Question

I’m new to Backbone.

Is it possible to define a Model in backbone which contains a list of Models of the same type? Example:

MyModel = Backbone.Model.extend({
  initialize: function() {
    nestedMyModels:new Array();
  },

  addMyModel: function(aModel) {
    // Code here would push() aModel onto array
  },

  render: function() {
     // Loop through array calling render() recursively
  }
});

I would then have a View which started a recursive call to render(). Example:

MyView = Backbone.View.extend({
  render:function() {
     this.model.render();
  }
});

Answer 1

1 no arrays but Collections

Always that you think in an Array of Models in Backbone think in a Collection.

Now what you have to do is implement a Collection of MyModels and keep one instance of it in your MyModel instance.

// code simplified and not tested
MyModel = Backbone.Model.extend({
  initialize: function() {
    this.nestedMyModels: new MyModels();
  },

  addMyModel: function( model ) {
    this.nestedMyModels.add( model );
  }
});

MyModels = Backbone.Collection.extend({
  model: MyModel
});

2 use Views for render

Always that you think in render think in a View.

And the recommend way is that if you have a Collection and a Model better having a View for each one. This way the View of the Collection will call the View of the Model in an iteration:

// code simplified and not tested
MyModelView = Backbone.View.extend({
  render: function(){
    this.$el.html( model.get("name") );
    var view = new MyModelsView({ collection: this.model.nestedMyModels });
    this.$el.append( view.render.el );

    return this;
  }  
});

MyModelsView = Backbone.View.extend({
  render: function(){
    this.collection.each( function( model ){
      var view = new MyModelView({ model: model });
      this.$el.append( view.render.el );
    });

    return this;
  }
});