app.param(name, callback)

Add callback triggers to [route parameters](/{{ page.lang }}/guide/routing.html#route-parameters), where name is the name of the parameter or an array of them, and callback is the callback function. The parameters of the callback function are the request object, the response object, the next middleware, the value of the parameter and the name of the parameter, in that order.

If name is an array, the callback trigger is registered for each parameter declared in it, in the order in which they are declared. Furthermore, for each declared parameter except the last one, a call to next inside the callback will call the callback for the next declared parameter. For the last parameter, a call to next will call the next middleware in place for the route currently being processed, just like it would if name were just a string.

For example, when :user is present in a route path, you may map user loading logic to automatically provide req.user to the route, or perform validations on the parameter input.

app.param('user', (req, res, next, id) => {
  // try to get the user details from the User model and attach it to the request object
  User.find(id, (err, user) => {
    if (err) {
      next(err);
    } else if (user) {
      req.user = user;
      next();
    } else {
      next(new Error('failed to load user'));
    }
  });
});

Param callback functions are local to the router on which they are defined. They are not inherited by mounted apps or routers, nor are they triggered for route parameters inherited from parent routers. Hence, param callbacks defined on app will be triggered only by route parameters defined on app routes.

All param callbacks will be called before any handler of any route in which the param occurs, and they will each be called only once in a request-response cycle, even if the parameter is matched in multiple routes, as shown in the following examples.

app.param('id', (req, res, next, id) => {
  console.log('CALLED ONLY ONCE');
  next();
});

app.get('/user/:id', (req, res, next) => {
  console.log('although this matches');
  next();
});

app.get('/user/:id', (req, res) => {
  console.log('and this matches too');
  res.end();
});

On GET /user/42, the following is printed:

CALLED ONLY ONCE
although this matches
and this matches too

app.param(['id', 'page'], (req, res, next, value) => {
  console.log('CALLED ONLY ONCE with', value);
  next();
});

app.get('/user/:id/:page', (req, res, next) => {
  console.log('although this matches');
  next();
});

app.get('/user/:id/:page', (req, res) => {
  console.log('and this matches too');
  res.end();
});

On GET /user/42/3, the following is printed:

CALLED ONLY ONCE with 42
CALLED ONLY ONCE with 3
although this matches
and this matches too