I'm having a look at Backbone.js, but I'm stuck. The code until now is as simple as is possible, but I seem not to get it. I use Firebug and this.moments in the render of MomentsView is an object, but all the methods from a collection don't work (ie this.moments.get(1) doesn't work).
The code:
var Moment = Backbone.Model.extend({
});
var Moments = Backbone.Collection.extend({
model: Moment,
url: 'moments',
initialize: function() {
this.fetch();
}
});
var MomentsView = Backbone.View.extend({
el: $('body'),
initialize: function() {
_.bindAll(this, 'render');
this.moments = new Moments();
},
render: function() {
_.each(this.moments, function(moment) {
console.log(moment.get('id'));
});
return this;
}
})
var momentsview = new MomentsView();
momentsview.render();
The (dummy) response from te server:
[{"id":"1","title":"this is the moment","description":"another descr","day":"12"},{"id":"2","title":"this is the mament","description":"onother dascr","day":"14"}]
The object has two models according to the DOM in Firebug, but the methods do not work. Does anybode have an idea how to get the collection to work in the view?
The problem here is that you're fetching the data asynchronously when you initialize the MomentsView view, but you're calling momentsview.render() synchronously, right away. The data you're expecting hasn't come back from the server yet, so you'll run into problems. I believe this will work if you call render in a callback to be executed once fetch() is complete.
Also, I don't think you can call _.each(this.moments) - to iterate over a collection, use this.moments.each().
Try removing the '()' when instantiate the collection.
this.moments = new Moments;
Also, as it's an asynchronous call, bind the collection's 'change' event with the rendering.
I hope it helps you.
Related
I want to perform an action, clearing parent element, after a collection has fetched his models but prior to the models rendering.
I've stumbled upon before and after render methods yet they are model specific, which will cause my parent element to clear before every model rendering.
I'm able of course to perform the action pre-fetching yet I want it to occur when fetch is done and before models are rendered.
I tried using reset and change events listening on the collection yet both resulted unwanted end result.
Reset event seamed to go in that direction yet the passed argument was the entire collection and not a single model from the collection, therefore using the add event callback wasn't possible due to difference in argument type (collection and not a model as required)
Any ideas how to invoke a callback when fetch a collection fetch is successful yet models are yet to be rendered?
The model contains the returned attributes while collection contains url for fetching and parse method to return argument wrapped object.
Below is the code I use to render the collection view, which is basically rendering each model's view within the collection.
Collection View
---------------
var FoosView = Backbone.View.extend({
el: '#plans',
events: {
//'click tr': 'rowClick'
},
initialize: function() {
this.listenTo(this.collection, 'add', this.renderNew);
_.bindAll(this, "render");
this.render();
},
renderNew: function(FooModel) {
var item = new FooView({model: FooModel});
this.$el.prepend(item.render().$el);
}
...
});
The model view
--------
var FooView = Backbone.View.extend({
tagName: 'li',
initialize: function(options) {
this.options = options || {};
this.tpl = _.template(fooTpl);
},
render: function() {
var data = this.model.toJSON();
this.$el.html(this.tpl(data));
return this;
}
});
Thanks in advance.
OK, I think I understand your question and here is a proposed solution. You are now listening to the reset event on your collection and calling this.renderAll. this.renderAll will take the list of models from the collection and render them to the page, but only AFTER the list element has been emptied. Hope this helps :).
var FoosView = Backbone.View.extend({
el: '#plans',
collection: yourCollection, // A reference to the collection.
initialize: function() {
this.listenTo(this.collection, 'add', this.renderNew);
this.listenTo(this.collection, 'reset', this.renderAll);
},
renderAll: function() {
// Empty your list.
this.$el.empty();
var _views = []; // Create a list for you subviews
// Create your subviews with the models in this.collection.
this.collection.each(function(model) {
_views.push(new FooView({model: model});
});
// Now create a document fragment so as to not reflow the page for every subview.
var container = document.createDocumentFragment();
// Append your subviews to the container.
_.each(_views, function(subview) {
container.appendChild(subview.render().el);
});
// Append the container to your list.
this.$el.append(container);
},
// renderNew will only run on the collections 'add' event.
renderNew: function(FooModel) {
var item = new FooView({model: FooModel});
this.$el.prepend(item.render().$el);
}
});
I am forced to assume a few things about you html, but I think the above code should be enough to get you up and running. Let me know if it works.
I'm not totally sure about what you are asking but have you tried:
MyCollection.fetch({
success: function(models,response) {
//do stuff here
}
});
Also you may be interested taking a look at http://backbonejs.org/#Model-parse
Hope it helps!
Edit: there is no direct link between fetching and rendering my bet is that you binded rendering to model change.
USE===============>>>> http://backbonejs.org/#Model-parse
I was unable to find any posts relevant to this error. I am attempting to render a Backbone Collection in a Marionette ItemView. The template is rendered, however, the data related to the collection is not rendered in the template. I am getting no errors or other indicators. For reasons I do not understand, using setTimeout() on App.mainRegion.show(overView). However, I know that that is not an acceptable solution. Could someone give me some insight on how to make an ItemView for a Collection properly render in this case? Here is my simplified code:
My Collection to be rendered:
About.Collection = Backbone.Collection.extend({
url: '/api/about',
idAttribute: '_id',
});
Involved View definitions:
About.ListView = Marionette.CollectionView.extend({
tagName: 'ul',
itemView: App.About.ListItemView,
});
About.OverView = Marionette.ItemView.extend({
tagName: 'div',
className: 'inner',
template: _.template('<h2>About Overview</h2><p><%= items %></p>'),
});
My relevant execution code:
var API = {
getAbouts: function() {
var abouts = new App.About.Collection();
abouts.fetch();
return abouts;
},
...
}
var abouts = API.getAbouts();
var aboutsListView = new App.About.ListView({collection: abouts }),
aboutsOverView = new App.About.OverView({collection: abouts});
// Correctly renders collection data
App.listRegion.show(aboutsListView);
// Does not render collection data
App.mainRegion.show(aboutsOverView);
// unless
setTimeout(function() {App.mainRegion.show(aboutsOverView)}, 50);
For those who are interested, I am using an ItemView with the eventual intent to display aggregate data of About.Collection. I will be happy to provide additional information, if needed.
It's an issue with the asynchronous nature of the fetch call on your collection. The data for the collection has not returned when you show the two views. If you update the execution part of your code something like the following (untested), you should be on the right tracks:
var API = {
getAbouts: function() {
// Just return the new collection here
return new App.About.Collection();
},
...
}
// Fetch the collection here and show views on success
var abouts = API.getAbouts().fetch({
success: function() {
var aboutsListView = new App.About.ListView({collection: abouts }),
aboutsOverView = new App.About.OverView({collection: abouts});
// Should render collection data now
App.listRegion.show(aboutsListView);
// Should render collection data now
App.mainRegion.show(aboutsOverView);
}
});
The abouts.fetch call is asynchronous, and a significant amount of time elapses before the collection receives data from the server. This is the order in which things are happening:
You call getAbouts, which itself calls abouts.fetch to make GET call to server for collection.
The listRegion.show and mainRegion.show calls are made, rendering the 2 views with the empty collection (the collection hasn't received a response from the server yet).
The GET call eventually returns, and the collection is populated with data.
Only the aboutsListView re-renders to show the data (see below for the reason).
The reason that only the aboutsListView re-renders is that the Marionette CollectionView automatically listens for the collection's reset event, which is fired when the collection's contents are replaced.
You can fix this by simply adding an initialize function to your OverView, so that view also re-renders in response to the same event:
// add to About.OverView:
initialize: function() {
this.listenTo(this.collection, 'reset', this.render);
}
That will take care of it.
I'm building some JS to access Google places JS API using backbone. So far I'm really stuck with the model bindings.
I overrode 'fetch' to be able to use the Google API. The call to Google works just fine.
var Places = Backbone.Collection.extend({
model: Place,
fetch: function(options) {
// SNIPPET //
service = new google.maps.places.PlacesService(map);
service.nearbySearch(request, this.googlePlaceCallback);
// SNIPPET //
},
parse: function(response){
// nerver called
},
googlePlaceCallback: function(results, status) {
// I do something here and is properly called after Google returns a response
}
});
I also defined a very simple View:
var MapView = Backbone.View.extend({
initialize: function() {
this.model = new Places();
this.model.bind("reset", this.render, this);
this.model.fetch();
},
render : function () {
console.log( this.model.toJSON() );
}
});
I can't figure out how to populate the 'model'. Google returns the expected results, but I can set them to the backbone model. I there something I need to do in 'googlePlaceCallback'? I'll probably will need to override 'parse' also since Google results are not quite all interesting.
Assuming that results is a collection of the results you want, you should be able to implement the callback as follows:
googlePlaceCallback: function(results, status) {
this.add(results);
}
Since Places is a backbone Collection, you're just calling the following method in the above code: http://backbonejs.org/#Collection-add
You will also have to get the correct this reference inside the googlePlaceCallback function (you want this to be the Collection). One way to do that is to use Underscores bindAll method ( http://underscorejs.org/#bindAll ), which you can use to make sure all methods in the Backbone class have a this context of the Collection itself. You can do this on initialize as follows:
initialize: function() {
_.bindAll(this);
}
Also, the reason parse is not being called is because you are overriding fetch, and fetch calls parse. If you take a look at the annotated backbone code, you will be able to see the method call: http://backbonejs.org/docs/backbone.html
I wish to read a whole database table to fill a Backbone.js Collection, before updating a View.
I am using fetch and listening to the reset event.
My problem is the reset event fires up before the http request is made to the server.
My question is: how can I render the view AFTER the data is received back from the server on a fetch?
Here is a jsfiddle showing the problem (with a debugger placed at reset):
http://jsfiddle.net/GhaPF/16/
The code:
$(document).ready(function() {
var Item = Backbone.Model.extend({
urlRoot : './items'
});
var ItemList = Backbone.Collection.extend({
model: Item,
url: './items/',
});
var ItemListView = Backbone.View.extend({
el: 'body',
initialize: function(myitemList) {
this.itemlist = myitemList;
this.itemlist.bind('reset', this.debuggThis());
},
debuggThis: function() {
debugger;
},
render: function() {
},
events: {
"keypress #new-item": "createOnEnter"
},
createOnEnter: function(e) {
}
});
$("#new-item").focus();
var itemlist = new ItemList();
var myitemListView = new ItemListView(itemlist);
itemlist.fetch();
});
The following code works, but it just doesn't feel like proper backbone.js (MVC) code since it would be placed outside of the View definition:
itemlist.fetch().complete(function(){
Maybe the issue is this line:
this.itemlist.bind('reset', this.debuggThis());
Should actually be:
this.itemlist.bind('reset', this.debuggThis);
Your debugThis function was getting run at the time you set up the listener for the 'reset' event - not when the event is triggered. This was telling JavaScript that you wanted debugThis to return a callback function instead of having debugThis "be" the callback function.
Also, orangewarp's comment about passing 'this' as the third parameter is probably relevant too. Sot it would end up as:
this.itemlist.bind('reset', this.debuggThis, this);
That's strange. When you fetch() the reset event should be triggered AFTER your collection is populated. So I'm thinking the phenomena that reset happens before the http request is fired up may not be what you think it is.
Instead of using the complete... you could always just use the success callback option like this:
itemlist.fetch({
success: function() {
// Whatever code you want to run.
itemlist.debuggThis();
}
});
Also, when binding your reset you probably want this:
this.itemlist.bind('reset', this.debuggThis, this);
I am trying to create my first backbone app and am having some difficulty getting my head around how I am meant to be using views.
What I am trying to do is have a search input that each time its submitted it fetches a collection from the server. I want to have one view control the search input area and listen to events that happen there (a button click in my example) and another view with sub views for displaying the search results. with each new search just prepending the results into the search area.
the individual results will have other methods on them (such as looking up date or time that they where entered etc).
I have a model and collection defined like this:
SearchResult = Backbone.model.extend({
defaults: {
title: null,
text: null
}
});
SearchResults = Backbone.Collection.extend({
model: SearchResult,
initialize: function(query){
this.query = query;
this.fetch();
},
url: function() {
return '/search/' + this.query()
}
});
In my views I have one view that represents the search input are:
var SearchView = Backbone.View.extend({
el: $('#search'),
events: {
'click button': 'doSearch'
},
doSearch: function() {
console.log('starting new search');
var resultSet = new SearchResults($('input[type=text]', this.el).val());
var resultSetView = new ResultView(resultSet);
}
});
var searchView = new SearchView();
var ResultSetView = Backbone.View.extend({
el: $('#search'),
initialize: function(resultSet) {
this.collection = resultSet;
this.render();
},
render: function() {
_(this.collection.models).each(function(result) {
var resultView = new ResultView({model:result});
}, this);
}
});
var ResultView = Backbone.view.extend({
tagName: 'div',
model: SearchResult,
initialize: function() {
this.render();
},
render: function(){
$(this.el).append(this.model.get(title) + '<br>' + this.model.get('text'));
}
});
and my html looks roughly like this:
<body>
<div id="search">
<input type="text">
<button>submit</button>
</div>
<div id="results">
</div>
</body>
In my code it gets as far as console.log('starting new search'); but no ajax calls are made to the server from the initialize method of the ResultSetView collection.
Am I designing this right or is there a better way to do this. I think because the two views bind to different dom elements I should not be instantiating one view from within another. Any advice is appreciated and if I need to state this clearer please let me know and I will do my best to rephrase the question.
Some problems (possibly not the only ones):
Your SearchView isn't bound to the collection reset event; as written it's going to attempt to render immediately, while the collection is still empty.
SearchView instantiates the single view ResultView when presumably it should instantiate the composite view ResultSetView.
You're passing a parameter to the SearchResults collection's constructor, but that's not the correct way to use it. See the documentation on this point.
You haven't told your ResultSetView to listen to any events on the collection. "fetch" is asynchronous. When completed successfully, it will send a "reset" event. Your view needs to listen for that event and then do whatever it needs to do (like render) on that event.
After fixing all the typos in your example code I have a working jsFiddle.
You see like after clicking in the button an AJAX call is done. Of course the response is an error but this is not the point.
So my conclusion is that your problem is in another part of your code.
Among some syntax issues, the most probable problem to me that I see in your code is a race condition. In your views, you're making an assumption that the fetch has already retrieved the data and you're executing your views render methods. For really fast operations, that might be valid, but it gives you no way of truly knowing that the data exists. The way to deal with this is as others have suggested: You need to listen for the collection's reset event; however, you also have to control "when" the fetch occurs, and so it's best to do the fetch only when you need it - calling fetch within the search view. I did a bit of restructuring of your collection and search view:
var SearchResults = Backbone.Collection.extend({
model: SearchResult,
execSearch : function(query) {
this.url = '/search/' + query;
this.fetch();
}
});
var SearchView = Backbone.View.extend({
el: $('#search'),
initialize : function() {
this.collection = new SearchResults();
//listen for the reset
this.collection.on('reset',this.displayResults,this);
},
events: {
'click button': 'doSearch'
},
/**
* Do search executes the search
*/
doSearch: function() {
console.log('starting new search');
//Set the search params and do the fetch.
//Since we're listening to the 'reset' event,
//displayResults will execute.
this.collection.execSearch($('input[type=text]', this.el).val());
},
/**
* displayResults sets up the views. Since we know that the
* data has been fetched, just pass the collection, and parse it
*/
displayResults : function() {
new ResultSetView({
collection : this.collection
});
}
});
Notice that I only created the collection once. That's all you need since you're using the same collection class to execute your searches. Subsequent searches only need to change the url. This is better memory management and a bit cleaner than instantiating a new collection for each search.
I didn't work further on your display views. However, you might consider sticking to the convention of passing hashes to Backbone objects. For instance, in your original code, you passed 'resultSet' as a formal parameter. However, the convention is to pass the collection to a view in the form: new View({collection: resultSet}); I realize that that's a bit nitpicky, but following the conventions improves the readability of your code. Also, you ensure that you're passing things in the way that the Backbone objects expect.