

Show HN: using Backbone to make multiselects useful - Swizec
http://swizec.github.com/checkbox-field/

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gmac
_A bunch of checkboxes look better, but they are difficult for the backend
developer to handle._

Really? I've never found this a problem -- and if I did, I wouldn't push a
load of JavaScript cruft to the front-end to work around it.

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swombat
Not putting down the project by any means, I'm sure it's useful, but worth
pointing out that I just looked at it on my iPad and the "vanilla multiselect"
was nicer and clearer, and easier to use, than the checkboxes!

~~~
zidar
While I do agree that the "vanilla multiselect" is better on tablets (I just
checked on my galaxy tab), I have to point out, that it's only better, because
the tablet shows me that multiselect as a checkbox array. That is exactly what
this checkbox-field does, so it looks to be a steb in the right direction.

And one other thing, using multiselect in a browser with a mouse, I see no
easy way of selecting just option 1 and 3, without holding the control key.
This might seem perfectly normal to "us", but try telling that to someone with
less computer skill. I bet that an average computer user would find the
checkbox-field more intuitive.

~~~
swombat
The iPad has a native control, with no checkboxes in sight.

Please note I said IPad, not tablet. Call me a dick, but I don't believe other
tablets are worth considering as part of any relevant target market anyway, at
least at this stage.

~~~
zidar
Big market or not, my point was that I like the solution I see on my android
device (tablet or a phone) and that it's a far better solution than what I see
in the regular computer browser.

And to turn your words around a bit, the number of desktop and leptop users
surfing the web, is far greater than iPad users, so your iPad should not be
considered a target market as well. But that is not the point, even if iPad
has this native awesome solution, it's like you're saying "people should just
by iPads to be able to use multiselect normally."

This project is simple and easy and in my opinion, it helps make the web a bit
nicer for developers and users.

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jrnkntl
I don't see the need for the Backbone and Handlebars requirements to
accomplish this? Wouldn't writing it as a jQuery plugin or the like suffice?

~~~
Swizec
You're right, I could write it so the only dependency is jQuery. But using
Backbone makes the implementation much cleaner and more robust.

Especially considering there are three data representations that all have to
be in sync:

\- the actual multiselect

\- the visible checkboxes

\- the internal state

I thought about using pure jQuery, but my head soon started spinning and I
decided to do it right.

~~~
gillesmaes
I hope you don't mind, made a quick jQuery only version.
<http://gillesmaes.github.com/Multibox/>

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alex_duncan
I really don't see the point.

The problem it aims to overcome is the handling of the input on the back end,
but surely just using checkboxes as an input array would accomplish the same
thing e.g.: <http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1010941/html-input-arrays>

------
josscrowcroft
_"You can use jQueries for that? :O"_

