#backbonejs

NUT BLANCHE by François Couturier & Tarkovsky Quartet from the album Nuit Blanche (2017) on ECM.

AVRIL 14TH by Vanessa Wagner & Murcof

from the album STATEA (2016) on Infiné.

TWENTY-NINE by Pillowdiver

from the album sleeping pills (2009) on 12k.

Backbone.js is a lightweight JavaScript library that helps developers build structured, maintainable, and scalable web applications. It provides models, views, collections, and routers that bring order to client-side code. For beginners preparing for interviews, understanding the basics of Backbone.js is crucial. In this blog, we’ll explore the top Backbone.js interview questions and answers to help you get started.

1. What is Backbone.js?

Answer: Backbone.js is a JavaScript library that gives structure to web applications by providing models (for data), collections (for groups of models), views (for UI), and routers (for URL handling). It helps manage the complexity of client-side code and works seamlessly with RESTful APIs.

2. What are the key features of Backbone.js?

Answer:

Provides models with key-value binding and custom events.

Offers collections for handling groups of models.

Simplifies user interfaces with views.

Integrates with RESTful APIs for server communication.

Lightweight and flexible (only ~7KB minified and gzipped).

3. What is a Model in Backbone.js?

Answer: A Model represents the data in an application. It includes logic for data manipulation, validation, and business rules. Models can be connected to REST APIs for CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations.

Example:var Book = Backbone.Model.extend({ defaults: { title: '', author: '' } });

4. What is a View in Backbone.js?

Answer: A View is responsible for presenting data from models to the user interface. Views listen to changes in models and re-render when data updates. They don’t store data; instead, they display it dynamically.

Example:var BookView = Backbone.View.extend({ render: function() { console.log("Book title: " + this.model.get('title')); } });

5. What are Collections in Backbone.js?

Answer: Collections are ordered sets of models. They allow batch operations and can listen to model events to keep data in sync.

Example:var Library = Backbone.Collection.extend({ model: Book });

6. What is a Router in Backbone.js?

Answer: A Router maps URLs to actions within the application. It helps create single-page applications by handling navigation without reloading the page.

Example:var AppRouter = Backbone.Router.extend({ routes: { "books/:id": "getBook" }, getBook: function(id) { console.log("Book ID: " + id); } });

7. What is an Event in Backbone.js?

Answer: Backbone.js has a built-in event system that allows different components (models, views, collections) to communicate efficiently. Developers can bind custom events and trigger them when required.

Example:book.on("change:title", function() { console.log("Title changed!"); });

8. What are the advantages of Backbone.js?

Answer:

Lightweight and flexible.

Provides structure to client-side applications.

Easy integration with existing code.

Works well with REST APIs.

Encourages code reusability and maintainability.

9. What are the limitations of Backbone.js?

Answer:

Doesn’t provide two-way data binding by default.

Lacks built-in UI components.

Requires additional libraries (like Underscore.js) for utility functions.

Not as feature-rich as modern frameworks like Angular or React.

10. What is the role of Underscore.js in Backbone.js?

Answer: Backbone.js depends on Underscore.js, a utility library that provides functions like iteration, binding, and array/object manipulation. Without Underscore.js, Backbone.js cannot function properly.

11. What is the difference between Backbone.js and AngularJS/React?

Answer:

Backbone.js: Lightweight library providing only the essentials (models, views, collections, routers). More flexibility, but more coding effort.

AngularJS/React: Full-featured frameworks offering built-in data binding, dependency injection, and larger ecosystems. Less flexibility but faster development for large apps.

12. How do you sync Backbone.js with the server?

Answer: Backbone.js uses the Backbone.sync method to persist data between models and the server. By default, it communicates with RESTful APIs using GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE.

13. Can Backbone.js be integrated with other frameworks?

Answer: Yes. Backbone.js is highly flexible and can be integrated with libraries like jQuery, Handlebars, or even modern frameworks to handle specific functionalities.

14. What are Backbone.js Templates?

Answer: Templates in Backbone.js allow developers to define HTML structures with placeholders that get replaced by dynamic data. Underscore.js is often used for templating.

Example:<script type="text/template" id="book-template"> <h2><%= title %></h2> <p><%= author %></p> </script>

15. Is Backbone.js still relevant today?

Answer: Although modern frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue dominate web development, Backbone.js is still used in legacy applications. Many companies maintain older projects built with Backbone, so understanding it can still be valuable for developers.

Conclusion

Backbone.js may be lightweight compared to modern frameworks, but it laid the foundation for structured client-side development. For beginners, it’s an excellent way to learn how to separate concerns (models, views, collections, and routers) and build maintainable applications.

By preparing for these Backbone.js interview questions and answers, you’ll gain confidence in Backbone.js basics and be ready to impress potential employers.

Backbone.js Development

As a seasoned Backbone.js development company, Sparkout specializes in maintaining and modernizing legacy Backbone.js applications. We help enterprises enhance performance, integrate modern features, and ensure scalable front-end architectures using Backbone.