Express 4: router syntax - node.js

Question

I am using Express 4 with the new router. At least one thing continues to confuse me, and it is a syntax problem - I am wondering if there is a regex that can do what I want. I have a standard REST api, but I want to add batch updates, so that I can send all the info to update some users models with one request, instead of one PUT request per user, for example. Anyway, I currently route all requests to the users resources, like so:
app.use('/users, userRoutes);
in userRoutes.js:
router.get('/', function (req, res, next) {
//gets all users
});
router.put('/:user_id', function (req, res, next) {
//updates a single user
});
but now I want a route that captures a batch request, something like this:
router.put('/Batch', function (req, res, next) {
//this picks up an array of users from the JSON in req.body and updates all
});
in other words, I want something which translates to:
app.use('/usersBatch, function(req,res,next){
}
...but with the new router. I can't get the syntax right.
I tried this:
app.use('/users*, userRoutes);
but that doesn't work. Does anyone know how to design this?

Answer 1

I'm guessing that the call to [PUT] /users/Batch is being picked up by the [PUT] /users/:user_id route. The string /:user_id is used as a regular expression causing it to also collect /Batch.
You can either move /Batch before /:user_id in the route order, refine the regex of /:user_id to not catch /Batch or change /Batch to something that won't get picked up too early.
(plus all the stuff Michael said)

Answer 2

REST doesn't include a POST as a list syntax. That's because each URL in REST point to an individual resource.
As an internet engineer I haven't seen any bulk PUTs or POSTs, but that said, it's your app, so you can make whatever API you like. There are definitely use cases for it.
You'll still need to describe it to Express. I would do it like this:
var express = require('express');
var router = express.Router();
router.get('/', function (req, res) {}); // gets all users
router.post('/:user_id', function (req, res) {}); // one user
router.put('/:user_id', function (req, res) {}); // one user
router.patch('/:user_id', function (req, res) {}); // one user
router.delete('/:user_id', function (req, res) {}); // one user
app.use('/user', router); // Notice the /user/:user_id is *singular*
var pluralRouter = express.Router();
pluralRouter.post('/', function (req, res) {
// req.body is an array. Process this array with a foreach
// using more or less the same code you used in router.post()
});
pluralRouter.put('/', function (req, res) {
// req.body is another array. Have items in the array include
// their unique ID's. Process this array with a foreach
// using +/- the same code in router.put()
});
app.use('/users', pluralRouter); // Notice the PUT /users/ is *plural*
There are other ways to do this. Including putting comma-delimited parameters in the URL. E.g.
GET /user/1,2,3,4
But this isn't that awesome to use, and vague in a PUT or POST. Parallel arrays are evil.
All in all, it's a niche use case, so do what works best. Remember, the server is built to serve the client. Figure out what the client needs and serve.