@rangojs/router 0.0.0-experimental.debug-cache-fix → 0.0.0-experimental.df7974ff

package/src/types/handler-context.ts

@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ import type {
   ResolvedRouteMap,
 } from "./route-config.js";
 import type { LoaderDefinition } from "./loader-types.js";
+import type { UseItems, HandlerUseItem } from "../route-types.js";
+import type { RequestScope } from "./request-scope.js";
 
 // Re-export MiddlewareFn for internal/advanced use
 export type { MiddlewareFn } from "../router/middleware.js";
@@ -135,7 +137,7 @@ export type Handler<
     | Record<string, any> = {},
   TRouteMap extends {} = DefaultHandlerRouteMap,
   TEnv = DefaultEnv,
-> = (
+> = ((
   ctx: HandlerContext<
     T extends `.${infer Local}`
       ? Local extends keyof TRouteMap
@@ -160,7 +162,10 @@ export type Handler<
       : ExtractSearchFromEntry<DefaultHandlerRouteMap, T>,
     TRouteMap extends DefaultHandlerRouteMap ? never : TRouteMap
   >,
-) => ReactNode | Promise<ReactNode> | Response | Promise<Response>;
+) => ReactNode | Promise<ReactNode> | Response | Promise<Response>) & {
+  /** Composable default DSL items merged when the handler is mounted. */
+  use?: () => UseItems<HandlerUseItem>;
+};
 
 /**
  * Context passed to handlers (Hono-inspired type-safe context)
@@ -170,7 +175,7 @@ export type Handler<
  * - Cleaned route URL (`url`, `searchParams`, `pathname` — no `_rsc*` params)
  * - Original request (`request` — raw transport URL, headers, method, body)
  * - Platform bindings (env.DB, env.KV, env.SECRETS)
- * - Middleware variables (var.user, var.permissions)
+ * - Middleware variables (`get("user")`, `get("permissions")`)
  * - Getter/setter for variables (get('user'), set('user', ...))
  *
  * @example
@@ -178,8 +183,7 @@ export type Handler<
  * const handler = (ctx: HandlerContext<{ slug: string }, AppEnv>) => {
  *   ctx.params.slug        // Route param (string)
  *   ctx.env.DB             // Binding (D1Database)
- *   ctx.var.user           // Variable (User | undefined)
- *   ctx.get('user')        // Alternative getter
+ *   ctx.get('user')        // Variable (User | undefined)
  *   ctx.set('user', {...}) // Setter
  *   ctx.url                // Clean URL (no _rsc* params)
  *   ctx.searchParams       // Clean params (no _rsc* params)
@@ -192,7 +196,7 @@ export type HandlerContext<
   TEnv = DefaultEnv,
   TSearch extends SearchSchema = {},
   TRouteMap = never,
-> = {
+> = RequestScope<TEnv> & {
   /**
    * Route parameters extracted from the URL pattern.
    * Type-safe when using Handler<"/path/:param"> or Handler<{ param: string }>.
@@ -207,51 +211,19 @@ export type HandlerContext<
    */
   build: boolean;
   /**
-   * The original incoming Request object (transport URL intact).
-   * Use `ctx.url` / `ctx.searchParams` for application logic — those have
-   * internal `_rsc*` params stripped. `ctx.request` preserves the raw URL
-   * for cases where you need original headers, method, or body.
-   */
-  request: Request;
-  /**
-   * Query parameters from the URL (system params like `_rsc*` are filtered).
-   * Always a standard URLSearchParams instance.
+   * True when running in Vite dev mode, false during production build or
+   * live request rendering. Use this to branch on runtime mode without
+   * changing build semantics (e.g., skip expensive operations in dev).
    */
-  searchParams: URLSearchParams;
+  dev: boolean;
   /**
    * Typed search parameters parsed from URL query string via the route's
    * search schema. Empty object when no schema is defined.
    */
   search: {} extends TSearch ? {} : ResolveSearchSchema<TSearch>;
-  /**
-   * The pathname portion of the request URL.
-   */
-  pathname: string;
-  /**
-   * The full URL object (with internal `_rsc*` params stripped).
-   * Use this for application logic — routing, link generation, display.
-   */
-  url: URL;
-  /**
-   * The original request URL with all parameters intact, including
-   * internal `_rsc*` transport params. Use `ctx.url` for application
-   * logic — this is only needed for advanced cases like debugging
-   * or custom cache keying.
-   */
-  originalUrl: URL;
-  /**
-   * Platform bindings (DB, KV, secrets, etc.).
-   * Access resources like `ctx.env.DB`, `ctx.env.KV`.
-   */
-  env: TEnv;
-  /**
-   * Middleware-injected variables.
-   * Access values like `ctx.var.user`, `ctx.var.permissions`.
-   */
-  var: DefaultVars;
   /**
    * Type-safe getter for middleware variables.
-   * Alternative to `ctx.var.key` with better autocomplete.
+   * Preferred way to read middleware-injected variables.
    *
    * @example
    * ```typescript
@@ -272,8 +244,16 @@ export type HandlerContext<
    * ```
    */
   set: {
-    <T>(contextVar: ContextVar<T>, value: T): void;
-  } & (<K extends keyof DefaultVars>(key: K, value: DefaultVars[K]) => void);
+    <T>(
+      contextVar: ContextVar<T>,
+      value: T,
+      options?: { cache?: boolean },
+    ): void;
+  } & (<K extends keyof DefaultVars>(
+    key: K,
+    value: DefaultVars[K],
+    options?: { cache?: boolean },
+  ) => void);
   /**
    * Response headers. Headers set here are merged into the final response.
    *
@@ -293,8 +273,11 @@ export type HandlerContext<
    * and server components rendered within the request context.
    *
    * For loaders: Returns a promise that resolves to the loader data.
-   * Loaders are executed in parallel and memoized per request — calling
-   * `ctx.use(SameLoader)` multiple times returns the same promise.
+   * Loaders are executed in parallel and memoized per request.
+   * Prefer DSL `loader()` + client `useLoader()` over `ctx.use(Loader)` —
+   * DSL loaders are always fresh and cache-safe. Use `ctx.use(Loader)` only
+   * when you need loader data in the handler itself (e.g., to set context
+   * variables or make routing decisions).
    *
    * For handles: Returns a push function to add data for this segment.
    * Handle data accumulates across all matched route segments.
@@ -302,10 +285,11 @@ export type HandlerContext<
    *
    * @example
    * ```typescript
-   * // Loader usage
-   * route("cart", async (ctx) => {
-   *   const cart = await ctx.use(CartLoader);
-   *   return <CartPage cart={cart} />;
+   * // Loader escape hatch — use when handler needs the data directly
+   * route("product", async (ctx) => {
+   *   const { product } = await ctx.use(ProductLoader);
+   *   ctx.set(Product, product); // make available to children
+   *   return <ProductPage />;
    * });
    *
    * // Handle usage - direct value
@@ -436,6 +420,8 @@ export type InternalHandlerContext<
 > = HandlerContext<TParams, TEnv, TSearch> & {
   /** @internal Stub response for collecting headers/cookies. */
   res: Response;
+  /** @internal Shared variable backing store for ctx.get()/ctx.set(). */
+  _variables: Record<string, any>;
   /** Prerender-only control flow helper, attached when the runtime context supports it. */
   passthrough?: () => unknown;
   /** Current segment ID for handle data attribution. */
@@ -485,13 +471,16 @@ export type RevalidateParams<TParams = GenericParams, TEnv = any> = Parameters<
  * **Return Types:**
  * - `boolean` - Hard decision: immediately returns this value (short-circuits)
  * - `{ defaultShouldRevalidate: boolean }` - Soft decision: updates suggestion for next revalidator
+ * - `void` / `null` / `undefined` - Defer to the current suggestion (no opinion); the
+ *   loop continues to the next revalidator without changing the running default
  *
  * **Execution Flow:**
  * 1. Start with built-in `defaultShouldRevalidate` (true if params changed)
  * 2. Execute global revalidators first, then route-specific
  * 3. Hard decision (boolean): stop immediately and use that value
  * 4. Soft decision (object): update suggestion and continue to next revalidator
- * 5. If all return soft decisions: use the final suggestion
+ * 5. Defer (`void` / `null` / `undefined`): leave suggestion unchanged and continue
+ * 6. If no hard decision was returned: use the final running suggestion
  *
  * @param args.currentParams - Previous route params (generic by default, can be narrowed)
  * @param args.currentUrl - Previous URL
@@ -503,7 +492,8 @@ export type RevalidateParams<TParams = GenericParams, TEnv = any> = Parameters<
  * @param args.formData - Form data from action (future support)
  * @param args.formMethod - HTTP method from action (future support)
  *
- * @returns Hard decision (boolean) or soft suggestion (object)
+ * @returns Hard decision (boolean), soft suggestion (object), or defer
+ *   (`void` / `null` / `undefined`) to keep the running suggestion as-is.
  *
  * @example
  * ```typescript
@@ -528,8 +518,9 @@ export type RevalidateParams<TParams = GenericParams, TEnv = any> = Parameters<
  * a segment (layout, route, parallel slot, or loader) should be re-rendered.
  *
  * Return `true` to re-render, `false` to skip (keep client's current version),
- * or `{ defaultShouldRevalidate: boolean }` to override the default for
- * downstream segments.
+ * `{ defaultShouldRevalidate: boolean }` to update the running suggestion for
+ * downstream revalidators, or nothing (`void` / `null` / `undefined`) to defer
+ * to the current suggestion without changing it.
  *
  * @example
  * ```ts
@@ -629,7 +620,7 @@ export type ShouldRevalidateFn<TParams = GenericParams, TEnv = any> = (args: {
    * action that may have mutated backend state.
    */
   stale?: boolean;
-}) => boolean | { defaultShouldRevalidate: boolean };
+}) => boolean | { defaultShouldRevalidate: boolean } | null | void;
 
 // MiddlewareFn is imported from "../router/middleware.js" and re-exported
 

package/src/types/loader-types.ts

@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
 import type { ContextVar } from "../context-var.js";
+import type { Handle } from "../handle.js";
 import type { MiddlewareFn } from "../router/middleware.js";
 import type { ScopedReverseFunction } from "../reverse.js";
 import type { SearchSchema, ResolveSearchSchema } from "../search-params.js";
+import type { UseItems, LoaderUseItem } from "../route-types.js";
 import type {
   DefaultEnv,
   DefaultReverseRouteMap,
   DefaultVars,
 } from "./global-namespace.js";
+import type { RequestScope } from "./request-scope.js";
 
 /**
  * Context passed to loader functions during execution
@@ -38,7 +41,7 @@ export type LoaderContext<
   TEnv = DefaultEnv,
   TBody = unknown,
   TSearch extends SearchSchema = {},
-> = {
+> = RequestScope<TEnv> & {
   params: TParams;
   /**
    * Route params extracted from the URL pattern match (server-side only).
@@ -47,22 +50,43 @@ export type LoaderContext<
    * resource scoping.
    */
   routeParams: Record<string, string>;
-  request: Request;
-  searchParams: URLSearchParams;
   search: {} extends TSearch ? {} : ResolveSearchSchema<TSearch>;
-  pathname: string;
-  url: URL;
-  env: TEnv;
-  var: DefaultVars;
   get: {
     <T>(contextVar: ContextVar<T>): T | undefined;
   } & (<K extends keyof DefaultVars>(key: K) => DefaultVars[K]);
   /**
-   * Access another loader's data (returns promise since loaders run in parallel)
+   * Access another loader's data, or read handle data after rendered().
+   *
+   * For loaders: returns a promise (loaders run in parallel).
+   * For handles: returns collected data (only after `await ctx.rendered()`).
+   */
+  use: {
+    <T, TLoaderParams = any>(
+      loader: LoaderDefinition<T, TLoaderParams>,
+    ): Promise<T>;
+    <TData, TAccumulated = TData[]>(
+      handle: Handle<TData, TAccumulated>,
+    ): TAccumulated;
+  };
+  /**
+   * **Experimental.** Wait for all non-loader segments to settle.
+   *
+   * After the returned promise resolves, handle data is available via
+   * `ctx.use(handle)`. Only supported in DSL loaders on non-streaming
+   * trees (no `loading()`). Throws if called from a handler-invoked
+   * loader or when the tree uses streaming.
+   *
+   * @example
+   * ```typescript
+   * const PricesLoader = createLoader(async (ctx) => {
+   *   "use server";
+   *   await ctx.rendered();
+   *   const products = ctx.use(Products); // reads handle data
+   *   return pricing.getLive(products.map(p => p.id));
+   * });
+   * ```
    */
-  use: <T, TLoaderParams = any>(
-    loader: LoaderDefinition<T, TLoaderParams>,
-  ) => Promise<T>;
+  rendered: () => Promise<void>;
   /**
    * HTTP method (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE)
    * Available when loader is called via load({ method: "POST", ... })
@@ -166,11 +190,11 @@ export type LoadOptions =
  *   return await db.products.findBySlug(slug);
  * });
  *
- * // Server usage
- * const cart = ctx.use(CartLoader);
+ * // Client usage (preferred — cache-safe, always fresh)
+ * const { data } = useLoader(CartLoader);
  *
- * // Client usage (fn is stripped, only name remains)
- * const cart = useLoader(CartLoader);
+ * // Server escape hatch (handler needs data directly)
+ * const cart = await ctx.use(CartLoader);
  * ```
  */
 export type LoaderDefinition<
@@ -180,4 +204,6 @@ export type LoaderDefinition<
   __brand: "loader";
   $$id: string; // Injected by Vite plugin (exposeInternalIds) - unique identifier
   fn?: LoaderFn<T, TParams, any>; // Optional - server-side only, stored in registry for RSC
+  /** Composable default DSL items merged when the loader is mounted. */
+  use?: () => UseItems<LoaderUseItem>;
 };

package/src/types/request-scope.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,126 @@
+/**
+ * RequestScope: the fields every user-facing context shares.
+ *
+ * A handler, middleware, loader, response handler, and the ALS-bound
+ * RequestContext are all different phases of the same request, and they
+ * all carry the same set of request-scoped capabilities: the raw Request,
+ * the parsed URL pair (`url` is cleaned of internal `_rsc*` params,
+ * `originalUrl` retains them), pathname/searchParams, platform bindings
+ * (`env`), and two escape hatches for work that outlives the response
+ * (`waitUntil`) or needs the raw Cloudflare runtime object
+ * (`executionContext`).
+ *
+ * Each public context type intersects `RequestScope<TEnv>` with its own
+ * phase-specific fields (e.g. `params`/`reverse` on HandlerContext,
+ * `headers`/`header()` on MiddlewareContext). That keeps platform surface
+ * in one place and lets the next runtime escape hatch we need land in
+ * one file instead of four.
+ */
+
+import type { DefaultEnv } from "./global-namespace.js";
+
+/**
+ * Minimal subset of Cloudflare Workers' ExecutionContext that the router
+ * uses. Defined locally so the package does not depend on
+ * `@cloudflare/workers-types`. Consumers that want the full type can cast.
+ *
+ * On non-Cloudflare runtimes (Node, dev server, tests), this is undefined
+ * — portable apps should prefer `ctx.waitUntil(...)`, which degrades
+ * gracefully. `ctx.executionContext` is the escape hatch for libraries
+ * (MCP, Durable Object routing, etc.) that type their arguments as the
+ * raw ExecutionContext.
+ */
+export interface ExecutionContext {
+  waitUntil(promise: Promise<any>): void;
+  passThroughOnException(): void;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Fallback `waitUntil` body used when no Cloudflare `ExecutionContext`
+ * is available (Node, dev, tests). Runs the work fire-and-forget and
+ * logs errors so they don't silently swallow.
+ *
+ * Exported so every `waitUntil` call site degrades identically instead
+ * of inventing its own fallback policy.
+ */
+export function fireAndForgetWaitUntil(fn: () => Promise<void>): void {
+  fn().catch((err) =>
+    console.error("[waitUntil] Background task failed:", err),
+  );
+}
+
+/**
+ * Fields present on every user-facing request context.
+ *
+ * @template TEnv - Platform bindings type (Cloudflare env, etc.).
+ */
+export interface RequestScope<TEnv = DefaultEnv> {
+  /**
+   * The original incoming Request object (transport URL intact).
+   * Use `url` / `searchParams` for application logic — those have
+   * internal `_rsc*` params stripped. `request` preserves the raw URL
+   * when you need original headers, method, or body.
+   */
+  request: Request;
+
+  /**
+   * The request URL with internal `_rsc*` transport params stripped.
+   * Use this for routing, link generation, and display.
+   */
+  url: URL;
+
+  /**
+   * The original request URL with all parameters intact, including
+   * internal `_rsc*` transport params. Use `url` for application logic
+   * — this is only needed for advanced cases like debugging or custom
+   * cache keying.
+   */
+  originalUrl: URL;
+
+  /** URL pathname (same as `url.pathname`). */
+  pathname: string;
+
+  /**
+   * Query parameters from the URL (system params like `_rsc*` are
+   * filtered). Always a standard `URLSearchParams` instance.
+   */
+  searchParams: URLSearchParams;
+
+  /**
+   * Platform bindings (DB, KV, secrets, etc.). On Cloudflare Workers
+   * these are the `env` object passed to the Worker's `fetch()` handler.
+   */
+  env: TEnv;
+
+  /**
+   * Schedule work to run after the response is sent.
+   * On Cloudflare Workers, delegates to `executionContext.waitUntil()`.
+   * On Node / dev / tests, runs as fire-and-forget with error logging.
+   *
+   * @example
+   * ```typescript
+   * ctx.waitUntil(async () => {
+   *   await cacheStore.set(key, data, ttl);
+   * });
+   * ```
+   */
+  waitUntil(fn: () => Promise<void>): void;
+
+  /**
+   * Raw Cloudflare Workers `ExecutionContext`, when running on a
+   * Cloudflare-compatible runtime. Undefined elsewhere.
+   *
+   * Escape hatch for libraries that type their arguments as
+   * `ExecutionContext` (MCP `fetch`, `routeAgentRequest`, etc.).
+   * For the common "do work after the response" case, prefer
+   * `ctx.waitUntil(...)` — it is platform-neutral.
+   *
+   * @example
+   * ```typescript
+   * path.any("/mcp", (ctx) =>
+   *   emailMcp.fetch(ctx.request, ctx.env, ctx.executionContext!),
+   * );
+   * ```
+   */
+  executionContext?: ExecutionContext;
+}

package/src/types/route-entry.ts

@@ -8,10 +8,21 @@ export interface LazyIncludeContext {
   urlPrefix: string;
   namePrefix: string | undefined;
   parent: unknown; // EntryData - avoid circular import
+  /** Counter snapshot from pattern extraction for consistent shortCode indices */
+  counters?: Record<string, number>;
   cacheProfiles?: Record<
     string,
     import("../cache/profile-registry.js").CacheProfile
   >;
+  /** Root scope flag for dot-local reverse resolution */
+  rootScoped?: boolean;
+  /**
+   * Positional include scope token composed from the parent scope plus this
+   * include's sibling index (`${parentScope}I${idx}`). Applied to direct-
+   * descendant shortCodes during lazy evaluation so routes inside the
+   * include cannot collide with siblings declared outside it.
+   */
+  includeScope?: string;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -69,7 +80,7 @@ export interface RouteEntry<TEnv = any> {
   prerenderRouteKeys?: Set<string>;
 
   /**
-   * Route keys in this entry that use `{ passthrough: true }`.
+   * Route keys in this entry that are wrapped with `Passthrough()`.
    * Used by the non-trie match path to set the `pt` flag.
    */
   passthroughRouteKeys?: Set<string>;

package/src/types/segments.ts

@@ -50,18 +50,26 @@ export interface ResolvedSegment {
   parallelName?: string; // For parallels: the parallel group name (used to match with revalidations)
   // Loader-specific fields
   loaderId?: string; // For loaders: the loader $$id identifier
+  _inherited?: boolean; // For inherited loaders: dedup marker for buildMatchResult
   loaderData?: any; // For loaders: the resolved data from loader execution
   parallelLoading?: ReactNode; // For parallel-owned loaders: the parallel's loading fallback
   // Intercept loader fields (for streaming loader data in parallel segments)
   loaderDataPromise?: Promise<any[]> | any[]; // Loader data promise or resolved array
   loaderIds?: string[]; // IDs ($$id) of loaders for this segment
-  parallelLoaderSources?: any[]; // Internal: preserves stable aggregate promise across renders
   // Error-specific fields
   error?: ErrorInfo; // For error segments: the error information
   // NotFound-specific fields
   notFoundInfo?: NotFoundInfo; // For notFound segments: the not found information
   // Mount path from include() scope, used for MountContext.Provider wrapping
   mountPath?: string;
+  /**
+   * @internal Server-side marker: true when the segment's handler actually ran
+   * this request (not skipped via the revalidate cache path). Used by
+   * match-result.ts to populate `MatchResult.resolvedIds` for client-side
+   * handle-bucket cleanup. Stripped from the wire payload before serialization
+   * — never reaches the client.
+   */
+  _handlerRan?: boolean;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -116,6 +124,15 @@ export interface MatchResult {
   segments: ResolvedSegment[];
   matched: string[];
   diff: string[];
+  /**
+   * Every segment id whose handler actually ran on the server this request,
+   * including ones with `component === null` that get filtered out of
+   * `segments`/`diff` to avoid wasted bytes. Drives the client's handle-
+   * cleanup pass — a slot that re-resolves and pushes nothing must clear
+   * its previous handle bucket, but `diff` doesn't carry it because the
+   * segment payload doesn't either. A superset of `diff`.
+   */
+  resolvedIds: string[];
   /**
    * Merged route params from all matched segments
    * Available for use by the handler after route matching

package/src/urls/include-helper.ts

@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import {
   runWithPrefixes,
   getUrlPrefix,
   getNamePrefix,
-  getRootScoped,
 } from "../server/context";
 import {
   INTERNAL_INCLUDE_SCOPE_PREFIX,
@@ -149,22 +148,32 @@ export function createIncludeHelper<TEnv>(): IncludeFn<TEnv> {
       });
     }
 
-    // Snapshot parent's counters so lazy manifest generation starts
-    // at the correct index, preventing shortCode collisions with
-    // sibling entries (e.g., BlogLayout and ArticlesLayout under NavLayout).
-    const capturedCounters = { ...ctx.counters };
-
-    // Reserve a layout slot in the parent's counter so sibling lazy includes
-    // produce different shortCode indices for their root layout.
-    // Without this, consecutive include() calls capture identical counters
-    // and their first child layouts get the same shortCode (e.g., both M0L0L0),
-    // causing the client partial-update diff to see no changes on navigation.
+    // Allocate an include-scope token for this include() call. The token is
+    // appended to the parent's shortCode prefix whenever the include's
+    // direct-descendant shortCodes are generated (see getShortCode in
+    // context.ts), partitioning the parent's counter namespace so routes
+    // inside an include cannot collide with siblings declared outside it.
+    //
+    // Scopes compose: a nested include inside an outer include with scope
+    // "I0" allocates against the `${parent.shortCode}I0_include` counter
+    // and produces scope "I0I0", "I0I1", etc.
+    const parentScope = ctx.includeScope ?? "";
+    let includeScope = parentScope;
     if (capturedParent?.shortCode) {
-      const layoutCounterKey = `${capturedParent.shortCode}_layout`;
-      ctx.counters[layoutCounterKey] ??= 0;
-      ctx.counters[layoutCounterKey]++;
+      const includeCounterKey = `${capturedParent.shortCode}${parentScope}_include`;
+      ctx.counters[includeCounterKey] ??= 0;
+      const includeIdx = ctx.counters[includeCounterKey];
+      ctx.counters[includeCounterKey] = includeIdx + 1;
+      includeScope = `${parentScope}I${includeIdx}`;
     }
 
+    // Snapshot parent's counters AFTER allocating the include scope so lazy
+    // manifest generation starts with the same counter state this include
+    // observed — its descendants still get fresh per-scope counters because
+    // they key off `${parent.shortCode}${includeScope}_*` (not shared with
+    // siblings outside the include).
+    const capturedCounters = { ...ctx.counters };
+
     // Compute rootScoped at capture time, mirroring the logic in runWithPrefixes.
     // This ensures lazy evaluation restores the correct scope state.
     const parentRootScoped = ctx.rootScoped;
@@ -191,6 +200,7 @@ export function createIncludeHelper<TEnv>(): IncludeFn<TEnv> {
         counters: capturedCounters,
         cacheProfiles: ctx.cacheProfiles,
         rootScoped: capturedRootScoped,
+        includeScope,
       },
     } as IncludeItem;
   };

package/src/urls/path-helper-types.ts

@@ -37,7 +37,10 @@ import type {
   UseItems,
 } from "../route-types.js";
 import type { SearchSchema } from "../search-params.js";
-import type { PrerenderHandlerDefinition } from "../prerender.js";
+import type {
+  PrerenderHandlerDefinition,
+  PassthroughHandlerDefinition,
+} from "../prerender.js";
 import type { StaticHandlerDefinition } from "../static-handler.js";
 import type { InterceptWhenFn } from "../server/context";
 import type {
@@ -70,6 +73,7 @@ export type PathFn<TEnv> = <
         ctx: HandlerContext<TParams, TEnv, TSearch>,
       ) => ReactNode | Promise<ReactNode> | Response | Promise<Response>)
     | PrerenderHandlerDefinition<TParams>
+    | PassthroughHandlerDefinition<TParams, TEnv>
     | StaticHandlerDefinition<TParams>,
   optionsOrUse?: PathOptions<TName, TSearch> | (() => UseItems<RouteUseItem>),
   use?: () => UseItems<RouteUseItem>,
@@ -229,12 +233,27 @@ export type PathHelpers<TEnv> = {
   include: IncludeFn<TEnv>;
 
   /**
-   * Define parallel routes that render simultaneously in named slots
+   * Define parallel routes that render simultaneously in named slots.
+   *
+   * A slot value can be a Handler / ReactNode / StaticHandlerDefinition
+   * (legacy form, broadcast use applies to every slot) or a slot descriptor
+   * `{ handler, use? }` whose `use` is scoped to that slot only. Per-slot
+   * merge order is `handler.use` → shared `use` → slot-local `use`, with
+   * narrowest scope winning for last-write-wins items like `loading()`.
    */
   parallel: <
     TSlots extends Record<
       `@${string}`,
-      Handler<any, any, TEnv> | ReactNode | StaticHandlerDefinition
+      | Handler<any, any, TEnv>
+      | ReactNode
+      | StaticHandlerDefinition
+      | {
+          handler:
+            | Handler<any, any, TEnv>
+            | ReactNode
+            | StaticHandlerDefinition;
+          use?: () => ParallelUseItem[];
+        }
     >,
   >(
     slots: TSlots,
@@ -260,9 +279,20 @@ export type PathHelpers<TEnv> = {
       ) => InterceptItem;
 
   /**
-   * Attach middleware to the current route/layout
+   * Attach middleware to the current route/layout, or wrap child segments
    */
-  middleware: (...fns: MiddlewareFn<TEnv>[]) => MiddlewareItem;
+  middleware: {
+    (fn: MiddlewareFn<TEnv>): MiddlewareItem;
+    (
+      fn: MiddlewareFn<TEnv>,
+      children: () => UseItems<LayoutUseItem>,
+    ): MiddlewareItem;
+    (fns: MiddlewareFn<TEnv>[]): MiddlewareItem;
+    (
+      fns: MiddlewareFn<TEnv>[],
+      children: () => UseItems<LayoutUseItem>,
+    ): MiddlewareItem;
+  };
 
   /**
    * Control when a segment should revalidate during navigation
@@ -280,7 +310,10 @@ export type PathHelpers<TEnv> = {
   /**
    * Attach a loading component to the current route/layout
    */
-  loading: (component: ReactNode, options?: { ssr?: boolean }) => LoadingItem;
+  loading: (
+    component: ReactNode | (() => ReactNode),
+    options?: { ssr?: boolean },
+  ) => LoadingItem;
 
   /**
    * Attach an error boundary to catch errors in this segment