Backbone: data binding libraries / tools?

[ErisDS]

From IRC we have some suggestions:

• https://github.com/theironcook/Backbone.ModelBinder
• http://kmalakoff.github.io/knockback/
• http://epoxyjs.org/

There are two particular areas I'd like to look into:

1. trying to improve the form binding/unbinding stuff. Example
2. thinking about how we can bind other data to the page, stuff that at the moment is exposed through res.locals, but is only available in the server templates.

Any suggestions, recommendations, gists, demos etc welcome

[bryanaka]

When I was looking at the options out there, it really fell down to:

• ModelBinder
• Stickit - https://github.com/NYTimes/backbone.stickit
• Knockback

I didn't like Knockback, simply because I felt like I was introducing more technical debt into the project (learn knockout-isms). I was really splitting hairs over the other two, and eventually choose ModelBinder.

One problem I hit with Backbone.ModelBinder was I found binding collections a little difficult (edit: this seems very clearly explained in the documentation now). It definitely follows backbone's lead and tries to leave a lot of implementation decisions to you, which was ok with me. Though I felt things were a bit verbose at times.

Now that both projects have evolved/marinated, I think I would chose Stickit over ModelBinder. Looking at epoxy though, the filters and computed properties look pretty cool. Im curious to hear from people with experience working with it.

[jgable]

As a staunch Backbone purist, I'm fundamentally offended by all data binding functionality. But, I have to admit that StickIt is pretty nice and I would use it if I was forced to.

[ErisDS]

As a staunch Backbone purist, I'm fundamentally offended by all data binding functionality.

@jgable Please do expand on this! Why so? Do you have any other recommendations?
My main concern is the endless lines of code binding data to fields and fields back to data - it's very error prone. Is there a nicer way to do it? Would you roll your own?

[jgable]

I was just joking, I'm a fan of StickIt. Backbone people just get tired of
always hearing about some other framework with super easy data binding
since it's one of the things that is admittedly pretty painful in vanilla
backbone. I think it's called sour grapes.

[ErisDS]

😊 That reference went right over my head that did. Hahaha

[karlmikko]

+1 Stickit

[ErisDS]

Closed in favour of #2144