Backbone Global Dispatcher (article @ http://www.michikono.com/2012/01/11/adding-a-centralized-event-dispatcher-on-backbone-js/)

backbone_extension.coffee

# centralized global_dispatcher object added to all Backbone Collection, Model, View, and Router classes
(->
  return if this.isExtended
  # attaching the Events object to the dispatcher variable
  dispatcher = _.extend({}, Backbone.Events, cid: "dispatcher")
  _.each [ Backbone.Collection::, Backbone.Model::, Backbone.View::, Backbone.Router:: ], (proto) ->
    # attaching a global dispatcher instance
    _.extend proto, global_dispatcher: dispatcher
)()

classes.coffee

# See http://www.michikono.com/2012/01/11/adding-a-centralized-event-dispatcher-on-backbone-js/ for an explanation

class Test extends sBackbone.Model

  initialize: () ->
    this.global_dispatcher.bind('model_custom_action', () ->
        console.log('GLOBAL TRIGGERED: test model custom action')
    )
    this.bind('model_custom_action', () ->
        console.log('TRIGGERED: test model custom action')
    )

  trigger_stuff: () ->
    console.log('triggering model')
    this.trigger('model_custom_action')
    this.global_dispatcher.trigger('model_custom_action')


class TestCollection extends sBackbone.Collection
  model: Test

  initialize: () ->
    this.global_dispatcher.bind('collection_custom_action', () ->
        console.log('GLOBAL TRIGGERED: test collection custom action')
    )
    this.bind('collection_custom_action', () ->
        console.log('TRIGGERED: test collection custom action')
    )

    this.global_dispatcher.bind('model_custom_action', () ->
        console.log('GLOBAL TRIGGERED inside Collection: test model custom action')
    )

    this.bind('model_custom_action', () ->
        console.log('TRIGGERED inside Collection: test model custom action')
    )

  trigger_stuff: () ->
    console.log('triggering collection')
    this.trigger('collection_custom_action')
    this.global_dispatcher.trigger('collection_custom_action')

trigger_collections.coffee

# Trigger both the local and global event bindings for the collection

# Outputs:
#  triggering collection
#  TRIGGERED: test collection custom action
#  GLOBAL TRIGGERED: test collection custom action

collection = new TestCollection()
# adding an empty, but fully valid Model instance
collection.add()
collection.trigger_stuff()

trigger_model.coffee

# Trigger both the local and global event bindings for the model

# Outputs:
#  triggering model
#  TRIGGERED: test model custom action
#  TRIGGERED inside Collection: test model custom action
#  GLOBAL TRIGGERED inside Collection: test model custom action
#  GLOBAL TRIGGERED: test model custom action

collection = new TestCollection()
# adding an empty, but fully valid Model instance
collection.add()
# getting the just-added instance
instance = collection.at(0)
# trigger an event on the Model
instance.trigger_stuff()

trigger_model_without_collection.coffee

# Trigger event bindings for a model not in a collection

# Outputs:
#  triggering model
#  TRIGGERED: test model custom action
#  GLOBAL TRIGGERED: test model custom action

instance = new Test
instance.trigger_stuff()