Backbone.js collections for options on a model

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I have a form where a user can create a new model. The model has many potential attributes, and the form needs to list out all the options a user can select as "active" for this model.

I'm wondering how I should manage the collections for the options. I think there's 2 different ways:

1) Have a collection attached to the view with the form and another collection on the model. As items in the list are selected in the view, the items get copied over to the collection in the model.

2) Have a single collection on the model, and mark items as "selected" or "not selected", so I only have one collection and don't need to compare two different collections when showing what's been selected for that model and what hasn't.

I thought the first option is more "proper", as I'd only have data in the model that is legitimately part of the model and should be sent to the server to save. If I have the whole "selected" thing, I'll need to sort through that data at save time to determine what to send to the server.

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javascriptbackbone.jscollections
You want to create a Backbone collection for the attributes of a particular model? I would encourage a different approach, as collections are really designed to be collections of models, with a server-side correlate. Instead, I would either specify an array of possible attributes in your model or extract them from a server response, present them in your form, and then add the selected attributes to your new model upon creation. - glortho
While they may not be full blown models that I'll save and update elsewhere in the application, the attributes / options are pretty extensive and are different depending upon the 'parent' attribute selected. Having them in the model directly doesn't really work and having a bunch requests in the model to get these options is kind of messy. Using 'pseudo' models with collections makes managing the options much easier. - Eric
What features of backbone models/collections assist in this aside from enumerators that underscore provides? Backbone.Collection.update()? Just curious. - glortho
It's not necessarily that I need specific Backbone Collection features, but rather that these "options" represent static entities I'll use elsewhere in the application, beyond just in the form for this model. - Eric

1 Answers

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I would recommend that you should have two separate models. One your parent model and one Options model. You'll have corresponding collections for both.

Your parent model will have a nested Options collections in it. This is a basic many-to-many implementation in Backbone.

I am always very keen to have my models and collections reflect true relationships. Here if you think options are proper entities with their own usage then I would consider creating model for them.