Backbone

Backbone Model

var myToDoModel = Backbone.Model.extend({
	urlRoot: 'http://tiny-pizza-server.herokuapp.com/collections/alex-todo-items',
	defaults: {
		todo: null,
		completed: true
	},
	idAttribute: '_id'
});

I am very proud of the Backbone model I created above for two reasons. Firstly, this model 
represents the start of my exploration into backbone.js many months ago and reminds me of 
how far I have come in such a short amount of time. Secondly, after learning several other 
MVC frameworks like Angular.js I've grown to appreciate Backbone's less opinionated framework.
For example, when I create a model the Model.extend component allows me to get back to writing 
good javascript instead of writing framework specific code. 


I can create a default object and add a 'completed' key that I can toggle when a ToDo item is 
clicked as well as a listener on the model change.

this.model.on('change:completed', this.onModelChanged);


The onModelChanged function and toggles a strike-text class on the clicked item. 

onModelChanged: function() {
		this.$el.toggleClass('strike-text');
  }

The above example may seem very trivial but for me it represents the start of a newly minted 
developer's first steps into the world of MVC frameworks. Through these first steps I've been
able to understand the advantages and disadvantages of selecting one technology over another
and ultimately picking the right tool for the right job.