Provide easy way to override views in JS application

src/mibew/js/source/chat/collection_views/messages_collection.js

@@ -24,17 +24,25 @@
     Mibew.Views.MessagesCollection = Mibew.Views.CollectionBase.extend(
         /** @lends Mibew.Views.MessagesCollection.prototype */
         {
-            /**
-             * Default item view constructor.
-             * @type Function
-             */
-            childView: Mibew.Views.Message,
-
             /**
              * Class name for view's DOM element
              * @type String
              */
-            className: 'messages-collection'
+            className: 'messages-collection',
+
+            /**
+             * Returns default child view constructor.
+             *
+             * The function is used instead of "childView" property to provide
+             * an ability to override child view constructor without this class
+             * overriding.
+             *
+             * @param {Backbone.Model} model The model the view created for.
+             * @returns {Backbone.Marionette.ItemView}
+             */
+            getChildView: function(model) {
+                return Mibew.Views.Message;
+            }
         }
     );
 

src/mibew/js/source/chat/collection_views/status_collection.js

@@ -24,17 +24,25 @@
     Mibew.Views.StatusCollection = Mibew.Views.CollectionBase.extend(
         /** @lends Mibew.Views.StatusCollection.prototype */
         {
-            /**
-             * Default item view constructor.
-             * @type Function
-             */
-            childView: Mibew.Views.Status,
-
             /**
              * Class name for view's DOM element
              * @type String
              */
-            className: 'status-collection'
+            className: 'status-collection',
+
+            /**
+             * Returns default child view constructor.
+             *
+             * The function is used instead of "childView" property to provide
+             * an ability to override child view constructor without this class
+             * overriding.
+             *
+             * @param {Backbone.Model} model The model the view created for.
+             * @returns {Backbone.Marionette.ItemView}
+             */
+            getChildView: function(model) {
+                return Mibew.Views.Status;
+            }
         }
     );
 

src/mibew/js/source/default/collection_views/controls_collection.js

@@ -24,17 +24,25 @@
     Mibew.Views.ControlsCollection = Mibew.Views.CollectionBase.extend(
         /** @lends Mibew.Views.ControlsCollection.prototype */
         {
-            /**
-             * Default item view constructor.
-             * @type Function
-             */
-            childView: Mibew.Views.Control,
-
             /**
              * Class name for view's DOM element
              * @type String
              */
-            className: 'controls-collection'
+            className: 'controls-collection',
+
+            /**
+             * Returns default child view constructor.
+             *
+             * The function is used instead of "childView" property to provide
+             * an ability to override child view constructor without this class
+             * overriding.
+             *
+             * @param {Backbone.Model} model The model the view created for.
+             * @returns {Backbone.Marionette.ItemView}
+             */
+            getChildView: function(model) {
+                return Mibew.Views.Control;
+            }
         }
     );
 

src/mibew/js/source/thread_log/collection_views/messages_collection.js

@@ -24,17 +24,25 @@
     Mibew.Views.MessagesCollection = Mibew.Views.CollectionBase.extend(
         /** @lends Mibew.Views.MessagesCollection.prototype */
         {
-            /**
-             * Default item view constructor.
-             * @type Function
-             */
-            childView: Mibew.Views.Message,
-
             /**
              * Class name for view's DOM element
              * @type String
              */
-            className: 'messages-collection'
+            className: 'messages-collection',
+
+            /**
+             * Returns default child view constructor.
+             *
+             * The function is used instead of "childView" property to provide
+             * an ability to override child view constructor without this class
+             * overriding.
+             *
+             * @param {Backbone.Model} model The model the view created for.
+             * @returns {Backbone.Marionette.ItemView}
+             */
+            getChildView: function(model) {
+                return Mibew.Views.Message;
+            }
         }
     );
 

src/mibew/js/source/users/collection_views/agents_collection.js

@@ -24,12 +24,6 @@
     Mibew.Views.AgentsCollection = Mibew.Views.CollectionBase.extend(
         /** @lends Mibew.Views.AgentsCollection.prototype */
         {
-            /**
-             * Default item view constructor.
-             * @type Function
-             */
-            childView: Mibew.Views.Agent,
-
             /**
              * Class name for view's DOM element
              * @type String
@@ -44,6 +38,20 @@
                 'sort add remove reset': 'render'
             },
 
+            /**
+             * Returns default child view constructor.
+             *
+             * The function is used instead of "childView" property to provide
+             * an ability to override child view constructor without this class
+             * overriding.
+             *
+             * @param {Backbone.Model} model The model the view created for.
+             * @returns {Backbone.Marionette.ItemView}
+             */
+            getChildView: function(model) {
+                return Mibew.Views.Agent;
+            },
+
             /**
              * View initializer
              */

src/mibew/js/source/users/collection_views/threads_collection.js

@@ -26,24 +26,12 @@
         {
             template: Handlebars.templates['users/threads_collection'],
 
-            /**
-             * Default item view constructor.
-             * @type Function
-             */
-            childView: Mibew.Views.QueuedThread,
-
             /**
              * DOM element for collection items
              * @type String
              */
             childViewContainer: '#threads-container',
 
-            /**
-             * Empty view constructor.
-             * @type Function
-             */
-            emptyView: Mibew.Views.NoThreads,
-
             /**
              * Class name for view's DOM element
              * @type String
@@ -60,6 +48,33 @@
                 'add': 'threadAdded'
             },
 
+            /**
+             * Returns default child view constructor.
+             *
+             * The function is used instead of "childView" property to provide
+             * an ability to override child view constructor without this class
+             * overriding.
+             *
+             * @param {Backbone.Model} model The model the view created for.
+             * @returns {Backbone.Marionette.ItemView}
+             */
+            getChildView: function(model) {
+                return Mibew.Views.QueuedThread;
+            },
+
+            /**
+             * Returns empty view constructor.
+             *
+             * The function is used instead of "emptyView" property to provide
+             * an ability to override empty view constructor without this class
+             * overriding.
+             *
+             * @returns {Backbone.Marionette.ItemView}
+             */
+            getEmptyView: function() {
+                return Mibew.Views.NoThreads;
+            },
+
             /**
              * Pass some options to item view
              * @returns {Object} Options object

src/mibew/js/source/users/collection_views/visitors_collection.js

@@ -26,24 +26,12 @@
         {
             template: Handlebars.templates['users/visitors_collection'],
 
-            /**
-             * Default item view constructor.
-             * @type Function
-             */
-            childView: Mibew.Views.Visitor,
-
             /**
              * DOM element for collection items
              * @type String
              */
             childViewContainer: '#visitors-container',
 
-            /**
-             * Empty view constructor.
-             * @type Function
-             */
-            emptyView: Mibew.Views.NoVisitors,
-
             /**
              * Class name for view's DOM element
              * @type String
@@ -58,6 +46,33 @@
                 'sort': 'render'
             },
 
+            /**
+             * Returns default child view constructor.
+             *
+             * The function is used instead of "childView" property to provide
+             * an ability to override child view constructor without this class
+             * overriding.
+             *
+             * @param {Backbone.Model} model The model the view created for.
+             * @returns {Backbone.Marionette.ItemView}
+             */
+            getChildView: function(model) {
+                return Mibew.Views.Visitor;
+            },
+
+            /**
+             * Returns empty view constructor.
+             *
+             * The function is used instead of "emptyView" property to provide
+             * an ability to override empty view constructor without this class
+             * overriding.
+             *
+             * @returns {Backbone.Marionette.ItemView}
+             */
+            getEmptyView: function() {
+                return Mibew.Views.NoVisitors;
+            },
+
             /**
              * Pass some options to item view
              * @returns {Object} Options object