Issue when attempting to initialize a Backbone model with invalid data

README.md

A quick note regarding my set up:

• I started this so I could really dig into Backbone Models and (maybe) Collections
• Using Jasmine 1.2.0 for my testing framework
• I had changed the test for "should not allow for me to create a character without a name" to just check the isValid() attribute to get by the issue there, but when I ran into it again with Alignment, it bothered me enough to attempt to fix
• Yes, this IS the Evercraft Kata in Backbone... At least, where I've made it to before running into the problem.

Character.js

/*jslint nomen: true, regexp: true */
/*globals window, document, Backbone, _ */

var Character = Backbone.Model.extend({
	alignments: {
		"Evil": "Evil",
		"Neutral": "Neutral",
		"Good": "Good"
	},
	validate: function (attrs) {
		"use strict";

		if (!(/\S/.test(attrs.name))) {
			return "You must set a name for this character";
		}

		if (!!(/\S/.test(attrs.alignment)) || !this.alignments.hasOwnProperty(attrs.alignment)) {
			return "Invalid alignment given";
		}
	},
	getName: function () {
		"use strict";
		return this.get("name");
	},
	getAlignment: function () {
		"use strict";
		return this.get("alignment");
	},
	initialize: function () {
		"use strict";

		this.bind("error", function (model, error) {
			window.console.log("Error: " + error);
			model = null;
		});

		var error = this.validate(this.attributes);
		if (error) {
			this.trigger('error', this, error);
		}
	}
});

CharacterSpec.js

/*globals describe, beforeEach, afterEach, it, expect, Character */
describe("EverCraft", function () {
	"use strict";
	describe("Characters", function () {
		it("should be defined", function () {
			expect(Character).toBeDefined();
		});
		describe("Attributes", function () {
			var character;
			
			beforeEach(function () {
				character = new Character({"name": "Balrock", "alignment": "Good"});
			});
			afterEach(function () {
			});

			describe("#Name", function () {
				it("should be defined", function () {
					expect(character.getName).toBeDefined();
				});
				it("should allow for me to set the character's name to 'Balrock'", function () {
					expect(character.getName()).not.toBeNull();
				});
				it("should not allow for me to create a character without a name", function () {
					character = new Character();
					expect(character).toBeNull();
				});
				it("should allow for me to retrieve the character's name", function () {
					expect(character.getName()).toEqual("Balrock");
				});
			});
			describe("#Alignment", function () {
				it("should be defined", function () {
					expect(character.getAlignment).toBeDefined();
				});
				it("should allow for me to set the character's alignment to 'Good'", function () {
					expect(character.getAlignment()).toEqual("Good");
				});
				it("should allow for me to set the character's alignment to 'Evil'", function () {
					character = new Character({"name": "Balrock", "alignment": "Evil"});
					expect(character.getAlignment()).toEqual("Evil");
				});
				it("should allow for me to set the character's alignment to 'Neutral'", function () {
					character = new Character({"name": "Balrock", "alignment": "Neutral"});
					expect(character.getAlignment()).toEqual("Neutral");
				});
				it("should not allow for me to create a character with an alignment set to 'Nonsense'", function () {
					character = new Character({"name": "Balrock", "alignment": "Nonsense"});
					expect(character).toBeNull();
				});
			});
		});
	});
});

Note, you could write your own version of a Backbone.Model using Backbone.Model.extend and override the initialize function such that it does what you want. But I think it's easier to bend your way of thinking to the workflow Backbone anticipates and code accordingly :)

Yeah, given that I'm doing this to get better at Backbone, I don't think I want to change it (just yet).

Just a downside to working this through a kata and not an actual application. (although, maybe a small Sinatra server for the workshop is in order to do saves and such... Ah, the possibilities)