Re: Choosing a JS framework to go together with Django

Hi Jon, 

I was just wondering if you made a decision on this? I'm looking at a similar approach and am wondering what direction you ended up taking and why? 

Currently looking at Knockout myself but open to suggestions. 

Thanks!

--Martha

On Thursday, September 6, 2012 4:30:30 AM UTC+1, dotnetCarpenter wrote:

@Kelly Nicholes In backbone.js everything is in JS, meaning that there could be no conflict between declarative code and Django handled templates. If I can expose my python models, through auto serialization (JSON) from Django, I can see a productivity win. But I'm a little afraid of the tight coupling in data models between back-end and front-end. My main concern is that I'll have to rewrite large parts of JS if/when the models change. Have you any experience ironing out these issues? Maybe it's not a problem but I lack experience with both frameworks.

I'll look more into backbone.js :)

Den onsdag den 5. september 2012 16.34.29 UTC+2 skrev Kelly Nicholes:

It would be a travesty to not mention backbone.js.

On Tuesday, September 4, 2012 7:39:49 AM UTC-6, dotnetCarpenter wrote:

Hi all.

I'm new here and just took over a Django project for the first time. I'm still getting to grip with Django but as a front end dev for the past 5 years, I'm also looking for a client-side library/framework to go together with my project.
My requirements for a JS framework is that it:

1. is unobtrusive (Django rendered HTML will be shown to scraper bots like google)
2. provides some sort of structure (MVC, MVP, MVVM ect.)
3. embraces standards
   
4. doesn't conflict with Django templates or does so intentionally
   
5. ideally uses the same template language as Django

In the ideal world a request/response scenario would look like this:

1. A client make a (HTTP) request to the (django powered) web site with (HTTP) Accept header text/html
   
2. Django response in the usual way by rendering the assign View (django template)
3. The view figure out if JS is supported (implemented in JS). If no, this scenario stays in loop 1-3. If yes, then 4.
4. The client (usually a browser) wire up the client-side app structure, hook in to URI links, add transitions between views, data-bindings ect.
5. Subsequent request are now handle by the JS framework, either user initiated (e.g. clicking a link) or app initiated (e.g. pulling extra data), that will modify the request header to Accept header application/json or application/django-template.
6. If django receive a request with an application/django-template header it will serve the view as plain text. E.g. Content-type: text/plain. On the other hand if django receive a request with application/json, it will send the object model defined in the view as JSON.
7. The client-side JS framework will receive a template to render in the first request and the data to render in the template in the second request. A promise object could be used to synchronize the two calls.

This way django will work as intended for non JS clients and silently convert to a RIA in clients that supports JS, with minimal double work for the two execution contexts.
A big pro in this is the fact that both django and the JS framework share template and data (only has to defined once - in django) - we'll duck type all the way. But does this JS framework exist? Does anyone have any experience with working with django and JS frameworks? Is there any obvious pitfalls in my ideal world scenario in regard to Django? And finally, is it possible to serve templates as plain text with django?

Cheers, Jon and thanks in advance

PS. I accidentally cross-posted this to the Django Developers group before realizing it was the wrong forum. Sorry about that.

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