🚀 vex_router

The ultimate Flutter Navigation 2.0 router.
No code generation. No GetMaterialApp. No compromise.

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📊 Full Package Comparison

Every popular Flutter routing package in one table.
✅ = supported ❌ = not supported ⚠️ = partial / workaround needed

Feature	vex_router	go_router	auto_route	GetX nav	beamer	routemaster
Navigation 2.0 (Router API)	✅	✅	✅	⚠️ partial	✅	✅
No code generation needed	✅	✅	❌ build_runner	✅	✅	✅
No GetMaterialApp / custom App	✅	✅	✅	❌ required	✅	✅
Type-safe routes	✅	⚠️ opt-in builder	✅ generated	❌ string-based	❌	⚠️
Named route push	✅	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	✅
Path parameters	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	✅	✅
Query parameters	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	✅	✅
Typed extra data	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	⚠️	⚠️
Typed pop result (VexResult)	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
Nested / child routes	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	✅	✅
Shell / tab navigation	✅	✅ StatefulShell	✅	⚠️	✅	✅
Tab state preserved (IndexedStack)	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	⚠️	⚠️
Route guards (imperative)	✅	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌
Declarative redirects	✅	✅	⚠️	❌	❌	⚠️
Multiple guards per route	✅	❌	✅	❌	❌	❌
Global guards	✅	⚠️ single redirect	❌	❌	❌	❌
GetX controller binding	✅ native	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌
Any controller binding (DI-agnostic)	✅	❌	✅ AutoRouteWrapper	❌ GetX only	❌	❌
Inline binding (no class)	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
Multi-binding per route	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
Auto controller dispose on pop	✅	❌ manual	✅	✅	❌	❌
Navigation observer / analytics	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	✅	⚠️
9+ built-in transitions	✅	⚠️ custom only	⚠️	✅	❌	❌
Per-route transition	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌
Custom transition builder	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌
Global default transition	✅	❌	✅	✅	❌	❌
Deep linking	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	✅	✅
Web URL sync	✅	✅	✅	⚠️ limited	✅	✅
Platform back button support	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	✅	✅
Error screen builder	✅	✅	✅	❌	⚠️	⚠️
404 not-found screen	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅	⚠️
Context-free navigation	✅ VexNavigator.root	❌	❌	✅ Get.to	❌	❌
BuildContext extensions	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
String route extensions	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
Navigate by raw URL path	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	✅	✅
Navigate by route name	✅	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	✅
pushAndClearStack	✅	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	⚠️
pushAndRemoveUntil	✅	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	⚠️
popUntil(name)	✅	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	⚠️
popToRoot	✅	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	⚠️
maybePop()	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
showDialog as route	✅	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	⚠️
showBottomSheet as route	✅	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	⚠️
Full-screen dialog flag	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	❌	⚠️
State restoration	✅	✅	⚠️	❌	❌	⚠️
Opaque route control	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	❌	❌
maintainState control	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	❌	❌
Page title (web)	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅	⚠️
Actively maintained (2025)	✅	⚠️ feature-complete	✅	⚠️ slow	⚠️	❌
No GetX dependency	✅	✅	✅	❌ required	✅	✅
Unit testable (no static context)	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅	✅
Works with any state manager	✅	✅	✅	❌ GetX only	✅	✅
Zero runtime dependencies	✅	❌ collection	❌ many	❌ many	❌	❌

---

⚡ Why vex_router wins

Problems with go_router ❌

• Feature-frozen ("feature-complete") since early 2025 — no new APIs
• Tabs / StatefulShellRoute boilerplate is extremely verbose
• No route guards — only a single global redirect callback
• No controller binding — you manage DI manually
• No typed pop results
• No context-free navigation without workarounds
• Bloc scoping across nested shells requires painful nested ShellRoutes

Problems with auto_route ❌

• Requires build_runner and code generation — every route change → flutter pub run build_runner build
• Generated code is hard to debug and adds CI overhead
• Steep onboarding curve for new team members
• No inline bindings — must extend AutoRouteWrapper
• No global guards (only per-route AutoRouteGuard)
• No typed pop results

Problems with GetX navigation ❌

• Forces GetMaterialApp — replaces Flutter's own MaterialApp router
• Bypasses Flutter's BuildContext entirely (anti-pattern)
• Navigation is not unit-testable (static Get.to(), Get.offNamed())
• GetX navigation conflicts with Navigation 2.0 deep-link handling on web
• "GetX does too much" — one package trying to be state manager + DI + router + HTTP
• Maintained by a single developer; slow issue resolution
• Only 35% of API documented

Problems with beamer ❌

• Largely unmaintained — last major release 2022
• Complex BeamLocation setup
• No route guards
• No transition control

Problems with routemaster ❌

• Unmaintained — archived/inactive since 2022
• Limited ecosystem support

---

🚀 Quick Start (2 minutes)

1. Install

dependencies:
  vex_router: ^1.0.0

2. Define routes

final router = VexRouter(
  initialRoute: 'home',
  routes: [
    VexRoute(name: 'home',    path: '/home',        builder: (_) => HomeScreen()),
    VexRoute(name: 'profile', path: '/profile/:id', builder: (i) => ProfileScreen(id: i.requireParam('id'))),
    VexRoute(name: 'login',   path: '/login',       builder: (_) => LoginScreen()),
  ],
);

3. Plug into MaterialApp

MaterialApp.router(
  routerConfig: router.config,   // ← that's all
)

No GetMaterialApp. No AutoRouter(). No build_runner. Done. 🎉

---

🎛️ All APIs

Navigation — from context

// Push
context.vexPush('profile', params: {'id': '42'});
context.vexPush('posts', query: {'tab': 'recent'});
context.vexPush('checkout', extra: cartItems);

// Replace
context.vexReplace('home');

// Push + clear stack
context.vexPushAndClear('login');

// Navigate by raw URL
context.vexPushPath('/posts/101?highlight=dart');

// Pop
context.vexPop();
context.vexPop('returned_value');

// Current route info
final info = context.currentRoute;

Navigation — context-free (from controllers / services)

// Works from anywhere — GetX controllers, Riverpod providers, Bloc listeners…
VexNavigator.root.push('home');
VexNavigator.root.pushAndClearStack('login');
VexNavigator.root.pop();

Typed pop results

final result = await context.vexPush<UserProfile>('editProfile', extra: profile);

result.when(
  onOk:        (profile) => save(profile),
  onErr:        (error)   => showError(error),
  onCancelled: ()         => debugPrint('user cancelled'),
);

// Or simple guards:
if (result.isOk) doSomethingWith(result.value);

Type-safe parameter access

VexRoute(
  name: 'order',
  path: '/orders/:orderId',
  builder: (info) {
    final id     = info.requireParam('orderId');       // String, throws if missing
    final intId  = info.requireIntParam('orderId');    // int, throws if non-numeric
    final tab    = info.query('tab') ?? 'summary';    // String?, null if absent
    final flag   = info.queryBool('active');           // bool
    final order  = info.requireExtra<Order>();         // typed extra
    return OrderScreen(id: id, tab: tab);
  },
),

String / extension method navigation

// On String — reads like English
'profile'.vexPush(context, params: {'id': '42'});
'login'.vexPushAndClear(context);
'editProfile'.vexReplace(context, extra: myProfile);

---

🔒 Guards

Auth guard (built-in)

final authGuard = VexAuthGuard(
  isAuthenticated: () => AuthService.isLoggedIn,
  loginRoute: 'login',
  excludedRoutes: ['splash', 'register', 'onboarding'],
);

VexRouter(
  guards: [authGuard],   // ← applied globally
  routes: [...],
)

Custom guard

class PremiumGuard extends VexGuard {
  @override
  Future<VexGuardResult> canNavigate(VexRouteInfo to) async {
    if (User.isPremium) return const VexGuardAllow();
    return const VexGuardRedirect('upgrade');
  }
}

Guard results:

const VexGuardAllow()                        // proceed
const VexGuardRedirect('routeName')          // redirect by name
const VexGuardRedirectPath('/some/path')     // redirect by path
const VexGuardBlock(reason: 'no access')     // cancel silently

Multiple guards per route

VexRoute(
  name: 'admin',
  path: '/admin',
  builder: (_) => AdminScreen(),
  guards: [authGuard, AdminGuard(), AuditGuard()],  // evaluated in order
),

---

🎮 GetX Controller Binding

vex_router is the only router that supports GetX controller bindings without using GetMaterialApp.

// Define a binding
class HomeBinding extends VexBinding {
  @override
  void onInit() => Get.put(HomeController());   // GetX put

  @override
  void onDispose() => Get.delete<HomeController>();
}

// Attach to a route
VexRoute(
  name: 'home',
  path: '/home',
  builder: (_) => HomeScreen(),
  binding: HomeBinding(),
)

Inline binding — no class needed:

VexRoute(
  name: 'profile',
  path: '/profile/:id',
  builder: (i) => ProfileScreen(id: i.requireParam('id')),
  binding: VexInlineBinding(
    init:    () => Get.put(ProfileController()),
    dispose: () => Get.delete<ProfileController>(),
  ),
)

Multi-binding — initialise several controllers:

VexRoute(
  name: 'dashboard',
  path: '/dashboard',
  builder: (_) => DashboardScreen(),
  binding: VexMultiBinding([
    UserBinding(),
    FeedBinding(),
    NotificationBinding(),
  ]),
)

Works equally well with Riverpod, Bloc, Provider, MobX, setState — any DI pattern.

---

🎞️ Transitions (9 built-in)

VexRoute(
  name: 'profile',
  path: '/profile',
  builder: (_) => ProfileScreen(),
  transition: VexTransitionType.slideRight,
)

Name	Description
material	Platform-adaptive (Material / Cupertino)
cupertino	iOS cubic slide from right
fade	Fade in/out
scale	Scale from center with ease-out-back
slideUp	Slide from bottom (modal style)
slideLeft	Slide from left
slideRight	Slide from right
rotation	Rotate + fade
size	Size + fade
none	Instant, no animation
custom	Your own transitionBuilder

Custom builder:

VexRoute(
  name: 'modal',
  path: '/modal',
  transition: VexTransitionType.custom,
  customTransitionBuilder: (ctx, anim, secAnim, child) {
    return SlideTransition(
      position: Tween(begin: const Offset(0, 1), end: Offset.zero)
          .animate(CurvedAnimation(parent: anim, curve: Curves.elasticOut)),
      child: child,
    );
  },
  builder: (_) => ModalScreen(),
)

---

🐚 Shell (Tab) Navigation

class MainShell extends StatelessWidget {
  final int tabIndex;
  final Widget body;
  final void Function(int) onTabChanged;

  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) => Scaffold(
    body: body,
    bottomNavigationBar: BottomNavigationBar(
      currentIndex: tabIndex,
      onTap: onTabChanged,
      items: const [
        BottomNavigationBarItem(icon: Icon(Icons.home),   label: 'Home'),
        BottomNavigationBarItem(icon: Icon(Icons.search), label: 'Search'),
        BottomNavigationBarItem(icon: Icon(Icons.person), label: 'Profile'),
      ],
    ),
  );
}

// Configure the shell
VexShell(
  tabs: [
    VexShellTab(rootRouteName: 'feed'),
    VexShellTab(rootRouteName: 'search'),
    VexShellTab(rootRouteName: 'profile'),
  ],
  navigators: [...],  // provided by VexRouter
  keepAlive: true,    // tab state preserved when switching
  builder: (ctx, tabIndex, body, onTabChanged) =>
      MainShell(tabIndex: tabIndex, body: body, onTabChanged: onTabChanged),
)

---

🔭 Observers (Analytics / Logging)

class AnalyticsObserver extends VexObserver {
  @override
  void onNavigate(VexRouteInfo? from, VexRouteInfo to) =>
      Analytics.screen(to.name);

  @override
  void onPop(VexRouteInfo popped, VexRouteInfo? revealed) =>
      Analytics.event('back', {'from': popped.name});

  @override
  void onDeepLink(Uri uri) => Analytics.deepLink(uri.toString());

  @override
  void onGuardBlocked(VexRouteInfo attempted, String reason) =>
      Analytics.event('guard_blocked', {'route': attempted.name});
}

VexRouter(
  observers: [AnalyticsObserver(), CrashReportingObserver()],
  routes: [...],
)

---

🗺️ Nested & Child Routes

VexRoute(
  name: 'settings',
  path: '/settings',
  builder: (_) => SettingsScreen(),
  children: [
    VexRoute(
      name: 'settings.account',
      path: 'account',           // resolves to /settings/account
      builder: (_) => AccountSettingsScreen(),
    ),
    VexRoute(
      name: 'settings.privacy',
      path: 'privacy',           // resolves to /settings/privacy
      builder: (_) => PrivacySettingsScreen(),
    ),
  ],
)

---

🪟 Dialogs & Bottom Sheets as Routes

// Bottom sheet
final result = await VexNavigator.of(context).showBottomSheet<String>(
  'editName',
  extra: currentName,
);

// Dialog
final confirmed = await VexNavigator.of(context).showDialog<bool>(
  'confirmDelete',
  barrierDismissible: false,
);

---

🧩 Works with Every State Manager

State manager	How to use
GetX	binding: VexInlineBinding(init: () => Get.put(Ctrl()))
Riverpod	binding: VexInlineBinding(init: () => container.read(provider))
Bloc	binding: VexInlineBinding(init: () => BlocProvider.of<B>(ctx)..add(Init()))
Provider	No binding needed — Provider is widget-tree scoped
MobX	binding: VexInlineBinding(init: () => store.init())
setState	No binding needed

---

🗺️ Roadmap

• Tab-level deep linking (restore exact tab + child stack)
• Route history persistence (SharedPreferences)
• Animated tab switching
• vex_router_builder optional code-gen layer for compile-time route names
• First-class Flutter Web hash / history mode toggle
• Middleware pipeline (pre/post navigation hooks)

---

📄 License

MIT © 2025 vex_router contributors