backbone.js for large applications

Asked By: Anonymous

I’m currently reading up on Backbone.js to dig into this nice, light-weight framework, but also to decide whether this is the way to go for me in some future projects I have on the drawing board. One thing I always seem to run into when reading about Backbone is that it is a framework mainly created and used for small (or smaller) sized web applications, such as the tutorial example, todos, on the Backbone.js official website.

I’m interested in learning about others’ experience with Backbone.js and its scalability. Would one normally discourage the usage of Backbone.js for web-applications with a more complex structure and a lot more functionality than just a simple “todos” application and the like?

I’ve read some of the other questions on SO which provided me with some insights, but I still miss the “discussion” about this.

Every input will be highly appreciated.

Cheers,
– Mestika

Solution

Answered By: Anonymous

I think you’re missing the point about the todomvc project which aims to demonstrate the usage of various JavaScript frameworks (including more full-featured frameworks such as ember and Angular) and allow comparison of the approach you would take using each.

The todo project was chosen as a fairly simple example which can still be used to demonstrate many of the core features of the various frameworks. If the example application was more complicated it would be less useful as a means of quick comparison.

Backbone, despite being quite light and non-proscriptive, can still be used as the basis of more complicated web applications, especially if you combine it with supporting libraries such as requirejs (for modular JavaScript development) and Marionette (composite application library for Backbone).

If you still need convincing, have a look at this page which lists some of the applications in the wild which are based on backbone.