a very basic nested model structure

foo.js

var data = {

  name: "foo",

  subFoos: [
  
    {name: "bar"},
    {name: "baz"},

  ]
};


FooModel = Backbone.Model.extend({

  initialize: function(){
    this.setupSubFoos();
  },

  setupSubFoos: function(){
    var subFoos = this.get("subFoos");
    this.unset("subFoos", {silent: true});
    this.subFoos = new FooCollection(subFoos);
  }

});

FooCollection: Backbone.Model.extend({
  model: FooModel
});



// i extracted the "setupSubFoos" in to a function called `getChildren` so that i could do something like:

this.subFoos = this.getChildren("subFoos");

// and then i could put that one liner in the initializer of the model, directly

sweet! much thanks.