Does Backbone.js have a hard dependency on jQuery?

Question

According to backbone js website:

Backbone\'s only hard dependency is Underscore.js ( > 1.3.1). For RESTful persistence, history support via Backbone.Rout

Answer 1

While Backbone.View does depend on a DOM manipulation library, ie you can't use vanilla javascript that is not organized in to a library of some sort, you can configure Backbone to use whatever library you'd like.

See the following from the Backbone source:

// Set the JavaScript library that will be used for DOM manipulation and
// Ajax calls (a.k.a. the `$` variable). By default Backbone will use: jQuery,
// Zepto, or Ender; but the `setDomLibrary()` method lets you inject an
// alternate JavaScript library (or a mock library for testing your views
// outside of a browser).
Backbone.setDomLibrary = function(lib) {
  $ = lib;
};

Calling this method will allow you to use whatever library you want.

For example:

Backbone.setDomLibrary(myCustomLibrary);

Answer 2

Backbone is now even easier to decouple from jQuery.
Check this out:

Using Backbone without jQuery

Answer 3

You can use the Backbone.Model without jQuery, but Backbone.View will require either jQuery or Zepto, just like the docs state.

Answer 4

Try to use jBone, this is library for DOM manipulations in modern browsers, jBone developed special for Backbone, only 2kb gzipped and jQuery like API.