Backbone.js Routing Guide

Backbone.js is a popular JavaScript library that provides the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern to web applications. One of its key features is routing, which allows you to define a URL structure for your application and update the view and model accordingly when the URL changes.

Understanding Routing

Routing in Backbone.js is handled by the Backbone.Router class. It listens for changes to the URL and triggers events when the URL matches a defined route.

Basic Syntax

A route is defined using a string that matches the URL pattern you want to handle. Here's an example:

Backbone.history.start();

var AppRouter = Backbone.Router.extend({
  routes: {
    "": "index",
    "about": "about",
    "contact": "contact"
  },

  index: function() {
    // Code to handle the index route
  },

  about: function() {
    // Code to handle the about route
  },

  contact: function() {
    // Code to handle the contact route
  }
});

In this example, the router has three routes: the root route (""), the about route, and the contact route. Each route is associated with a method that will be called when the route is matched.

Defining Routes

You can define routes using a hash of strings and functions. The strings represent the URL patterns, and the functions are the methods that will be called when the routes are matched.

Nested Routes

You can also define nested routes by chaining the route patterns. Here's an example:

var AppRouter = Backbone.Router.extend({
  routes: {
    "about": "about",
    "about/:section": "aboutSection"
  },

  about: function() {
    // Code to handle the about route
  },

  aboutSection: function(section) {
    // Code to handle the about section route
  }
});

In this example, the aboutSection method will be called when the URL matches /about/some-section.

Handling URL Changes

Backbone.js provides a Backbone.history object that you can use to listen for changes to the URL. You can use the on method to listen for the change:route event:

Backbone.history.on('change:route', function() {
  // Code to handle URL changes
});

Conclusion

Routing in Backbone.js is a powerful feature that allows you to create a dynamic and interactive web application. By defining routes and handling URL changes, you can create a seamless user experience that updates the view and model based on the current URL.

For more information on Backbone.js and its features, please visit our Backbone.js documentation.

Backbone.js