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marionettejs/backbone.marionette

★ 7,039JavaScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 3/5Setup · moderate

TLDR

A JavaScript library that extends Backbone.js with application structure, view management, and memory cleanup patterns for building large web applications, adoptable gradually without rewriting an existing project.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((marionette))
    What It Does
      Extends Backbone.js
      App structure
      View management
    Key Concepts
      Regions
      Nested views
      Memory cleanup
    Tech Stack
      JavaScript
      Backbone.js
      jQuery
      Underscore
    Audience
      JS developers
      Backbone users
      Legacy web apps
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Code map

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Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Organize a large Backbone.js app into named Regions where each section of the screen is managed independently.

USE CASE 2

Nest views inside other views and have them clean up automatically when removed from the page.

USE CASE 3

Add Marionette incrementally to an existing Backbone project without rewriting everything at once.

Tech stack

JavaScriptBackbone.jsjQueryUnderscorenpmBower

Getting it running

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 1h+

This is the legacy version, new development has moved to a separate repository that drops the Backbone dependency entirely.

In plain English

Marionette is a JavaScript library that sits on top of Backbone.js and adds the pieces that Backbone leaves out. Backbone gives developers a set of basic building blocks for creating web applications, but it does not include a full application structure. Marionette fills that gap by providing patterns for organizing code, managing views, handling memory, and coordinating parts of the application through events. When building a large web application, a common problem is that the screen gets divided into sections, each section shows different data, and those sections need to update as the user interacts with the page. Marionette addresses this with objects called Regions and Views, which let developers describe what to show where, nest views inside other views, and clean up properly when views are no longer needed. The memory management aspect matters because web applications that create and destroy page sections without cleaning up can accumulate stale objects that slow things down over time. The library is designed to be adopted gradually. You do not have to use every part of it at once, which means you can introduce it into an existing Backbone project without rewriting everything. It works alongside jQuery and Underscore, two libraries that were already common in the Backbone ecosystem. This repository (backbone.marionette) is the older version of the project. The team has moved development to a newer version that drops the Backbone dependency entirely, available at a separate repository. Changes to this repository are now limited to bug fixes. Installation is available through npm or Bower, and full documentation is hosted at marionettejs.com.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Show me how to define a Marionette Region and render a View inside it using Backbone.Marionette.
Prompt 2
How do I nest one Marionette view inside another and ensure both are destroyed cleanly when the parent is removed?
Prompt 3
Give me an example of using Marionette's event system to let two views communicate without directly referencing each other.
Prompt 4
How do I install Backbone.Marionette via npm and set it up in an existing Backbone.js project?
Prompt 5
What is the difference between a Marionette ItemView and a CollectionView, and when should I use each?
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