Knockback.js » Index » README.md

Knockback.js provides Knockout.js magic for Backbone.js Models and Collections.

Why Knockback?

• Make amazingly dynamic applications by applying a small number of simple principles
• Leverage the wonderful work from both the Backbone and Knockout communities
• Easily view and edit relationships between Models using an ORM of your choice:
  • BackboneORM
  • Backbone-Relational.js
• Simplify program control flow by configuring your application from your HTML Views. It's like Angular.js but without memorizing all of the special purpose ng-{something} attributes. See the Inject Tutorial for live examples!

Examples

Simple

The HTML:

<label>First Name: </label><input data-bind="value: first_name, valueUpdate: 'keyup'" />
<label>Last Name: </label><input data-bind="value: last_name, valueUpdate: 'keyup'" />

And...engage:

model = new Backbone.Model({first_name: 'Bob', last_name: 'Smith'})
ko.applyBindings(kb.viewModel(model))

When you type in the input boxes, the values are properly transferred bi-directionally to the model and all other bound view models!

Advanced

The View Model:

Javascript

var ContactViewModel = kb.ViewModel.extend({
  constructor: function(model) {
    kb.ViewModel.prototype.constructor.call(this, model);

    this.full_name = ko.computed(function() {
      return this.first_name() + " " + this.last_name();
    }, this);
});

or Coffeescript

class ContactViewModel extends kb.ViewModel
  constructor: (model) ->
    super model

    @full_name = ko.computed => "#{@first_name()} #{@last_name()}"

The HTML:

<h1 data-bind="text: 'Hello ' + full_name()"></h1>
<label>First Name: </label><input data-bind="value: first_name, valueUpdate: 'keyup'" />
<label>Last Name: </label><input data-bind="value: last_name, valueUpdate: 'keyup'" />

And...engage:

model = new Backbone.Model({first_name: 'Bob', last_name: 'Smith'})
view_model = new ContactViewModel(model)
ko.applyBindings(view_model)

# ... do stuff then clean up
kb.release(view_model)

Now, the greeting updates as you type!

Getting Started

• Website - explore everything Knockback and connect to the community
• Tutorials - try some live examples
• API Docs - dig into the API
• TodoMVC App (Live!) - compare client-side framworks

Download Latest (1.2.3):

Please see the release notes for upgrade pointers.

• Full Library (dev, 64k) or (min+gzip, 8k)

• Full Stack (dev, 330k) or (min+gzip, 32k)

• Core Library (dev, 54k) or (min+gzip, 7k)

• Core Stack (dev, 315k) or (min+gzip, 31k)

The full versions bundle advanced features.

The core versions remove advanced features that can be included separately: localization, formatting, triggering, defaults, and validation.

The stack versions provide Underscore.js + Backbone.js + Knockout.js + Knockback.js in a single file.

###Distributions

You can also find Knockback on your favorite distributions:

• npm: npm install knockback
• Bower: bower install knockback
• NuGet - install right in Visual Studio

###Dependencies

• Backbone.js - provides the Model layer
• Knockout.js - provides the ViewModel layer foundations for Knockback
• Underscore.js - provides an awesome JavaScript utility belt
• LoDash - optionally replaces Underscore.js with a library optimized for consistent performance
• Parse - optionally replaces Backbone.js and Underscore.js

###Compatible Components

• BackboneORM - A polystore ORM for Node.js and the browser
• Backbone-Relational.js - Get and set relations (one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one) for Backbone models
• Backbone Associations - Create object hierarchies with Backbone models. Respond to hierarchy changes using regular Backbone events
• BackboneModelRef.js - provides a reference to a Backbone.Model that can be bound to your view before the model is loaded from the server (along with relevant load state notifications).

Contributing

To build the library for Node.js and browsers:

$ gulp build

Please run tests before submitting a pull request:

$ gulp test --quick

and eventually all tests:

$ npm test