A base Backbone.js View for Composite Views

composite-view.js

// based very heavily on http://ianstormtaylor.com/rendering-views-in-backbonejs-isnt-always-simple/
CompositeView = Backbone.View.extend({
    
    // assuming an inline underscrore template
    template: _.template(jQuery('#template-composite-view').html())
    
    initialize: function(){
        
        this.children = [];
    },
    
    addChild: function(view){
        
        this.children.push(view);
    },
    
    getRenderData: function(){
        
        return {
            children: this.children
        }  
    },
    
    render: function(){
        
        var data = this.getRenderDate();
        
        // render self
        this.$el.html(this.template(data));
        
        // then render children
        this.renderChildren();
    },
    
    renderChildren: function(){
        
        _.each( this.children, function(child){
            
            this.assign(child, '#' + child.cid);
        }, this);
    },
    
    assign: function (view, selector) {

        view.setElement(this.$(selector)).render();
    }
});