Refactor serializeData to no longer use toJSON.

toJSON should only be used for preparing data to be sent to the
server. In addition, serializeData no longer accepts arguments,
distinguishing it further from templateHelpers.

Resolves #1476

src/composite-view.js

@@ -46,17 +46,9 @@ Marionette.CompositeView = Marionette.CollectionView.extend({
     return childView;
   },
 
-  // Serialize the model for the view.
-  // You can override the `serializeData` method in your own view
-  // definition, to provide custom serialization for your view's data.
+  // Return the serialized model
   serializeData: function() {
-    var data = {};
-
-    if (this.model){
-      data = _.partial(this.serializeModel, this.model).apply(this, arguments);
-    }
-
-    return data;
+    return this.serializeModel();
   },
 
   // Renders the model and the collection.
@@ -83,9 +75,7 @@ Marionette.CompositeView = Marionette.CollectionView.extend({
   // Render the root template that the children
   // views are appended to
   _renderTemplate: function() {
-    var data = {};
-    data = this.serializeData();
-    data = this.mixinTemplateHelpers(data);
+    var data = this.mixinTemplateHelpers(this.serializeData());
 
     this.triggerMethod('before:render:template');
 

src/item-view.js

@@ -12,35 +12,36 @@ Marionette.ItemView = Marionette.View.extend({
     Marionette.View.apply(this, arguments);
   },
 
-  // Serialize the model or collection for the view. If a model is
-  // found, the view's `serializeModel` is called. If a collection is found,
-  // each model in the collection is serialized by calling
-  // the view's `serializeCollection` and put into an `items` array in
-  // the resulting data. If both are found, defaults to the model.
-  // You can override the `serializeData` method in your own view definition,
-  // to provide custom serialization for your view's data.
-  serializeData: function(){
-    if (!this.model && !this.collection) {
-      return {};
-    }
+  // Serialize the view's model *or* collection, if
+  // it exists, for the template
+  serializeData: function() {
 
-    var args = [this.model || this.collection];
-    if (arguments.length) {
-      args.push.apply(args, arguments);
+    // If we have a model, we serialize that
+    if (this.model) {
+      return this.serializeModel();
     }
 
-    if (this.model) {
-      return this.serializeModel.apply(this, args);
-    } else {
+    // Otherwise, we serialize the collection,
+    // making it available under the `items` property
+    else if (this.collection) {
       return {
-        items: this.serializeCollection.apply(this, args)
+        items: this.serializeCollection()
       };
     }
+
+    // If we have neither, we return an empty object
+    else {
+      return {};
+    }
   },
 
-  // Serialize a collection by serializing each of its models.
-  serializeCollection: function(collection){
-    return collection.toJSON.apply(collection, _.rest(arguments));
+  // Serialize a collection by cloning each of
+  // its model's attributes
+  serializeCollection: function() {
+    if (!this.collection) { return {}; }
+    return this.collection.map(function(model) {
+      return _.clone(model.attributes);
+    });
   },
 
   // Render the view, defaulting to underscore.js templates.

src/view.js

@@ -32,10 +32,13 @@ Marionette.View = Backbone.View.extend({
     return this.getOption('template');
   },
 
-  // Serialize a model by returning its attributes. Clones
-  // the attributes to allow modification.
-  serializeModel: function(model){
-    return model.toJSON.apply(model, _.rest(arguments));
+  // Prepares the special `model` property of a view
+  // for being displayed in the template. By default
+  // we simply clone the attributes. Override this if
+  // you need a custom transformation for your view's model
+  serializeModel: function() {
+    if (!this.model) { return {}; }
+    return _.clone(this.model.attributes);
   },
 
   // Mix in template helper methods. Looks for a

test/unit/composite-view.spec.js

@@ -790,7 +790,7 @@ describe('composite view', function() {
         this.view.serializeData();
       });
 
-      it("should call serializeModel", function(){
+      it("should call serializeModel", function() {
         expect(this.view.serializeModel).to.have.been.calledOnce;
       });
     });

test/unit/item-view.spec.js

@@ -310,17 +310,13 @@ describe('item view', function() {
     describe('and the view only has a collection', function() {
       beforeEach(function() {
         this.itemView.collection = new Backbone.Collection(this.collectionData);
-        this.itemView.serializeData(1, 2, 3);
+        this.itemView.serializeData();
       });
 
       it("should call serializeCollection", function(){
         expect(this.itemView.serializeCollection).to.have.been.calledOnce;
       });
 
-      it('and the serialize function should be called with the provided arguments', function() {
-        expect(this.itemView.serializeCollection).to.have.been.calledWith(this.itemView.collection, 1, 2, 3);
-      });
-
       it("should not call serializeModel", function() {
         expect(this.itemView.serializeModel).to.not.have.been.called;
       });
@@ -330,17 +326,13 @@ describe('item view', function() {
       beforeEach(function() {
         this.itemView.model = new Backbone.Model(this.modelData);
         this.itemView.collection = new Backbone.Collection(this.collectionData);
-        this.itemView.serializeData(1, 2, 3);
+        this.itemView.serializeData();
       });
 
       it("should call serializeModel", function() {
         expect(this.itemView.serializeModel).to.have.been.calledOnce;
       });
 
-      it('and the serialize function should be called with the provided arguments', function() {
-        expect(this.itemView.serializeModel).to.have.been.calledWith(this.itemView.model, 1, 2, 3);
-      });
-
       it('should not call serializeCollection', function() {
         expect(this.itemView.serializeCollection).to.not.have.been.called;
       });

test/unit/view.spec.js

@@ -220,11 +220,13 @@ describe('base view', function() {
 
     beforeEach(function(){
       model = new Backbone.Model(modelData);
-      view = new Marionette.View();
+      view = new Marionette.View({
+        model: model
+      });
     });
 
     it("should return all attributes", function(){
-      expect(view.serializeModel(model)).to.be.eql(modelData);
+      expect(view.serializeModel()).to.be.eql(modelData);
     });
   });
 });