Backbone.js - fetch method does not fire reset event - backbone.js

Question

I'm beginning with Backbone.js and trying to build my first sample app - shopping list.
My problem is when I fetch collection of items, reset event isn't probably fired, so my render method isn't called.
Model:
Item = Backbone.Model.extend({
urlRoot : '/api/items',
defaults : {
id : null,
title : null,
quantity : 0,
quantityType : null,
enabled : true
}
});
Collection:
ShoppingList = Backbone.Collection.extend({
model : Item,
url : '/api/items'
});
List view:
ShoppingListView = Backbone.View.extend({
el : jQuery('#shopping-list'),
initialize : function () {
this.listenTo(this.model, 'reset', this.render);
},
render : function (event) {
// console.log('THIS IS NEVER EXECUTED');
var self = this;
_.each(this.model.models, function (item) {
var itemView = new ShoppingListItemView({
model : item
});
jQuery(self.el).append(itemView.render().el);
});
return this;
}
});
List item view:
ShoppingListItemView = Backbone.View.extend({
tagName : 'li',
template : _.template(jQuery('#shopping-list-item').html()), // set template for item
render : function (event) {
jQuery(this.el).html(this.template(this.model.toJSON()));
return this;
}
});
Router:
var AppRouter = Backbone.Router.extend({
routes : {
'' : 'show'
},
show : function () {
this.shoppingList = new ShoppingList();
this.shoppingListView = new ShoppingListView({
model : this.shoppingList
});
this.shoppingList.fetch(); // fetch collection from server
}
});
Application start:
var app = new AppRouter();
Backbone.history.start();
After page load, collection of items is correctly fetched from server but render method of ShoppingListView is never called. What I am doing wrong?

Answer 1

Here's your problem:
" When the model data returns from the server, it uses set to (intelligently) merge the fetched models, unless you pass {reset: true}" Backbone Docs
So, you want to fire the fetch with the reset option:
this.shoppingList.fetch({reset:true}); // fetch collection from server
As an aside, you can define a collection attribute on a view:
this.shoppingList = new ShoppingList();
this.shoppingListView = new ShoppingListView({
collection : this.shoppingList // instead of model: this.shoppingList
});

Answer 2

Are you using Backbone 1.0? If not, ignore this, otherwise, you may find what the doc says about the Collection#fetch method interesting.
To quote the changelog:
"Renamed Collection's "update" to set, for parallelism with the similar model.set(), and contrast with reset. It's now the default updating mechanism after a fetch. If you'd like to continue using "reset", pass {reset: true}"
So basically, you're not making a reset here but an update, therefore no reset event is fired.