Models and Views

http://backbonejs.org/docs/images/intro-model-view.svg

A Model manages an internal table of data attributes, and triggers “change” events when any of its data is modified. Models handle syncing data with a persistence layer — usually a REST API with a backing database. Design your models as the atomic reusable objects containing all of the helpful functions for manipulating their particular bit of data.

A View is an atomic chunk of user interface. It often renders the data from a specific model, or number of models — but views can also be data-less chunks of UI that stand alone. Models should be generally unaware of views. Instead, views listen to the model “change” events, and react or re-render themselves appropriately.

Each View manages the rendering and user interaction within its own DOM element. If you’re strict about not allowing views to reach outside of themselves, it helps keep your interface flexible — allowing views to be rendered in isolation in any place where they might be needed.

Collections

http://backbonejs.org/docs/images/intro-collections.svg

A Collection helps you deal with a group of related models, handling the loading and saving of new models to the server and providing helper functions for performing aggregations or computations against a list of models. Aside from their own events, collections also proxy through all of the events that occur to models within them, allowing you to listen in one place for any change that might happen to any model in the collection.

Backbone.Events