Breadcrumbs Issue with React Router (6.16.0) and TypeScript

React Router is a popular library for handling routing in React applications. However, when using React Router (version 6.16.0) with TypeScript, you may encounter an issue with breadcrumbs. In this blog post, we will explore the issue and provide multiple solutions to resolve it.

Problem Description

The issue arises when trying to implement breadcrumbs using React Router (6.16.0) and TypeScript. The TypeScript compiler throws an error when attempting to access the location object to retrieve the current route’s path. This error prevents the breadcrumbs from being generated correctly.

Solution 1: Type Assertion

One way to resolve this issue is by using a type assertion to explicitly define the type of the location object. This informs the TypeScript compiler about the structure of the object, allowing you to access its properties without any errors.

import { useLocation } from 'react-router-dom';

const Breadcrumbs = () => {
  const location = useLocation() as { pathname: string };

  // Access the pathname property without errors
  const currentPath = location.pathname;

  // Generate breadcrumbs based on the currentPath
  // ...

  return (
    // Render the breadcrumbs
    // ...
  );
};

Solution 2: Custom Hook

Another solution is to create a custom hook that handles the breadcrumbs logic. This hook abstracts the implementation details, allowing you to use it in multiple components without duplicating code.

import { useLocation } from 'react-router-dom';

const useBreadcrumbs = () => {
  const location = useLocation();

  // Generate breadcrumbs based on the location.pathname
  // ...

  return breadcrumbs;
};

const Breadcrumbs = () => {
  const breadcrumbs = useBreadcrumbs();

  return (
    // Render the breadcrumbs
    // ...
  );
};

Conclusion

When using React Router (6.16.0) with TypeScript, the breadcrumbs issue can be resolved by either using a type assertion or creating a custom hook. Both solutions allow you to access the current route’s path without any TypeScript errors. Choose the solution that best fits your project’s requirements and enjoy hassle-free breadcrumb implementation with React Router and TypeScript!