Backbone.js Features & Benefits That Web App Developers Should Know

Backbone.js Features & Benefits That Web App Developers Should Know
If you are into a business, then choosing the best JavaScript framework is difficult. Every day, new technology is launched, and it has become essential for everyone to select the framework according to their business requirements. Using any of the frameworks doesn’t depend on its release date. It completely depends upon features and popularity. 

It doesn’t matter whether you are an experienced or a beginner; everyone searches for a framework that has advanced features and could be used for web and mobile. While Meteor.js, an open-source JavaScript web framework, offers the facility of real-time applications, Vue.js has incredible features and helps to build engaging UI and single-page apps. 

Other than frameworks, JavaScript libraries are also getting popular these days. A JavaScript library that developers are using for one-page app development is Backbone.js. It gives structure to web applications and provides models with key-value binding and different events. It has a collection of several rich APIs that connects with existing APIs over a RESTful JSON Interface. It is based on MVP (Model-View-Presenter) that abstracts data into models. 

Let us delve deeper and understand Backbone.js benefits for any business. 

What do You Understand by Backbone.js?


Backbone.js is one of the most widely used JavaScript libraries available that is dependent on MVP designer patterns. People often consider it as a JavaScript framework, but it is a library that allows you to develop single-page applications. It is a lightweight library and provides models, routes, and collections to assemble the client-side web applications. 

Backbone.js was created by Jeremy Ashkenas, who co-created CoffeeScript and LiveScript programming languages. The goal of the Backbone.js is to create single-page applications and to synchronize different parts of the web apps. 

Features of Backbone.js  


Here are popular features of backbone.js that you should consider while developing an application. 

1. It allows developers to develop an application using JavaScript functions. Furthermore, it updates the HTML code of any application automatically. 
2. Backbone.js provides a free and open-source library that includes over 100 extensions. It has a simple library that is used to separate user interface logic and business. 
3. It manages the data model, which consists of user data, and displays it at the server-side with the same format written at a client-side. Additionally, it allows the developers to create mobile and web applications in an organized format. 
4. It ensures that the communication to the server is done entirely through a RESTful API. The web is also focussing that the content should be exposed through an API. 

Backbone.Js Model - Important Part of JavaScript Apps

The Model contains data and logic. A model is also sometimes called the heart of the JavaScript application. Models are the core part of the JavaScript apps. They are completed with interactive data and a part of logic around them. By grouping models into the collection, you could perform iterative procedures for registering events, rendering works, and more. 

Backbone View - Views are Displayed in UI

Models are connected to views. Views are created to render data from models. 

They might be independent empty data-less tablets of the user interface. Additionally, these views react to changing events and render themselves according to the input.

They are backed by models that could be updated if any changes occur, without reworking the whole page. This saves the developer’s time, and he doesn’t have to search for JSON objects in-app code. Therefore, views show the models and where they are displayed in the User Interface.  

Backbone Events - Several Events Could be Used by an Application

Backbone events connect web apps to make them attractive. Each of the backbone objects has an event system that allows them to handle different events. Backbone events may be divided into On, Off, Once, stop listening, listen to, listen once, and Trigger Event. Backbone events allow you to use events when it is needed by an application. 

Backbone Collection - It Simplifies Performance 

Backbone collections allow developers to control overloading and to save new models to the server. It simplifies performance and notifies developers about the changes in an event. For instance, add or remove events, fetch the models collection from the server-side. Change event shows if one of the models is modified. 

Backbone Router

Backbone Routers route the applications when you use a hashtag. It routes the client-side of the web page and manages it with events. A Backbone router is useful for any application that needs URL history capabilities. Defied routers should contain one route function to connect with a particular route. All the links, including URL, Shareable, and Bookmark, are routed by one single API. 

Backbone Sync

Backbone Sync is a function that is called whenever .js tries to save or read a model to the server. Backbone.js sync represents the state of the model. It has different parameters like method, model, and options.

The Method represents the CRUD options like create, read, update, and delete. The Model contains models that need to be saved. It is the fundamental function of Sync that allows you to save the model to the server-side of a web app. 

When Could You Use Backbone.js?


When the developers have to develop a one-page Java app, they should use Backbone.js. Model View Framework in backbone.js helps more than structuring your Javascript architecture. It saves the developers from several problems that you may face during app development. 

Backbone.js is used when there is a need to reduce HTTP requests to the server. Also, when you have to simplify complex UI design and to avoid spaghetti code. 

When do You Have to Reduce the Use of HTTP Requests to the Server?

The majority of the web app data is on the server-side. Therefore, HTML is pushed to reload the page. Meanwhile, client-side JavaScript has limited solutions to overcome this problem. With backbone.js, everything has changed. Backbone.js downloads raw data from the server-side of the web app and renders into the browser when it is needed. 

Simplify Complex UI Design

It uses one view and controls multiple subviews that share the required models. This increases the code readability, saves time, and reduces code usage for the future. As a result, developers try to build complex projects with multifunctional user interfaces. 

What is the Need for Backbone.js?


When you have to develop a one-page app, developers are required to structure code to save time. As a result, developers would start seeking any MVC framework. It is a mature framework with documentation and a strong community. 

But why do you need a library like Backbone.js? Without Backbone, the developers could have to face several problems. For instance, large apps are hard to keep structured, it is hard to avoid data and views, and code data doesn’t teach DOM. 

Benefits of Using Backbone.js


Know the benefits of using Backbone.js before implementing it on your application. 

1. Lightweight

The weight of any project is essential when you talk about downloading speed and responsive applications. Backbone.js size is nearly 7.6kb. So, it is the best library in all fields. It could get rid of jQuery dependency and is based on Underscores.Js libraries. Furthermore, it is handy in development. 

2. It Includes Tons of Small Libraries

Extensibility is the core idea of Backbone.js. It includes several libraries that could be used whenever required. Also, you could create your MVC framework with Backbone.js. LayoutManager offers overview rendering. Marionette allows structuring the app code in a better way. 

3. Abstract Code and MV Structure

Abstract code plays a crucial role in programming. It also incorporates Object Oriented Programming language. It could hide anything but can’t hide data about any object. It moves from DOM usage to RESTful API to retrieve JSON and saves data in the model’s format. 

4. Documentation and API

It is easy to learn due to several reasons. It has tons of documentation and guides that could be browsed from the internet. It is tested and supported by several todo applications. Additionally, it could synchronize with the back-end easily. If the API is designed properly, then backbone.js could read, write, and delete several operations easily. 

5. Event-driven Communication

When a project grows, the jQuery declarations become complex and get distributed over the place, making the code difficult to clutter and read. Backbone.js solves this through event-driven communication. One could attach listeners to model attributes and control everything that could be changed in a view. 

6. Conventions for Coding Style

Conventions are a great choice when you have to introduce a common coding style. With backbone.js, the more the developer would stick to backbone conventions, the developers have to code less, and thus, they use standardized code. 

Final Words


Backbone.js is a great choice to prevent most of the pitfalls that are hidden into unstructured codes in website development. It not only provides benefits to developers but also for businesses. 

If you are looking for the best company to hire talented developers, then Covetus should be your choice. We offer result-driven solutions using several latest frameworks and technologies. 

Our experts could develop highly functional websites and apps that could meet your customized requirements.
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