Helpers don't update if there are notFound routes (flow-router)

[serkandurusoy]

I'm using flow-router (with blaze-layout) and have a couple of routes.
I'm using the isActiveRoute helper within a dynamically rendered navigation template.

Given

• I browse using the links in the nav
• One of the links is broken
• I enter a route (with helper to mark the nav link as active)
• I click on the broken link (see the not found page, which uses the same navigation template)

I expect that the previous helper return false, but it continues returning active
In the meantime, ActiveRoute.name() for the same route return false as it should
At this point, it takes a few back and forth clicking between other nav links for the helper to pick up.
I don't know if this is a flow-router issue, or with the helper. I'll also cross-post it over at the flow-router repo.

[zimme]

It would be really helpful to get a reproduction repo for this.

[serkandurusoy]

@zimme this may actually be flow-router related after all. Arunoda is looking into this over at the issue I've cross posted.

Do you still think there is something you could do?

[zimme]

Yes, I just saw the conversation on the related issue. If it's a special route, maybe it's something I can look for in my code.

I'm doing a re-write for 3.0.0 (es6) and once it's released I'll get back to this and hopefully the notFound route is working as a regular route by then otherwise I'll see if there's something I can do on my end to work around the problem.

I'll open a PR brach for 3.0.0 and if you figure out a way to work around this problem while I'm working on that feel free to submit a PR against that branch.

[serkandurusoy]

I don't know if you can detect the notFound route being hit, but what I realize is, even though the {{isActiveRoute 'routeName'}} somehow ActiveRoute.name('routeName') works and FlowRouter.getRouteName()returns undefined in the meantime.

Since flow router's notFound route is not a proper 404, it does not provide much value, therefore, I've decided to work around the problem by defining a catch all route at the very end of the route definitions:

FlowRouter.route('/:notFound*', {
  name: 'notFound',
  action: FlowRouter.notFound.action()
});

But I guess this does not present any PR value. But I'll keep a close eye on this and get back to you if I can manage to get to the bottom of it in a more proper way.

Thanks.

[zimme]

If ActiveRoute.name works but {{isActiveRoute ...}} doesn't reactively change when notFound route are hit then flow-router most likely doesn't invalidate when hitting notFound routes.

[zimme]

So putting ActiveRoute.name inside a Tracker.autorun gives me the same kind of "problem". I think this is related to how flow-router invalidates path changes when hitting the notFound route.

[serkandurusoy]

Perhaps it is related to Arunoda's comment about invalidating watchPathChange()

[davidlawson]

@serkandurusoy I think you mean action: FlowRouter.notFound.action (no parentheses). Still only a temporary fix, of course!

[zimme]

So has this been resolved in flow-router yet? as I believe we came to the conclusion that this was a flow-router problem, no?