How do I properly store a javascript template, so that it isn't instantiated multiple times

Question

I\'m using Backbone and therefore Underscore to render my templates. My templates get rendered in

Answer 1

You could muck around with prototype.template by hand and compile the template the first time you create an instance of your view. Something like this:

initialize: function() {
    if(!this.constructor.prototype.template)
        this.constructor.prototype.template = _.template($("#ItemTemplate").html());
    this.render();
}

Demo: http://jsfiddle.net/ambiguous/e6y3F/

The trick is to get your hands on the right prototype.