Backbone model level class method - backbone.js

I'm getting some model names dynamically and I want to access a method from each of the models. Is there a way that I can declare and access model level class method or constant in BB like Namespace.models["MyModel"].classMethod()/MY_CONSTANT?

Here's how implement instance and class methods in Backbone.
var instance_properties = {
myInstanceMethod: function() {console.log('instance method');}
};
var class_properties = {
myClassMethod: function() {console.log('class method');}
};
var Model = Backbone.Model.extend(instance_properties ,class_properties);
Model.myClassMethod(); // class method
var model = new Model();
model.myInstanceMethod(); // instance method

Related

Custom accessors Eloquent Model

I have a Eloquent Model and I want to create a customized toArray method...
class Posts extends Model {
public function scopeActives($query)
{
return $query->where('status', '=', '1');
}
public function toCustomJS()
{
$array = parent::ToArray();
$array['location'] = someFunction($this->attributes->location);
return $array;
}
}
//In my controller:
Posts::actives()->get()->toArray(); //this is working
Posts::actives()->get()->toCustomJS(); //Call to undefined method Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Collection::toCustomJS()
How can I override the toArray method or create another "export" method?
get() actually returns a Collection object which contains 0, 1, or many models which you can iterate through so it's no wonder why adding these functions to your model are not working. What you will need to do to get this working is to create your custom Collection class, override the toArray() function, and also override the function in your model responsible for building that collection so it can return the custom Collection object.
CustomCollection class
class CustomCollection extends Illuminate\Database\Eloquent\Collection {
protected $location;
public function __construct(array $models = Array(), $location)
{
parent::__construct($models);
$this->location = $location;
}
// Override the toArray method
public function toArray($location = null)
{
$original_array = parent::toArray();
if(!is_null($location)) {
$original_array['location'] = someFunction($this->location);
}
return $original_array;
}
}
Overriding the newCollection method on your models
And for the models you wish to return CustomCollection
class YourModel extends Eloquent {
// Override the newCollection method
public function newCollection(array $models = Array())
{
return new \CustomCollection($models, $this->attributes['location']);
}
}
Please note this may not be what you are intending. Because a Collection is really just an array of models, it's not good to depend on the location attribute of a single model. Depending on your use-case, it's something that can change from model to model.
It might also be a good idea to drop this method into a trait and then just use that trait in each model you wish to implement this feature in.
Edit:
If you don't want to go through creating a custom Collection class, you can always just do it manually each time...
$some_array = Posts::actives()->get()->toArray();
$some_array['location'] = someFunction(Posts::first()->location);
return Response::json($some_array);

Initializing nested collections with Backbone

I am trying to nest a Collection View into a Model View.
In order to do so, I used Backbone's Marionnette Composite View and followed that tutorial
At the end he initializes the nested collection view like this:
MyApp.addInitializer(function(options){
var heroes = new Heroes(options.heroes);
// each hero's villains must be a backbone collection
// we initialize them here
heroes.each(function(hero){
var villains = hero.get('villains');
var villainCollection = new Villains(villains);
hero.set('villains', villainCollection);
});
// edited for brevity
});
How would you go doing the same without using the addInitalizer from Marionette?
In my project I am fectching data from the server. And when I try doing something like:
App.candidatures = new App.Collections.Candidatures;
App.candidatures.fetch({reset: true}).done(function() {
App.candidatures.each(function(candidature) {
var contacts = candidature.get('contacts');
var contactCollection = new App.Collections.Contacts(contacts);
candidature.set('contacts', contactCollection);
});
new App.Views.App({collection: App.candidatures});
});
I get an "indefined options" coming from the collection:
App.Collections.Contacts = Backbone.Collection.extend({
model: App.Models.Contact,
initialize:function(models, options) {
this.candidature = options.candidature;
},
url:function() {
return this.candidature.url() + "/contacts";
}
)};
That's because when you're creating the contactCollection, you're not providing a candidatures collections in an options object. You do need to modify your contact collection initialization code to something like:
initialize:function(models, options) {
this.candidature = options && options.candidature;
}
That way the candidature attribute will be set to the provided value (and if not provided, it will be undefined).
Then, you still need to provide the info when you're instanciating the collection:
App.candidatures.each(function(candidature) {
var contacts = candidature.get('contacts');
var contactCollection = new App.Collections.Contacts(contacts, {
candidature: candidature
});
candidature.set('contacts', contactCollection);
});
P.S.: I hope you found my blog post useful!

How to initialise nested Backbone.js models

In my Application, I have the following JSON data format:
{
Item: {
property1: '',
...
}
}
Following the solution of this stackoverflow.com answer, I modeled my Backbond.js models the following way:
App.Models.Item = Backbone.Model.extend({
});
App.Models.ItemData = Backbone.Model.extend({
defaults: {
'Item': new App.Models.Item
}
});
I now want to bootstap the data to my App from the Backend system on the page load the following way:
var item = App.Models.ItemData({
{Item:
{property1: 'data'}
}
});
The problem I have now is that item.get('Item') returns a plain JavaScrip object and not a Backbone.Model object, because the defaults are overwritten. How can I create the Backbone.js object while ensuring that item.get('Item') is an App.Models.Item object?
I also have read that if you nest Backbone.Models, you should wirite custom getter methods, so the rest of your app dose not have to know about the internal data structure. If so, what is the right way to implement those setters and getters?
You can override the parse method on your ItemData model. No defaults required. The parse method will initialize an empty model, if one is not passed:
App.Models.ItemData = Backbone.Model.extend({
parse: function(attrs) {
attrs = attrs || {};
if(!(attrs.Item instanceof App.Models.Item))
attrs.Item = new App.Models.Item(attrs.Item);
return attrs;
}
});
And then initialize your ItemData model with the option parse:true:
var item = new App.Models.ItemData({Item:{property1: 'data'}}, {parse:true});

Subclassing Backbone.View

I have several views that have common code I'd like to abstract into a custom Backbone.View class. Is there any best practices for doing this?
is a good pattern to do something like this? :
// Base Grid view
var GridView = Backbone.View.extend({
initialize : function(){
//common view init code ..
//do the plug in overrides
if (options.addHandler)
this.addHandler = options.addHandler;
if (options.events)
//?? extend default events or override?
this.events = $.extend(this.events, options.events);
},
addHandler : function() {
//defaulthandler this code can be overridden
});
});
// in another object create some views from the GridView base
....
var overrides = { events:"xxx yyy", el: ulElement addHandler: myAddFunction }
var UserList = GridView.extend(overrides)
var userList = new UserList(users, options);
....
var coursesOverrides : {addHandler: ...}
var coursesOptions: {el: courseElement, ...}
var CourseList = GridView.extend(coursesOverrides)
var courseList= new CourseList (courses, coursesOptions)
// along the same lines maybe there's an abstraction for toolbar views
var ClassToolbarView = ToolbarBase.extend(toolOverrides)
var classtoolbar = new ClassToolbarView(actions, toolbaropts)
Any pointers to good examples of extending a View for refactoring common view code is appreciated.
First, I don't see the options being passed in your initializer(), so that's a bug.
Secondly, the .extend() method is inherited:
var GridView = Backbone.View.extend({ ... })
var GridViewWithNewFunctionsAndEvents = GridView.extend({ ... })
And you can replace or extend GridView's functionality, and call new GridViewWithNewFunctionsAndEvents() and get the extra functionality in a new object you need, just like you extend the Backbone stock View class.
If you need to extend the initializer, you can do this to call the initializer on the superclass:
var GridViewWithNewFunctionsAndEvents = GridView.extend({
initializer: function(options) {
GridView.prototype.initializer.call(this, options);
/* Your stuff goes here */
}
});

Calling invoke on Backbone Collection

I've a Backbone Collection initialized but calling invoke on collection doesn't work. For some reason I'm getting JS error:
var vw = new SomeView(); // A view with function 'refresh'
var col = new Backbone.Collection();
col.add(vw);
...
setTimeout(function(){ col.invoke('refresh'); }, 1000); // Error: Cannot call method 'apply' of undefined
However, invoking method like isEmpty works fine
console.log("Is empty? ", col.isEmpty()); // prints: 'Is Empty? false'
It seems I'm missing something very obvious.
N.B: I'm not interested in calling each function and then invoking refresh on view object because that's just clunky.
A collection in backbone is a list of models. So when you add a view to a collection internally it will call something like this col.add(Backbone.Model.extend(vw)). So it will create a new model with your view as constructor params. I f you wanna store your view in a list just use a JavaScript array or a smarter underscore collection
you try to create a collection by instantiating the collection itself,
you first have to extend from it and tell it what models it's holding
and of what i see above you are trying to put your views in a collection?
that is not possible directly, as a collection holds a list of models, not views.
you can however create a model defining your view.
var myView = Backbone.View.extend({});
var myModel = Backbone.Model.extend({});
var myCollection = Backbone.Collection.extend({ model: myModel });
$(function(){
// creating your view
var vw = new SomeView();
// creating a model for the view
var viewModel = new myModel({ linkedview : vw });
// creating a collection
var modelList = new myCollection();
modelList.add(viewModel);
});
the gist of it is, that you create a model, containing a reference to your view, and not add the view directly into the collection (which will not work)

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