ento.js

Simple, stateful, observable objects in JavaScript. Yet another model library, but this one aims to make the API experience as close to plain JavaScript objects as possible.

var User = Ento()
  .attr('id', Number)
  .attr('firstName')
  .attr('lastName');

me = new User({ firstName: 'John', lastName: 'Coltrane' });

me.firstName = 'Jacques';
me.first_name;

m.on('change', function (attrs) { ... });

• Plain attributes: ECMAScript getters and setters are used to listen for updates in attributes. No need for methods like .get() and .set().

• Change tracking: Listen for changes in instances via .on('change').

• Custom sync: No persistence is built in (AJAX, SQL, etc). Implement it however you need it.

• Model states: Keeps track of your model's state if it's fetching, or got an error. This is useful when used with data-binding view libraries.

• Browser or Node.js: Reuse the same business code in your client-side libs and your server-side libs.

"Ento" is the Esperanto transation of the word "entity."

API overview

Computed properties: you can define properties that are derived from other properties.

var Person = Ento()
  .attr('firstName')
  .attr('lastName')
  .attr('fullName', ['firstName', 'lastName'], function () {
    return [this.firstName, this.lastName].join(' ');
  });

var me = new User({ firstName: "Miles", lastName: "Davis" });

me.fullName;
=> "Miles Davis"

Plugins, and instance methods: create methods via use().

var Car = Ento()
  .use(Ento.persistence) // plugins
  .use(Ento.validation)
  .use({
    start: function () { ... },
    drive: function () { ... }
  });

var civic = new Car();
civic.start();

See the documentation for even more features.

What's it like?

• It's like Ember.Object, except decoupled from any MVC library.
• It's like Backbone.Model, but less emphasis on collections.
• It's like Spine.Model, but with change tracking.
• It's like Modella, but with collections. (You should probably try Modella, actually.)
• It's like all of the above, with simpler syntax, and a use-only-what-you-need approach.

Acknowledgements

Contains code from Backbone.js.

Backbone's MIT license goes here