The document provides an overview of Backbone.js, a lightweight framework for building client-side applications with JavaScript. It covers essential concepts such as models, collections, views, and controllers, alongside practical examples of usage, features, and functionalities. The document emphasizes Backbone's event-based architecture, data management, and its ability to streamline application development.

1. A Little
For Your App
Luca Mearelli

2. var Luca = (function(){
var me = {};
me.is = 'craftsman';
me.twitter = '@lmea';
me.did = ['http://miojob.repubblica.it',
'http://kiaraservice.com',
'...'];
me.uses = function(tool){
_.indexOf(['ruby', 'rails', 'javascript'], tool)>=0;
}
me.used = function(tool){
_.indexOf(['c++', 'python', 'java'], tool)>=0;
}
return me;
})()
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3. http://github.com/documentcloud/backbone/
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4. A quick poll
Using DOM libraries?
Using (end-to-end) frameworks?
Know or used backbone.js?
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5. Backbone.js: what is it?
A lightweight collection of tools
giving enough structure to help
building apps in the browser
without getting in the way
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6. Backbone.js: what is it for?
Data heavy pages
Frontends to (JSON) web services
CRUD-kind web apps
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7. Backbone.js: Model-View-Controller
model
view controller
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8. Elements of backbone
Model
Collection
View
Controller
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9. Elements of backbone (2)
Event
Sync
History
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10. Model & Collection
Representing the data
Building the business logic
Handling persistence
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11. The simplest model
var Talk = Backbone.Model.extend({})
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12. Initializing & setting defaults
var Talk = Backbone.Model.extend({
// Default attributes for Talk
defaults: {
title: "a talk",
speaker: "me",
lenght: 60
},
intialize: function(){
if (this.length>10) {
this.set({"lightining": false});
}
},
})
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13. Assorted CRUD methods
var my_talk = new Talk({title: "A Little Backbone"});
my_talk.get("title");
my_talk.set({"speaker":"Luca Mearelli"});
if(my_talk.has("video")){
//...
};
my_talk.unset("speaker")
my_talk.id
my_talk.cid
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14. Custom functions
var Talk = Backbone.Model.extend({
full_info: function(){
return this.get("title")+" by:"+this.get("speaker");
},
rate: function(stars){
if(_.isUndefined(this.get("rating"))){
this.save({rating: stars});
}
},
})
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15. Validating models
var Talk = Backbone.Model.extend({
validate: function(attrs) {
if (_.isEmpty(attrs.title)) {
return "The title should be defined";
}
if (attrs.lenght>60) {
return "The maximum lenght is 60 minutes";
}
}
});
my_talk.bind("error", function(model, error) {
alert(model.full_info() + " " + error);
});
my_talk.set({"lenght":120});
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16. Saving models
// delegates to Backbone.sync
my_talk.save(); // if my_talk.isNew() -> ‘create’ (HTTP “POST”)
my_talk.save({title:"ahah"}) // otherwise ‘update’ (HTTP “PUT”)
my_talk.save({...},
{
success: function(model, resp, xhr){...},
error: function(model, errormsg){...}
});
my_talk.url(); // /[collection.url]/[id] or /[urlRoot]/[id]
Talk.urlRoot = '/talks';
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17. Backbone.sync
Backbone.sync = function(method, model, options) {
switch (method) {
case "read": ... break; // read ! GET /collection[/id]
case "create": ... break; // create ! POST /collection
case "update": ... break; // update ! PUT /collection/id
case "delete": ... break; // delete ! DELETE /collection/id
}
};
// to emulate put & delete with post + parameter
Backbone.emulateHTTP = true;
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18. Models collection
var Track = Backbone.Collection.extend({
model: Talk
});
var track_talks = new Track([talk1, talk2, talk3]);
track_talks.get(talk2.id); // gets talk2
track_talks.at(0); // gets talk1
track_talks.lenght; // is 3
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19. Collection: adding and removing models
track_talks.add(
{title:"JavaScript Survival Guide",speaker:"Giordano Scalzo " }
);
track_talks.add([
{title: "Faster Web Sites 2.0", speaker: "Steve Souders" },
{title: "HTML5, the current status", speaker:"Patrick H. Lauke"}
]);
track_talks.remove(talk1);
track_talks.remove([talk2, talk3]);
track_talks.refresh([
{title:"Javascript the New Parts",speaker: "Federico Galassi" }
]);
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20. Fetching a collection from the server
var Track = Backbone.Collection.extend({
url: function(){
return "/tracks/"+this.get("number");
},
// or simply url: "/talks"
});
var track_talks = new Track({number: 1})
track_talks.fetch(); // calls model.parse(response)
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21. Custom sorted collections
track_talks.comparator = function(talk) {
return talk.get("time");
}
track_talks.add(new Talk({time: 17,
title: "A Little Backbone"}));
track_talks.add(new Talk({time: 9,
title: "Faster Web Sites 2.0"}));
track_talks.add(new Talk({time: 10,
title: "JavaScript Survival Guide"}));
alert(track_talks.pluck('title'));
track_talks.sort();
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22. Underscore.js goodies
var Track = Backbone.Collection.extend({
future: function() {
return this.filter(function(talk){
return todo.get('time')>(new Date()).getHours();
});
},
next: function() {
return this.first.apply(this, this.future());
}
// forEach (each), map, reduce (foldl, inject),
// reduceRight (foldr), find (detect), filter (select),
// reject, every (all), some (any), include, invoke, max,
// min, sortBy, sortedIndex, toArray, size, first, rest,
// last, without, indexOf, lastIndexOf, isEmpty, chain
});
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23. Views
is a small chunk of the page
has declarative event handling
acts like a view controller
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24. A basic view
// The DOM element for a talk
var TalkView = Backbone.View.extend({
//... is a div tag.
tagName: "div",
className: "a-talk-row",
render: function() {
$(this.el).html(this.model.full_info());
return this;
},
});
v = new TalkView({
model:my_talk,
id: 'talk-'+my_talk.id
});
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25. Declarative event handling
var TalkView = Backbone.View.extend({
// The DOM events specific to a talk.
events: {
"click .title" : "rateIt",
"click span.edit" : "edit",
"keypress input.title" : "saveOnEnter"
},
edit: function() {
$(this.el).addClass("editing");
this.$('input.title').focus();
},
saveOnEnter: function(e) { },
rateIt: function(e) { },
});
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26. Sub-view element selection
view.$(selector) // equivalent to $(selector, view.el)
this.$(".title").text()
this.$("li input[@name=email]")
this.$("div #start")
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27. Binding model events
var TrackView = Backbone.View.extend({
initialize: function() {
_.bindAll(this, 'addOne', 'addAll', 'render');
this.collection.bind('add', this.addOne);
this.collection.bind('refresh', this.addAll);
this.collection.bind('all', this.render);
this.collection.fetch();
},
});
var current_track = new Track(...);
var track_view = new TrackView({collection: current_track })
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28. Rendering templates
<script type="text/template" id="talk-template">
<div class="talk <%= lightining ? 'ltalk' : '' %>">
<div class="talk-title"><%= title %></div>
<span class="talk-speaker"><%= speaker %></span>
<% for (i=0;i<rating;i++) { %><img src="star.png" /><% } %>
</div>
</script>
render: function() {
$(this.el).html(this.template(this.model.toJSON()));
return this;
},
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29. Controllers
intra-page action routing
evented control flow
stateful, bookmarkable sub-pages
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30. Controller example
var ConferenceController = Backbone.Controller.extend({
routes: {
"!help": "help", // #!help
"!track/:number": "search", // #!track/1
},
help: function() {
},
search: function(number) {
}
});
new ConferenceController();
Backbone.history.start();
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31. Controller routes
routes: {
"help/:page": "help",
"slides/*path": "downloadSlides",
"talk/:track/:talk": "showTalk",
"speaker/:name/talks": "speakerTalks"
"speaker/:name": "speaker"
}
// Matches #video/10, passing "10"
this.route("video/:number",
"video", function(number){ ... });
// Matches #talk/203/rate/2, passing "203" and "5"
this.route(/^talk/(.*?)/rate/([1-5])$/,
"rate", function(id,vote){ ... });
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32. Backbone.js: demo
A mobile note taking app
http://luca.github.com/jsday-demo/
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33. In the end, what does it do?
JS data models
Event based
RESTful (JSON)
Intra page control flow
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34. And, why should I use it?
avoids spaghetti code
cleanly separates concerns
simple to integrate
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35. thanks!
http://spazidigitali.com
@lmea
http://www.slideshare.net/lucamea/a-little-backbone-for-your-app
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