Issue when attempting to initialize a Backbone model with invalid data

README.md

A quick note regarding my set up:

• I started this so I could really dig into Backbone Models and (maybe) Collections
• Using Jasmine 1.2.0 for my testing framework
• I had changed the test for "should not allow for me to create a character without a name" to just check the isValid() attribute to get by the issue there, but when I ran into it again with Alignment, it bothered me enough to attempt to fix
• Yes, this IS the Evercraft Kata in Backbone... At least, where I've made it to before running into the problem.

Character.js

/*jslint nomen: true, regexp: true */
/*globals window, document, Backbone, _ */

var Character = Backbone.Model.extend({
	alignments: {
		"Evil": "Evil",
		"Neutral": "Neutral",
		"Good": "Good"
	},
	validate: function (attrs) {
		"use strict";

		if (!(/\S/.test(attrs.name))) {
			return "You must set a name for this character";
		}

		if (!!(/\S/.test(attrs.alignment)) || !this.alignments.hasOwnProperty(attrs.alignment)) {
			return "Invalid alignment given";
		}
	},
	getName: function () {
		"use strict";
		return this.get("name");
	},
	getAlignment: function () {
		"use strict";
		return this.get("alignment");
	},
	initialize: function () {
		"use strict";

		this.bind("error", function (model, error) {
			window.console.log("Error: " + error);
			model = null;
		});

		var error = this.validate(this.attributes);
		if (error) {
			this.trigger('error', this, error);
		}
	}
});

CharacterSpec.js

/*globals describe, beforeEach, afterEach, it, expect, Character */
describe("EverCraft", function () {
	"use strict";
	describe("Characters", function () {
		it("should be defined", function () {
			expect(Character).toBeDefined();
		});
		describe("Attributes", function () {
			var character;
			
			beforeEach(function () {
				character = new Character({"name": "Balrock", "alignment": "Good"});
			});
			afterEach(function () {
			});

			describe("#Name", function () {
				it("should be defined", function () {
					expect(character.getName).toBeDefined();
				});
				it("should allow for me to set the character's name to 'Balrock'", function () {
					expect(character.getName()).not.toBeNull();
				});
				it("should not allow for me to create a character without a name", function () {
					character = new Character();
					expect(character).toBeNull();
				});
				it("should allow for me to retrieve the character's name", function () {
					expect(character.getName()).toEqual("Balrock");
				});
			});
			describe("#Alignment", function () {
				it("should be defined", function () {
					expect(character.getAlignment).toBeDefined();
				});
				it("should allow for me to set the character's alignment to 'Good'", function () {
					expect(character.getAlignment()).toEqual("Good");
				});
				it("should allow for me to set the character's alignment to 'Evil'", function () {
					character = new Character({"name": "Balrock", "alignment": "Evil"});
					expect(character.getAlignment()).toEqual("Evil");
				});
				it("should allow for me to set the character's alignment to 'Neutral'", function () {
					character = new Character({"name": "Balrock", "alignment": "Neutral"});
					expect(character.getAlignment()).toEqual("Neutral");
				});
				it("should not allow for me to create a character with an alignment set to 'Nonsense'", function () {
					character = new Character({"name": "Balrock", "alignment": "Nonsense"});
					expect(character).toBeNull();
				});
			});
		});
	});
});

The assertions you are making regarding validation are slightly off, I've made the tests pass by changing the assertions somewhat:

it("should not allow for me to create a character with an alignment set to 'Nonsense'", function () {
  character = new Character({"name": "Balrock", "alignment": "Nonsense"});
  expect(character.isValid()).toBe(false);
});

it("should not allow for me to create a character without a name", function () {
  character = new Character();
  expect(character.isValid()).toBe(false);
});

Note that validation doesn't actually prevent you from creating an instance of a model in Backbone given that instantiation happens client-side. The intended workflow of validate, as per the docs is to run on model.save() and model.set(), so you would create a model client-side with some attributes then attempt to save the data to the server. Once that happens you can code whatever validation logic to prevent an invalid model from being persisted.

Thanks... Not the way I was hoping initializing a model worked, but I guess it'll have to do.

Note, you could write your own version of a Backbone.Model using Backbone.Model.extend and override the initialize function such that it does what you want. But I think it's easier to bend your way of thinking to the workflow Backbone anticipates and code accordingly :)

Yeah, given that I'm doing this to get better at Backbone, I don't think I want to change it (just yet).

Just a downside to working this through a kata and not an actual application. (although, maybe a small Sinatra server for the workshop is in order to do saves and such... Ah, the possibilities)