@underdogio/backbone-requester

backbone-requester

Make server-based requests in Backbone via request

This is based off of backbone-request but forked due to lack of support for updates.

Getting Started

Install the module with: npm install backbone-requester

// Load in our dependencies
var Backbone = require('Backbone');
var BackboneRequester = require('backbone-requester');
var request = require('request');

// Initialize and bind `BackboneRequester` to `Backbone`
var requester = new BackboneRequester(request);
requester.attach(Backbone);

// Create a new model and save it via `request`
var person = new Backbone.Model({name: 'Bark Ruffalo'});
person.save({
  error: function (model, err, options) {
    // Handle error from request (e.g. `ECONNREFUSED`)
  },
  success: function (model, response, options) {
    // Handle response data from request
  }
});
// For error-first callback handling, this can be combined with `backbone-callbacks`

Documentation

backbone-requester exposes BackboneRequester via its module.exports.

new BackboneRequester(request)

Constructor for a new backbone-requester instance

• request Function - Request library (or drop-in replacement) to use for making requests

backboneRequester.attach(Backbone)

Bind backboneRequester instance to Backbone library. This will override Backbone.sync and replace it with our custom one.

• Backbone Object - Backbone library to bind to

Returns:

• Backbone Object - Mutated Backbone library with new .sync

backboneRequester.getSync(Backbone)

Generates custom Backbone.sync method but returns instead of attaching.

• Backbone Object - Backbone library to grab configuration from

Returns:

• sync Function - Generated custom Backbone.sync to bind as you see fit

Example: Bind only to Backbone.Model

// Load in our dependencies
var Backbone = require('Backbone');
var BackboneRequester = require('backbone-requester');
var request = require('request');

// Initialize  `BackboneRequester`
var requester = new BackboneRequester(request);

// Create a new model and save it via `request`
Backbone.Model.prototype.sync = requester.getSync();

Replacement Backbone.sync

Once bound via .attach, the new Backbone.sync will use the passed in request library to make all requests. We try to be consistent with Backbone's API but have some one-off differences due to using request.

• We return a request object over jQuery deferred
  • This means .success/.error methods will not be accessible after the .save/.fetch request
• We don't support all jQuery options (e.g. beforeSend)
• error can receive node errors like ECONNREFUSED
  • We do not raise any errors based off of status code
    • If you would like that behavior, please comment on https://github.com/underdogio/backbone-requester/issues/2
• We don't support non-JSON dataType's
  • If you would like that behavior, please comment on https://github.com/underdogio/backbone-requester/issues/3

Everything else remains the same:

• We accept url, method, headers, and data as valid input as documented with jQuery
• emulateHTTP and emulateJSON are supported
• error function signature is same (model, err, options)
  • model Object - Current model being interacted with
  • err Error - Error from request
  • options Object - Options initially passed into
• success function signature is same (model, response, options)
  • model Object - Current model being interacted with
  • response Object - Response data from request
  • options Object - Options initially passed into

Contributing

In lieu of a formal styleguide, take care to maintain the existing coding style. Add unit tests for any new or changed functionality. Lint via npm run lint and test via npm test.

License

Copyright (c) 2015 Underdog.io

Licensed under the MIT license.