How can you add query parameters in the ZF2 / ZF3 url view helper

I'm attempting to create a url with a query string using a route, like so:

$this->url('users') -> /users
$this->url('users', ['sort' => 'desc']) -> /users?sort=desc

However this doesn't seem to work (the second helper actually outputs /users). According to this unofficial, out-of-date documentation there was once a way to do this by appending /query to the route name, however this gives a route-not-found exception.

Can this be done using the current url helper?

You can create a child route for your users route like this:

'users' => array(
    'type' => 'Literal',
    'options' => array(
        'route' => '/users',
        'defaults' => array(
            '__NAMESPACE__' => 'User\Controller',
            'controller' => 'Index',
            'action' => 'list',
        ),
    ),
    'may_terminate' => true,
    'child_routes'  => array(
        'query' => array(
            'type' => 'Query',
        ),
    ),
),

then you can assemble $this->url('users/query', array('sort' => 'desc')).

Don't forget to set may_terminate to true!