Taking in data from a function using _.clone(this.model.attributes)

Question

My issue is that I have a view and utils function that I am trying to connect with the model data.

In my view; I have a function:

getCalculatedData: function() {
    var calculatedData = utils.calculateAmounts(_.clone(this.model.attributes))
},

This retrieves my model data with a key/value object. Now in my utils function I want to retrieve that data so I can use calculations. So I want to make a function that does this:

calculatedAmounts: function() {
    //retrieve data from that
},

How do I retrieve those values. Lets say firstname, lastname, and state are all in that model that it is retrieving in my view. Do I create a variable hash that holds them like this:

calculatedAmounts: function() {
    firstname : this.model.get('firstname');
    //etc
},

How do I retrieve the values out of that object?

Thanks

Answer 1

I am not sure to completely understand your question, but in your calculatedAmounts method, why don't you use the variable you passed when you called the method in getCalculatedData?

Your code would look like this:

getCalculatedData: function() {
  var calculatedData = utils.calculateAmounts(this.model)
},

calculatedAmounts: function(myModel) {
  firstname : myModel.get('firstname');
  //etc
},

Also, if you are going to modify your model in calculatedAmounts and do not want those modifications to mirror outside the calculatedAmounts scope, you should deep copy your model object.
One common way to do it is to use the extend() method of jQuery. It would look like:

calculatedAmounts: function(myModel) {
  var deepCopiedModel = $.extend(true, {}, myModel);
  firstname : deepCopiedModel.get('firstname');
  //etc
},

Edit:
Also, avoid passing this.model.attributes to your calculatedAmounts() method if you want to use the get() method in it.
this.model.attributes is an Object object, and not a Backbone.Model object.

The .get() you will call if you pass this.model.attributes as a param is the method part of the Object's prototype, and not the method part of the Backbone.Model's prototype.