I'm also experimenting with isomorphic React apps. I'll be presenting some of my work at React Conf at the end of the month (so this isn't yet as well documented as it should be), but here's what I'm trying to handle async data with ReactRouter:
In that example, the editBike view depends on bikeID. actionsForRouterState makes sure that the viewBike action is called to populate the CurrentBike store before any route that includes bikeID is rendered.
That's interesting - so the named parameter for required data in routes.jsx is something you're planning to add? (I can't see it, just has the standard name/route/handler at the moment)
I've been trying to do the same sort of thing - currently I'm parsing the routes separately in koa and setting data directly on the stores before the React components load, so they're pre-populated with data. Seems a shame to do all the routing twice though.
In my system, the data and routes aren't coupled. Here's the flow:
- ReactRouter figures out which routes are being rendered. It yields routerState, which includes a dictionary of all the active parameter names and their values.
- The actionsForRouterState dictionary declares which actions and stores are correlated with a particular route or parameter name.
- callActionsForRouterState filters actionsForRouterState to include only the actions that are relevant for the routes and parameter names dictated in routerState.
- It calls these actions, returning a promise that resolves when all their stores are filled.
- After that promise resolves, it's safe to call React.render. Any calls from the active components to Store.listen will be resolved with the prepared data during mounting (e.g. immediately before the render pass).
- Have the data your view depends on expressed as a named parameter in routes.jsx: https://github.com/appsforartists/ambidex-example--bike-inde...
- Use those named parameters to resolve which stores need to be populated before rendering: https://github.com/appsforartists/ambidex-example--bike-inde...
- Don't render the page on the server until those routes are populated: https://github.com/appsforartists/Ambidex/blob/master/src/ca...
In that example, the editBike view depends on bikeID. actionsForRouterState makes sure that the viewBike action is called to populate the CurrentBike store before any route that includes bikeID is rendered.