Backbone.Collection.search

A keyword search plugin for Backbone.Collections

This plugin adds a "search" method to allow keyword search through the model's attributes in the collection. This is a great plugin for implementation of typeahead widgets.

How to use

collection.search( [query string] );

collection.on('search', function( results ) { ... });

search

collection.search( [query string], [array of attributes] )

Search requires a query string and accepts an optional attributes parameter. All the attributes will be searched from each model unless you provide an array of attributes. When the results are ready, a trigger "search" will fire and a new collection of the models are returned.

var Book = Backbone.Model;
var books = new Backbone.Collection();

books.add(new Book({ author: 'J. K. Rowling', related: 'Stephanie Meyer books', title: 'Harry Potter #1' }));
books.add(new Book({ author: 'P&B Pollack', related: 'Stephanie Meyer books', title: 'Who Is J. K. Rowling?' }));
books.add(new Book({ author: 'Stephanie Meyer', related: 'J. K. Rowling books', title: 'Twilight'}));

books.search('rowling', ['author','title']);

books.on('search', function( results ){ alert( results.pluck('title') ) });
// Will result: "Harry Potter #1,Who Is J. K. Rowling?"

books.search('rowling');

books.on('search', function( results ){ alert( results.pluck('title') ) });
// Will result: "Harry Potter #1,Who Is J. K. Rowling?,Twilight"

matcher

collection.matcher( needle, haystack )

matcher is used to test the query against the attribute value. In the given default method, the search is doing a simple "indexOf" string search. It returns true if it finds a match. This can be customized to a more robust matcher if desired (i.e. RegExp). In theory you may use different object types, but the provided method is dealing with strings.

getSearchResults

collection.getSearchResults()

This will return the most recent queried results. The resulted collection also has a method getSearchQuery() to get the search query used to get that result.

books.on('search', function(){ 
  var results = this.getSearchResults();
  
  alert( results.pluck('title') )
  // Will result: "Harry Potter #1,Who Is J. K. Rowling?"
  
  alert( results.getSearchQuery() )
  // Will result: "rowling"
});

getSearchQuery

collection.getSearchQuery()

This will return the most recent search query. It will pull directly from getSearchResults()

As a simple utility filter

Like the built in underscore methods, it returns the collection. Note: this won't work with the ajax version.

var stephanieBooks = books.search('stephanie', ['author']);

alert(stephanieBooks.pluck('title'))
// Will result: "Twilight"

Ajax version

backbone-collection-search-ajax.js

If a front-end solution doesn't suffice, there is also an ajax support using the fetch function and ability to add parameters. This is a starter piece to making that server-side search function. The mark up on the front-end will be exactly the same, and it will similarly fire 'search' when the call is finished. The appended parameters are keyword and attributes[]

GET http://somelibrary.com/api/books?keyword=rowling&attributes[]=author&attributes[]=title

Non-destructive plugin

The plugin is non-destructive to all the existing behaviors.

Prerequisites

• Backbone v1.0
• Underscore v1.4

How to load

Require.js AMD

require.config({
  paths: {
    'underscore': 'assets/js/underscore',
    'backbone': 'assets/js/backbone',
    'backbone-collection-search': 'assets/js/backbone-collection-search',
    'backbone-collection-search-ajax' : 'asset/js/backbone-collection-search-ajax'
  },

  shim: {
    'backbone': {
      deps: ['underscore'],
      exports: 'Backbone'
    },
    'backbone-collection-search': {
      deps: ['underscore', 'backbone'],
      exports: 'Backbone'
    },
    'backbone-collection-search-ajax': { 
      deps: ['underscore', 'backbone'],
      exports: 'Backbone'
    }
  }
});

define(['backbone-collection-search'], function( Backbone ) {  ...  });
  OR
define(['backbone-collection-search-ajax'], function( Backbone ) {  ...  });

Static

<script src="assets/js/underscore.js"></script>
<script src="assets/js/backbone.js"></script>
<script src="assets/js/backbone-collection-search.js"></script>
  OR
<script src="assets/js/backbone-collection-search-ajax.js"></script>

Versions

v0.2.1

Streamlined the way to retrieve the recent query's keyword and attribute

• getSearchQuery() now returns an object from the defined "searching" object literal in the new collection

v0.2

Code needed some love and refactoring so I had to make the changes

• Removed delay because I thought it was unnessary. Any delay (like for a typeahead widget) should be done in the View.
• Added a way to return the collection without needing to wait for the trigger as a utility filter.
• Added AJAX version as a starter piece to making a server-side search.

v0.1

• First commit!