Backbone.js与MVC 3和ViewModels

Question

So right now I'm trying to hook up Backbone.js into my MVC3 app, but I'm a little confused on how exactly to set it up.

So, without using Backbone, I have Views, ViewModels, and Controllers. One ViewModel, AddBookViewModel, contains all the properties needed for a new book, including an IEnumerable for a select list to select a Publisher from the Publishers table. When I save a new book, it contains a foreign key to the publisher.

How exactly is something like this done using Backbone? I have created a form just fine to test things out, where the Publisher is added on my Controller just before saving(its obviously always the same). Now I want to go ahead and add a Publishers field to my form.

In my js file, am I supposed to make a new model and view for the Publishers drop down box, and bind the data to that one element? Does that mean that I make a ViewModel JUST for a drop down box? As well as an ActionResult on my Controller that returns only a list of Publishers for binding?

Answer 1

So based on my comment above, here is more information

Backbone is a Backache IMO. Pluralsight, the leading online video training authority has videos on Knockout.js and CoffeeScript , not on the backbone.js or javascriptmvc

http://www.pluralsight-training.net/microsoft/Courses

Here is a link of someone comparing 3 to 4 of them (knockout, javascriptmvc, backbone and jmvc)

http://backbonefu.com/2011/09/knockout-vs-javascriptmvc-vs-backbone/

As a C# developer, this is a good read to think about writing javscript differently than how you write C# as it is easy to not have proper structure http://enterprisejquery.com/2010/10/how-good-c-habits-can-encourage-bad-javascript-habits-part-3/

Answer 2

I just answered a similar question to this earlier. All your server should do is return json from your controllers. Depending on the complexity of the application been built, I usually just have one view, which is my SPA (Single Page App/View). Your application should be rendered using the json data returned from your controllers. None of my controllers actually return views, except for the home controller. The rest of my application is built from the data that is being returned from my server. Let the client do 85-90% of your work and the server the remaining 15-10% (the majority, if not all, returning the data required for your app).

There have been cases, where my Backbone application actually sits on a different domain than my MVC application. My Backbone application talks to my server application using the REST API.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

This might help.... I've provided this answer to another Backbone.js and ASP.net MVC question.

I've compiled a couple of Backbone examples together into a working ASP.net MVC 3 application that is using REST interface. Here is the link to my tumblr Blog where I have provided information to the source code and the websites I used as resources. Backbone.js works really well with MVC 3 and I am always looking for new ways to push this example.