Backbone is a very popular lightweight javascript framework which greatly simplifies and structures complex javascript in websites and especially (web) applications. A lot of high performance websites now rely on backbone.js and underscore.js (a dependency of Backbone), from single page web apps to websites that have a lot of client side functionality. WordPress is becoming increasingly javascript-centric so it’s only natural that WordPress developers are starting to look at backbone to make developing rich javascript functionality in their WordPress projects easier. Since 3.5 WordPress ships with backbone and underscore so the presence of backbone in WordPress projects is bound to grow.
At the time of writing backbone and WordPress are a pretty new combination and there aren’t a whole lot of resources to be had yet. Backbone takes some getting used to, especially if you only have only used javascript and jquery for lightweight functionality in projects. As I’m only digging into backbone myself, I decided to start aggregate the best resources so I can speed up my own learning. I hope you find it useful too.
General Backbone Resources
Connected to the Backbone (Video Tutorial by Jeffrey Way at Tutsplus)
(Full tutorial requires Tutsplus premium at 18$/month)
Anatomy of Backbone.js – course on Codeschool
(codeschool offers its courses for a subscription of 25$/month)
Learn Backbone.js Completely (free)
Extensive resource, which takes about 30 hours to run through fully
Developing Backbone.js Applications
This is Addy Osmani’s book (available in print too)
WordPress & Backbone Tutorials
Tutorials by Shane Osbourne on WP Tuts
Using Backbone within the Admin (frontend)
Using Backbone within the Admin (backend)
Alex Bachuck shares a concise backbone.js tutorial:
Displaying recent posts with backbone.js in WordPress
Study these examples in the wild
The WordPress Media Uploader utilizes backbone since version 3.5
The notifcations system on WordPress.com
WP Posts to Posts plugin by Scribu
WP Ultimate Search, a backbone.js powered plugin
WisP: a Backbone.js client for the Thermal WordPress Api
Current Comments: Example plugin for using Backbone.js with WordPress
Talks about WordPress and Backbone.js
Building Apps with Backbone.js and WordPress (WordCamp Chicago 28-30 June 2013)
From Adam White’s presentation
Developer: WordPress Loves Backbone JS (Portland WordPress meetup on 10 June 2013)
Tools for Backbone.js powered WordPress projects
A starting point for single page apps on WordPress using backbone and the json api plugin: WordPressSinglePage
Other learning
It’s worth going through some other courses before digging into Backbone, especially if your javascript skills are light. Underscore.js is worth learning in depth before going head first into backbone. Getting up to scratch with general javascript and jquery is highly recommended too.
Updates
I’ll be updating this page as more WordPress specific resources become available. If you sign up through this link I’ll send an email when the page is updated.
UPDATES 27 March 2013:
Over at WordPress.org a thread was started about creating new documentation for using Backbone.js and Underscore.js in WordPress projects. Official documentation should thus be on its way, that is great news!
UPDATES 17 April 2013:
Added WP Ultimate Search to the plugin examples and WordPressSinglePage which is a starting point for single page apps built on WordPress.
UPDATES 6 June 2013:
Added a few talks: There’s an upcoming WordCamp presentation at WordCamp Chicago about building Backbone.js apps with WordPress and a Portland meetup presentation with a few Automattic guys.
Added two plugins; an example backbone.js WordPress plugin and a client for the Thermal Api (a cool json api for WordPress)
UPDATES 3 July:
Added Adam White’s presentation slides and github example from WordCamp Chicago