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Developing a Backbone.js Edge

backbone_cover_wide_web

$19.99 U.S.
ISBN: 9781939902016
Published April 2013

Developing a Backbone.js Edge

By Casey Foster, Aidan Feldman, David Tonge, Phil Freo and Tim Branyen

Backbone is a JavaScript library designed to give structure to your web applications. It gives you a robust yet flexible framework to build your client-side JavaScript application.

Backbone doesn't force you into a particular coding style or paradigm. There is no "magic" happening below the surface: the source code is clear, readable and well commented.  Backbone is also "lightweight" in the sense that it doesn't require a ton of buy-in to use.  It can be easily integrated into an existing page, and you can choose to only use certain components of the library (Views without Models or Collections, for example). While there are many frameworks that seem to be faster to get started with, Backbone's lack of surprises, clear documentation, speed & flexibility make it a good fit for all types of apps.

This book incorporates best practices and the techniques from the combined authors' experience of developing many Backbone apps. Some of the resources on the web advocate inefficient or inelegant solutions and there are few that cover the whole library. In this book we aim to provide a complete guide to Backbone and equip you to start using the library straight away.

While writing this book the authors developed an example app, called Hubbub, to illustrate the various features of the library. Don't worry, it's not another "Todo App"... rather it's a GitHub issue organizer. The app is more complex than most "example" apps and uses a real API (Github's). You'll have a chance to build the app as you go through the book.

Table of Contents

  • CHAPTER 1: Preface
  • CHAPTER 2: The Setup
  • CHAPTER 3: Test Driven Development
  • CHAPTER 4: Backbone Events
  • CHAPTER 5: Views
  • CHAPTER 6: Models
  • CHAPTER 7: Collections
  • CHAPTER 8: Sync
  • CHAPTER 9: Routing
  • CHAPTER 10: Modules, Build Tools, & Preparing for Production

Check out the new Google Hangout video of the authors.