@rangojs/router 0.0.0-experimental.ea6d5eec → 0.0.0-experimental.ea9f40f2

package/skills/loader/SKILL.md

@@ -1,12 +1,22 @@
 ---
 name: loader
-description: Define data loaders for fetching data in routes with createLoader
+description: Define data loaders for fetching data in routes with createLoader. Use when pages need per-request data that stays fresh, data should stream while the page renders, or client components need reactive server data.
 argument-hint: [loader]
 ---
 
 # Data Loaders with loader()
 
-Loaders fetch data on the server and stream it to the client.
+Loaders fetch data on the server and stream it to the client. For mutations
+(writes triggered by forms or buttons), use server actions instead — see
+`/server-actions`. Loaders re-resolve after an action runs, so the typical
+flow is _action mutates → loader re-reads → UI updates_.
+
+## Not this skill if…
+
+- You want to mutate state — mutations are `"use server"` actions: see
+  `/server-actions`. Loaders read per-request live data.
+- You want to cache a function's return value — loaders are fresh every request
+  by default; caching one function is `"use cache"`: see `/use-cache`.
 
 ## Creating a Loader
 
@@ -65,24 +75,10 @@ export const urlpatterns = urls(({ path, loader }) => [
 
 ## Consuming Loader Data
 
-Loaders are the **live data layer** — they resolve fresh on every request.
-The way you consume them depends on whether you're in a server component
-(route handler) or a client component.
-
-> **IMPORTANT: Prefer consuming loaders in client components.** Keeping data
-> fetching in loaders and consumption in client components creates a clean
-> separation: the server-side handler renders static markup that can be
-> freely cached with `cache()`, while loader data stays fresh on every
-> request. When you consume loaders in server handlers via `ctx.use()`, the
-> handler output depends on the loader data, which means caching the handler
-> also caches the data — defeating the purpose of the live data layer.
-
-### In Client Components (Preferred)
-
-Client components use `useLoader()` from `@rangojs/router/client`.
-The loader **must** be registered with `loader()` in the route's DSL
-segments so the framework knows to resolve it during SSR and stream
-the data to the client:
+Register loaders with `loader()` in the DSL and consume them in client
+components with `useLoader()`. This is the recommended pattern — it keeps
+data fetching on the server and consumption on the client, with a clean
+separation that works correctly with `cache()`.
 
 ```typescript
 "use client";
@@ -96,44 +92,105 @@ function ProductDetails() {
 ```
 
 ```typescript
-// Route definition — loader() registration required for client consumption
+// Route definition — loader() registration required
 path("/product/:slug", ProductPage, { name: "product" }, () => [
-  loader(ProductLoader), // Required for useLoader() in client components
+  loader(ProductLoader),
 ]);
 ```
 
-### In Route Handlers (Server Components)
-
-In server components, use `ctx.use(Loader)` directly in the route handler.
-This doesn't require `loader()` registration in the DSL — it works
-standalone. **However**, prefer client-side consumption when possible (see
-note above).
+> **Client refresh `key` vs. server `cache({ key })` vs. `revalidate()`.** Three
+> different "what refreshes" knobs that are easy to confuse:
+>
+> - `useLoader(Loader, { key })` / `useFetchLoader(Loader, { key })` — a
+>   **client** refresh identity. It groups which mounted reads of one loader
+>   refresh together when one calls `load()`. It never touches the server
+>   request. For refreshing **different** loaders together, tag them with
+>   `{ refreshGroup }` (one name or several) and call `useRefreshLoaders()(name)`
+>   (plain GET only). See the hooks skill ("Scoping refetch with a `key`" and
+>   "Refreshing multiple loaders together").
+> - `cache({ key })` — a **server** cache identity (storage hit/miss/ttl/swr).
+> - `revalidate()` — which **server** segments/loaders recompute during
+>   navigation and action refreshes.
+
+DSL loaders are the **live data layer** — they resolve fresh on every
+request, even when the route is inside a `cache()` boundary. The router
+excludes them from the segment cache at storage time and re-resolves them
+on retrieval. This means `cache()` gives you cached UI + fresh data by
+default.
+
+### Cache safety
+
+DSL loaders can safely read `createVar({ cache: false })` variables
+because they are always resolved fresh. The read guard is bypassed for
+loader functions — they never produce stale data.
+
+### ctx.use(Loader) — escape hatch
+
+For cases where you need loader data in the server handler itself (e.g.,
+to set ctx variables or make routing decisions), use `ctx.use(Loader)`:
 
 ```typescript
-import { ProductLoader } from "./loaders/product";
-
-// Route handler — server component
 path("/product/:slug", async (ctx) => {
   const { product } = await ctx.use(ProductLoader);
-  return <h1>{product.name}</h1>;
-}, { name: "product" })
+  ctx.set(Product, product); // make available to children
+  return <ProductPage />;
+}, { name: "product" }, () => [
+  loader(ProductLoader), // still register for client consumption
+])
 ```
 
-When you do register with `loader()` in the DSL, `ctx.use()` returns the
+When you register with `loader()` in the DSL, `ctx.use()` returns the
 same memoized result — loaders never run twice per request.
 
+**Limitations of ctx.use(Loader):**
+
+- The handler output depends on the loader data. If the route is inside
+  `cache()`, the handler is cached with the loader result baked in —
+  defeating the live data guarantee.
+- The same holds under a PPR shell capture (`/ppr`): handler consumption is
+  the BAKED lane — the loader executes at capture (identity reads permitted)
+  and the rendered value is a capture-time copy; `useLoader` client-side is
+  the live lane. One rule across `cache()`, `"use cache"`, and PPR: the
+  consumption-lane rule (`/rango` → Invariants).
+- Non-cacheable variable reads (`createVar({ cache: false })`) inside the
+  handler still throw, even if the data came from a loader.
+- Prefer DSL `loader()` + client `useLoader()` for data that depends on
+  non-cacheable context variables.
+
 **Never use `useLoader()` in server components** — it is a client-only API.
 
 ### Summary
 
-| Context                      | API                 | `loader()` DSL required? |
-| ---------------------------- | ------------------- | ------------------------ |
-| Client component (preferred) | `useLoader(Loader)` | **Yes**                  |
-| Route handler (server)       | `ctx.use(Loader)`   | No                       |
+| Pattern                | API                 | Cache-safe | Recommended |
+| ---------------------- | ------------------- | ---------- | ----------- |
+| DSL + client component | `useLoader(Loader)` | Yes        | Yes         |
+| Handler escape hatch   | `ctx.use(Loader)`   | No         | When needed |
 
 ## Loader Context
 
-Loaders receive the same context as route handlers:
+Loaders receive the same context shape as route handlers.
+
+### Full field surface
+
+| Field          | Type                           | Notes                                                                                                                                                   |
+| -------------- | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+| `params`       | `TParams`                      | Merged route + explicit loader params; overridable by fetchable `load({ params })`.                                                                     |
+| `routeParams`  | `Record<string, string>`       | Server-trusted route params from URL pattern matching; cannot be overridden.                                                                            |
+| `request`      | `Request`                      | The incoming `Request` (headers, method, body, `signal` for abort).                                                                                     |
+| `url`          | `URL`                          | Parsed request URL.                                                                                                                                     |
+| `pathname`     | `string`                       | URL pathname (shortcut for `ctx.url.pathname`).                                                                                                         |
+| `searchParams` | `URLSearchParams`              | Shortcut for `ctx.url.searchParams`.                                                                                                                    |
+| `search`       | `ResolveSearchSchema<TSearch>` | Typed query params when a search schema is declared on the route; `{}` otherwise.                                                                       |
+| `env`          | `TEnv`                         | Plain bindings from `createRouter<TEnv>()` (DB, KV, secrets, etc.).                                                                                     |
+| `get`          | `(key \| ContextVar) => value` | Reads variables/context-vars set by middleware.                                                                                                         |
+| `use`          | `(loader \| handle) => T`      | Access another loader's data (Promise) or a handle's collected data (after `await ctx.rendered()`).                                                     |
+| `rendered`     | `() => Promise<void>`          | **Experimental.** DSL loaders only — waits for all non-loader segments (including `loading()` streaming handlers) to settle before reading handle data. |
+| `method`       | `string`                       | HTTP method. `"GET"` for SSR loader runs; reflects real method for fetchable loaders.                                                                   |
+| `body`         | `TBody \| undefined`           | Parsed request body for fetchable POST/PUT/PATCH/DELETE calls.                                                                                          |
+| `formData`     | `FormData \| undefined`        | Present when a fetchable loader is invoked via form submission.                                                                                         |
+| `reverse`      | `ScopedReverseFunction`        | Generate type-checked URLs from route names (same scoped semantics as route handlers).                                                                  |
+
+### Example
 
 ```typescript
 export const ProductLoader = createLoader(async (ctx) => {
@@ -154,13 +211,24 @@ export const ProductLoader = createLoader(async (ctx) => {
   // Request headers
   const auth = ctx.request.headers.get("Authorization");
 
-  // Variables set by middleware (from RSCRouter.Vars augmentation)
+  // Variables set by middleware (from Rango.Vars augmentation)
   const user = ctx.get("user");
 
-  return { product: await fetchProduct(slug) };
+  // Type-checked URLs for payloads. `.name` resolves within the current
+  // include() scope; a bare `name` resolves globally. See /route and
+  // /typesafety for scope rules and route-name autocomplete.
+  const detailUrl = ctx.reverse(".detail", { slug });
+
+  return {
+    product: await fetchProduct(slug),
+    links: { self: detailUrl },
+  };
 });
 ```
 
+See `/route` for the full handler-context contract (shared with loaders) and
+`/typesafety` for route-name typing that powers `ctx.reverse` autocomplete.
+
 ### params vs routeParams
 
 - `ctx.params` — merged route params + explicit loader params. For fetchable
@@ -193,6 +261,8 @@ export const OrderLoader = createLoader(async (ctx) => {
 Add caching or revalidation to specific loaders:
 
 ```typescript
+import * as CartActions from "./actions/cart";
+
 path("/product/:slug", ProductPage, { name: "product" }, () => [
   // Cached loader
   loader(ProductLoader, () => [cache({ ttl: 300 })]),
@@ -202,13 +272,104 @@ path("/product/:slug", ProductPage, { name: "product" }, () => [
     revalidate(() => false), // Never revalidate
   ]),
 
-  // Loader that revalidates after cart actions
+  // Loader that revalidates after cart actions (defer otherwise — keeps the
+  // permissive loader defaults for navigation and other actions intact)
   loader(CartLoader, () => [
-    revalidate(({ actionId }) => actionId?.includes("Cart") ?? false),
+    revalidate((ctx) => ctx.isAction(CartActions) || undefined),
   ]),
 ]);
 ```
 
+### `revalidate()` return shapes
+
+> **Scope: `revalidate()` is a partial-render concern, not a cache concern.**
+> It decides whether a segment (here, a loader) re-runs and streams to the
+> client on a navigation or action — never whether a cached value is stale. The
+> cache decides hit/miss/ttl/swr independently and never reads `revalidate()`.
+> Caching a loader is a separate, opt-in step (`loader(Fn, () => [cache({...})])`).
+> See `/cache-guide` → "Two axes" and `/rango` → "The shape of rango".
+
+A `revalidate(fn)` callback can return one of four shapes. The chain
+processes revalidators in order; each call's return controls how the
+chain continues:
+
+```typescript
+// 1) Hard decision — short-circuits the chain, used as the final answer.
+revalidate(() => true);
+revalidate(({ actionId }) => actionId?.includes("Cart") ?? false);
+
+// 2) Soft decision — updates the running suggestion for downstream
+//    revalidators on the same segment, chain continues.
+revalidate(({ defaultShouldRevalidate }) => ({
+  defaultShouldRevalidate: !defaultShouldRevalidate,
+}));
+
+// 3) Defer (no opinion) — leaves the running suggestion unchanged and
+//    continues to the next revalidator. Implicit return / null /
+//    undefined are all equivalent and consumer-friendly.
+revalidate(({ actionId }) => {
+  if (actionId?.includes("Cart")) return true; // hard for this branch only
+  // implicit return — let downstream revalidators or the segment default decide
+});
+revalidate(() => undefined); // explicit defer
+revalidate(() => null); // explicit defer
+```
+
+If every revalidator on a segment defers, the segment-type default
+(e.g. params-changed for routes, `false` for parallels) is used.
+
+#### `|| undefined` (defer) vs `?? false` (hard) — pick deliberately
+
+A boolean return — including `false` — is a **hard** decision: it short-circuits
+the chain and overrides the segment default. `undefined` **defers** to the
+running suggestion / segment default. They are not interchangeable:
+
+```typescript
+// Defer: "revalidate on match, otherwise let the default/downstream decide."
+revalidate(({ actionId }) => actionId?.includes("Cart") || undefined);
+
+// Hard: "revalidate ONLY on match, suppress everything else."
+revalidate(({ actionId }) => actionId?.includes("Cart") ?? false);
+```
+
+This matters most for loaders, whose defaults are permissive: a loader defaults
+to revalidating on **any** action (`POST`) and on **param/search changes**
+during navigation. So `?? false` on a loader silently suppresses both — the
+loader will not refetch when you navigate to a different `:id`. Use
+`|| undefined` when you want to _add_ a revalidation signal on top of the
+sensible defaults, and reserve `?? false` for the rare case where you genuinely
+want the loader to refetch on nothing but your matched action.
+
+When **composing multiple revalidators** on one segment (see below), defer is
+mandatory: the first hard `?? false` ends the chain and the later contracts
+never run.
+
+#### Matching actions: `ctx.isAction()`
+
+To revalidate after specific server actions, match them by **reference** with
+`ctx.isAction()` rather than hand-written `actionId` substrings. A rename or
+moved file then becomes a type error instead of silently failing to match:
+
+```typescript
+import { addToCart, removeFromCart } from "../actions/cart";
+import * as CartActions from "../actions/cart";
+
+loader(CartLoader, () => [
+  revalidate((ctx) => ctx.isAction(addToCart) || undefined), // one action
+]);
+revalidate((ctx) => ctx.isAction(addToCart, removeFromCart) || undefined); // several
+revalidate((ctx) => ctx.isAction(CartActions) || undefined); // any action in the module
+```
+
+`isAction()` is a method on the revalidate predicate's **context argument** —
+there is no standalone `isAction` import; you always reach it through the callback
+parameter (`revalidate((ctx) => ctx.isAction(...))`). It returns a raw boolean, so
+pair it with `|| undefined` for the usual "revalidate on match, else defer"
+intent. It returns `false` on plain navigation and on non-matches, and resolves
+the reference the same way the router derives `actionId` (`$id` in production,
+`$$id` in dev), so it matches in both modes. The raw `actionId` string stays
+available on the same context as an escape hatch.
+
 ### Revalidation Contracts for Loader Dependencies
 
 If a loader reads `ctx.get()` data produced by an outer handler/layout, share
@@ -216,8 +377,12 @@ the same named revalidation contract across producer and consumer segments.
 
 ```typescript
 // revalidation-contracts.ts
-export const revalidateAccountScope = ({ actionId }) =>
-  actionId?.includes("src/actions/account.ts#") ?? false;
+import * as AccountActions from "./actions/account";
+
+// Match by reference with ctx.isAction() (rename-safe), and defer (|| undefined)
+// so these contracts compose — a hard `false` would short-circuit the rest.
+export const revalidateAccountScope = (ctx) =>
+  ctx.isAction(AccountActions) || undefined;
 
 layout(AccountLayout, () => [
   revalidate(revalidateAccountScope), // producer reruns
@@ -260,6 +425,64 @@ follows the same rule: at build time, loaders are skipped entirely (there is no
 real request context), and at runtime the worker resolves them fresh against
 the live database.
 
+### Parallel and streaming — latency overlaps first paint
+
+Loaders do not block the page. As the render pass begins — the pass that route
+middleware wraps, so loaders run right after middleware, not in a later
+phase — every matched loader is kicked off **concurrently** (their promises start in the
+same tick), and each result is **streamed** to the client as its own RSC Flight
+chunk rather than awaited up front. Pair a loader with `loading()` (or a
+client `<Suspense>`) and the shell paints immediately while the data streams in.
+
+This is why **"cached UI still pays full data latency" is the wrong intuition**:
+on a `cache()` hit the UI segments stream instantly from cache while the live
+loaders resolve fresh **in parallel** — data latency _overlaps_ first paint
+instead of being added on top of it. (Without a `loading()` / `<Suspense>`
+boundary a parallel loader blocks its parent, so add one to keep the overlap.)
+
+If you come from a framework where the loader is a blocking step that runs
+before the response is built, this is the shift to internalize: here the
+response starts streaming first and loader data fills in.
+
+### See it: `debugPerformance`
+
+Turn on the per-request performance timeline early — it is the fastest way to
+confirm loaders overlap rather than serialize, and to find the real bottleneck
+locally instead of guessing:
+
+```typescript
+const router = createRouter({ document: Document, debugPerformance: true });
+```
+
+Or enable it per-request from middleware (e.g. only when `?debug` is present) by
+calling `ctx.debugPerformance()` **before** `await next()`. Each HTML request
+then prints a shared-axis waterfall (and emits a `Server-Timing` header):
+
+```
+[RSC Perf] GET /product/widget (24.53ms)
+start      dur  span                          timeline
+ 0.08ms  3.20ms  route-matching               |#####...................................|
+ 3.40ms  8.70ms  ssr-render-html              |.....##############.....................|
+ 3.42ms 11.90ms  loader:…#ProductLoader       |.....###################................|
+ 3.45ms 11.40ms  loader:…#ReviewsLoader        |.....##################.................|
+ 0.00ms 24.53ms  handler:total                |########################################|
+```
+
+How to read it:
+
+- **Humans:** scan the `#` bars on the shared axis. Bars that start at the same
+  offset and run side by side are executing **in parallel** — loaders should
+  overlap `ssr-render-html` / `render:total`, not sit alone to the right of
+  everything. A lone `loader:*` bar past the render bar is serialized latency to
+  chase. `handler:total` is the whole request; `render:total` is the render pass.
+- **LLMs / programmatic:** read each row as `{ start, dur, label }`. A loader
+  overlaps paint when its `[start, start+dur]` interval intersects
+  `render:total` / `ssr-render-html`. Flag a regression when a `loader:*`
+  interval is **disjoint from and starts after** `render:total`, or when its
+  `dur` approaches `handler:total` — that loader is on the critical path instead
+  of overlapping it. Two `loader:*` rows with near-equal `start` confirm
+  parallel execution.
+
 ### Opting a Loader into Caching
 
 To cache a specific loader's data, attach a `cache()` child:
@@ -350,6 +573,8 @@ entirely (no read, no write).
 ### Per-Loader Store Override
 
 ```typescript
+import { MemorySegmentCacheStore } from "@rangojs/router/cache";
+
 const hotStore = new MemorySegmentCacheStore({ defaults: { ttl: 10 } });
 
 loader(PricingLoader, () => [
@@ -458,6 +683,16 @@ export const SearchLoader = createLoader(async (ctx) => {
 }, true); // true = fetchable
 ```
 
+> **No registration needed — and no worker-entry import.** A fetchable loader
+> does not have to be registered with `loader()` in the route DSL, and it does
+> not have to be imported by any server module. Importing it into the client
+> component that calls `useFetchLoader()` / `load()` is enough. Rango discovers
+> every `createLoader(fn, true)` at build time and registers it for the
+> `_rsc_loader` endpoint, so a loader reachable only through a client component
+> still resolves in production — on both the generated entry and a hand-written
+> worker entry (e.g. a Cloudflare `worker.rsc.tsx`). You do **not** need to
+> force-import the loader in your worker entry to make it resolve.
+
 ### Fetchable Loader with Middleware
 
 Pass an options object instead of `true` to attach per-loader middleware.
@@ -533,6 +768,13 @@ export const FileUploadLoader = createLoader(async (ctx) => {
 
 Client usage — see `/hooks useFetchLoader` for the full client-side pattern.
 
+> **Refetch sharing**: when the loader is registered on the route via
+> `loader()`, a plain `load()` call (no `params`, no `body`) broadcasts
+> the new value to every component reading the same loader id —
+> `useLoader` reads in layouts, pages, and parallel slots all converge.
+> Calls with `params` or a non-GET method stay local to the call site.
+> See `/hooks` → "Shared refetch behavior" for the full contract.
+
 ## Complete Example
 
 ```typescript
@@ -548,7 +790,7 @@ export const ProductLoader = createLoader(async (ctx) => {
     .first();
 
   if (!product) {
-    throw new Response("Product not found", { status: 404 });
+    notFound("Product not found");
   }
 
   return { product };
@@ -564,12 +806,13 @@ export const CartLoader = createLoader(async (ctx) => {
   return { cart };
 });
 
-// urls.tsx
+// urls.tsx — register loaders in the DSL
+import * as CartActions from "./actions/cart";
+
 export const urlpatterns = urls(({ path, layout, loader, loading, cache, revalidate }) => [
   layout(<ShopLayout />, () => [
-    // Shared cart loader for all shop routes
     loader(CartLoader, () => [
-      revalidate(({ actionId }) => actionId?.includes("Cart") ?? false),
+      revalidate((ctx) => ctx.isAction(CartActions) || undefined),
     ]),
 
     path("/shop/product/:slug", ProductPage, { name: "product" }, () => [
@@ -579,17 +822,22 @@ export const urlpatterns = urls(({ path, layout, loader, loading, cache, revalid
   ]),
 ]);
 
-// pages/product.tsx — server component (route handler)
+// components/ProductDetails.tsx — consume in client component
+"use client";
+import { useLoader } from "@rangojs/router/client";
 import { ProductLoader, CartLoader } from "./loaders/shop";
 
-async function ProductPage(ctx) {
-  const { product } = await ctx.use(ProductLoader);
-  const { cart } = await ctx.use(CartLoader);
+function ProductDetails() {
+  const { data: { product } } = useLoader(ProductLoader);
+  const { data: { cart } } = useLoader(CartLoader);
 
   return (
     <div>
       <h1>{product.name}</h1>
-      <AddToCartButton productId={product.id} inCart={cart?.items.includes(product.id)} />
+      <AddToCartButton
+        productId={product.id}
+        inCart={cart?.items.includes(product.id)}
+      />
     </div>
   );
 }

package/skills/middleware/SKILL.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ---
 name: middleware
-description: Define middleware for authentication, logging, and request processing in @rangojs/router
+description: Define middleware for authentication, logging, and request processing in @rangojs/router. Use when gating routes behind auth checks, logging requests, or running shared logic before a handler runs.
 argument-hint: [middleware-name]
 ---
 
@@ -10,9 +10,6 @@ Middleware runs before/after route handlers using the onion model.
 
 ## Execution Model
 
-Canonical semantics reference:
-[docs/execution-model.md](../../docs/internal/execution-model.md)
-
 There are two levels of middleware with different execution scopes:
 
 ### Global middleware (`router.use()`)
@@ -26,21 +23,32 @@ const router = createRouter<AppEnv>({})
   .routes(urlpatterns);
 ```
 
+When the router has a `basename`, pattern-scoped `.use()` patterns are automatically prefixed. For example, with `basename: "/app"`, `.use("/admin/*", mw)` matches `/app/admin/*`.
+
 ### Route middleware (`middleware()` in `urls()`)
 
 Registered inside `urls()` callback. Wraps **rendering only** -- it does NOT wrap server action execution. Actions run before route middleware, so when route middleware executes during post-action revalidation, it can observe state that the action set (cookies, context variables, headers).
 
+> **Implication for auth:** route middleware cannot guard server actions. Use `router.use("/admin/*", requireAuth)` (global, scoped) for action protection, or check inside the action body. See `/server-actions` for action-side auth patterns.
+
 ```
 Request flow (with action):
-  global mw -> action executes -> route mw -> layout -> handler -> loaders
+  global mw -> action executes -> route mw -> render pass
 
 Request flow (no action):
-  global mw -> route mw -> layout -> handler -> loaders
+  global mw -> route mw -> render pass
 
 Progressive enhancement (no-JS form POST):
   global mw -> action executes -> route mw -> full page re-render
 ```
 
+The **render pass** resolves handler, layouts, parallels, and loaders together —
+it is not a handler-then-loaders sequence. Handler-first ordering is guaranteed
+only between a route handler and its child/orphan layouts and parallels (so
+`ctx.set` is visible); loaders run **concurrently** and stream their results, so
+their latency overlaps rendering rather than blocking it. See `/loader` →
+"Parallel and streaming".
+
 The contract is: **route middleware wraps rendering regardless of transport** (JS-enabled RSC stream or no-JS HTML). During PE re-render, route middleware observes action-set state (cookies, context variables) the same way it does during JS-enabled post-action revalidation.
 
 Revalidation is still partial. Route middleware wraps the render pass that
@@ -52,15 +60,21 @@ data itself.
 ### Revalidation Contracts with Middleware-Backed Trees
 
 Middleware can establish request-level context (`ctx.set`) for segments that
-execute in the current render pass. It does not change partial revalidation
-boundaries between handler/layout/parallel segments.
+execute in the current render pass. Because route middleware wraps **every**
+render pass — normal renders, post-action revalidation, PE re-renders — its
+variables are never stale: middleware is the safest `ctx.set` rung on the
+data-passing ladder (`/rango` → "Passing data down the tree"). But it does
+not change partial revalidation boundaries between handler/layout/parallel
+segments.
 
 For shared segment data, use named revalidation contracts on both the producer
 and consumer segments, even when middleware is present in the chain.
 
 ```typescript
-export const revalidateCartData = ({ actionId }) =>
-  actionId?.includes("src/actions/cart.ts#") ?? false;
+import * as CartActions from "./actions/cart";
+
+export const revalidateCartData = (ctx) =>
+  ctx.isAction(CartActions) || undefined;
 
 layout(CartLayout, () => [
   middleware(cartRenderMiddleware),
@@ -135,17 +149,46 @@ export const urlpatterns = urls(({ path, layout, middleware }) => [
 ## Middleware with Multiple Handlers
 
 ```typescript
-// Spread multiple middleware from a single export
+// Group multiple middleware in an array
 export const shopMiddleware = [loggerMiddleware, mockAuthMiddleware];
 
-// In routes
+// In routes — pass the array directly
 layout(<ShopLayout />, () => [
-  middleware(...shopMiddleware),
+  middleware(shopMiddleware),
 
   path("/shop", ShopIndex, { name: "shop" }),
 ])
 ```
 
+## Wrapping Middleware (Scoped to Children)
+
+Use the wrapping form to scope middleware to a subset of routes without
+introducing a visible layout:
+
+```typescript
+urls(({ path, middleware }) => [
+  // authMw only applies to /admin and /admin/settings
+  middleware(authMw, () => [
+    path("/admin", AdminPage, { name: "admin" }),
+    path("/admin/settings", SettingsPage, { name: "settings" }),
+  ]),
+
+  // Public route — no authMw
+  path("/", HomePage, { name: "home" }),
+]);
+```
+
+Multiple middleware with wrapping:
+
+```typescript
+middleware([authMw, loggingMw], () => [
+  path("/admin", AdminPage, { name: "admin" }),
+]);
+```
+
+This creates a transparent layout (`<Outlet />`) that carries the middleware.
+The middleware does not affect sibling routes outside the callback.
+
 ## Middleware Context
 
 ```typescript
@@ -159,7 +202,7 @@ export const myMiddleware: Middleware = async (ctx, next) => {
   ctx.env.DB; // D1Database
   ctx.env.KV; // KVNamespace
 
-  // Set variables for downstream handlers (typed via RSCRouter.Vars)
+  // Set variables for downstream handlers (typed via Rango.Vars)
   ctx.set("user", { id: "123", name: "John" });
 
   // Continue to next middleware/handler
@@ -200,8 +243,8 @@ const Dashboard: Handler<"dashboard"> = (ctx) => {
 ```
 
 This works alongside `ctx.get("key")` / `ctx.set("key", value)` (global typing
-via RSCRouter.Vars augmentation). Use `createVar` for route-local or feature-scoped
-data; use RSCRouter.Vars for app-wide middleware state.
+via Rango.Vars augmentation). Use `createVar` for route-local or feature-scoped
+data; use Rango.Vars for app-wide middleware state.
 
 ## Redirect with State in Middleware