = $dispatcher->dispatch($method, $uri);
The dispatcher returns an array containing:
  • $routeInfo[0] - Status code (FOUND, NOT_FOUND, or METHOD_NOT_ALLOWED)
  • $routeInfo[1] - Handler function (when route is found)
  • $routeInfo[2] - Array of route parameters (when route is found)

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Basic Route Registration

Routes are registered using the RouteCollector instance. Here are examples of basic routes:

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Simple GET Routes

web.php
$r->get('/', function() {
    require __DIR__ . '/../views/main.php';
});

$r->get('/about', function() {
    require __DIR__ . '/../views/about.php';
});

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Multiple HTTP Methods

You can register the same route for different HTTP methods:
api.php
$r->addRoute('GET', '/api/test', 'test_get');
$r->addRoute('POST', '/api/test', 'test_post');
$r->addRoute('GET', '/api/items', 'items_get');
$r->addRoute('POST', '/api/items', 'items_post');

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Route Handlers

Handlers can be either:
  1. String callbacks: Function names that will be called
  2. Closures: Anonymous functions defined inline
api.php
// String callback
$r->get('/api/class', function() use($obj) {
    $obj->hello();
});

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Organizing Routes

It’s a best practice to organize routes into separate files based on functionality (e.g., api.php for API routes, web.php for web routes). Each route file returns a function that accepts the RouteCollector:
web.php
return function (RouteCollector $r) {
    $r->get('/', function() {
        require __DIR__ . '/../views/main.php';
    });

    $r->get('/about', function() {
        require __DIR__ . '/../views/about.php';
    });
};
Separating routes by concern makes your application more maintainable and easier to navigate as it grows.

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Next Steps

Route Dispatcher

Learn how the dispatcher handles different route outcomes

Route Parameters

Add dynamic parameters to your routes

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