Collection Methods

Overview

The airline-codes package exports a Backbone Collection, giving you access to all standard Backbone Collection methods. This page documents the most commonly used methods with airline-specific examples.

Query Methods

findWhere

Find the first model that matches the specified attributes.

attributes

object

required

Object containing attribute key-value pairs to match

return

Model | undefined

Returns the first matching Backbone Model, or undefined if not found

const airlines = require('airline-codes');

// Find by IATA code
const delta = airlines.findWhere({ iata: 'DL' });
console.log(delta.get('name')); // "Delta Air Lines"

// Find by ICAO code
const lufthansa = airlines.findWhere({ icao: 'DLH' });
console.log(lufthansa.get('country')); // "Germany"

// Find by multiple attributes
const airline = airlines.findWhere({ 
  country: 'United States', 
  iata: 'AA' 
});

where

Get all models that match the specified attributes.

attributes

object

required

Object containing attribute key-value pairs to match

return

Array<Model>

Returns an array of matching Backbone Models

// Get all airlines from a specific country
const japaneseAirlines = airlines.where({ country: 'Japan' });
console.log(`Japanese airlines: ${japaneseAirlines.length}`);

// Get all active airlines
const activeAirlines = airlines.where({ active: 'Y' });

// Results are Backbone Models
japaneseAirlines.forEach(model => {
  console.log(model.get('name'));
});

filter

Filter the collection using a custom predicate function.

predicate

function

required

Function that returns true for models to include

return

Array<Model>

Returns an array of Backbone Models that pass the test

// Find airlines with IATA codes starting with 'A'
const aAirlines = airlines.filter(model => {
  const iata = model.get('iata');
  return iata && iata.startsWith('A');
});

// Find airlines with callsigns
const withCallsigns = airlines.filter(model => {
  const callsign = model.get('callsign');
  return callsign && callsign.length > 0;
});

// Complex filtering
const usCarriers = airlines.filter(model => {
  return model.get('country') === 'United States' &&
         model.get('active') === 'Y';
});

find

Find the first model that passes a predicate function.

predicate

function

required

Function that returns true for the model to find

return

Model | undefined

Returns the first matching Backbone Model, or undefined

// Find first airline with specific ICAO code
const airline = airlines.find(model => {
  return model.get('icao') === 'UAL';
});

// Find first airline with long name
const longName = airlines.find(model => {
  return model.get('name').length > 30;
});

Access Methods

at

Get a model at a specific index position.

index

number

required

Zero-based index position

return

Model | undefined

Returns the Backbone Model at the specified index

// Get the first airline (alphabetically by name)
const first = airlines.at(0);
console.log(first.get('name'));

// Get the 10th airline
const tenth = airlines.at(9);

// Get the last airline
const last = airlines.at(airlines.length - 1);

get

Get a model by its id attribute.

string | number

required

The id of the model to retrieve

return

Model | undefined

Returns the Backbone Model with the specified id

// Get airline by id
const airline = airlines.get('24');
console.log(airline.get('name')); // "American Airlines"

// Check if exists
if (airlines.get('999')) {
  console.log('Found');
} else {
  console.log('Not found');
}

first

Get the first model in the collection.

return

Model | undefined

Returns the first Backbone Model in the collection

// Get first airline (alphabetically by name due to comparator)
const first = airlines.first();
console.log(first.get('name'));

last

Get the last model in the collection.

return

Model | undefined

Returns the last Backbone Model in the collection

// Get last airline (alphabetically by name)
const last = airlines.last();
console.log(last.get('name'));

Data Extraction Methods

pluck

Extract a specific attribute from all models.

attribute

string

required

Name of the attribute to extract

return

Array<any>

Returns an array of attribute values

// Get all airline names
const names = airlines.pluck('name');
console.log(names); // ['1Time Airline', '40-Mile Air', ...]

// Get all IATA codes
const iataCodes = airlines.pluck('iata');

// Get all countries
const countries = airlines.pluck('country');
const uniqueCountries = [...new Set(countries)];
console.log(`Airlines from ${uniqueCountries.length} countries`);

toJSON

Convert the entire collection to a plain JavaScript array.

return

Array<object>

Returns an array of plain JavaScript objects

// Export as plain JSON
const airlinesData = airlines.toJSON();
console.log(airlinesData[0]);
// {
//   id: '1',
//   name: 'Private flight',
//   alias: '',
//   iata: '-',
//   icao: 'N/A',
//   callsign: '',
//   country: '',
//   active: 'Y'
// }

// Use with JSON.stringify
const json = JSON.stringify(airlines.toJSON(), null, 2);

// Filter then convert to JSON
const usAirlines = airlines.where({ country: 'United States' });
const usData = usAirlines.map(model => model.toJSON());

Iteration Methods

forEach

Iterate over each model in the collection.

callback

function

required

Function called for each model with arguments: (model, index)

// Log all airline names
airlines.forEach((model, index) => {
  console.log(`${index + 1}. ${model.get('name')}`);
});

// Collect specific data
const summary = [];
airlines.forEach(model => {
  summary.push({
    name: model.get('name'),
    code: model.get('iata')
  });
});

map

Transform each model using a function.

callback

function

required

Function called for each model that returns the transformed value

return

Array<any>

Returns an array of transformed values

// Create simplified airline objects
const simplified = airlines.map(model => {
  return {
    name: model.get('name'),
    iata: model.get('iata'),
    country: model.get('country')
  };
});

// Create display labels
const labels = airlines.map(model => {
  const name = model.get('name');
  const iata = model.get('iata');
  return `${name} (${iata})`;
});

reduce

Reduce the collection to a single value.

callback

function

required

Function called for each model with arguments: (accumulator, model)

initialValue

any

Initial value for the accumulator

return

any

Returns the final accumulated value

// Count airlines by country
const byCountry = airlines.reduce((acc, model) => {
  const country = model.get('country');
  acc[country] = (acc[country] || 0) + 1;
  return acc;
}, {});

console.log(byCountry['United States']); // Number of US airlines

// Build a lookup map by IATA code
const iataMap = airlines.reduce((map, model) => {
  const iata = model.get('iata');
  if (iata && iata !== '-') {
    map[iata] = model.toJSON();
  }
  return map;
}, {});

console.log(iataMap['AA']); // American Airlines data

some

Check if any model passes a predicate test.

predicate

function

required

Function that returns true or false for each model

return

boolean

Returns true if any model passes the test

// Check if any airline is from Iceland
const hasIcelandic = airlines.some(model => {
  return model.get('country') === 'Iceland';
});

// Check if any airline has a specific IATA code
const hasCode = airlines.some(model => {
  return model.get('iata') === 'XX';
});

every

Check if all models pass a predicate test.

predicate

function

required

Function that returns true or false for each model

return

boolean

Returns true if all models pass the test

// Check if all airlines have an id
const allHaveIds = airlines.every(model => {
  return model.get('id') !== undefined;
});

// Check if all airlines are active
const allActive = airlines.every(model => {
  return model.get('active') === 'Y';
});

Sorting Methods

sortBy

Sort models by a specific attribute or function.

attribute

string | function

required

Attribute name or iterator function to sort by

return

Array<Model>

Returns a sorted array of Backbone Models

This returns a new sorted array without modifying the original collection. The collection itself is already sorted by name due to the comparator.

// Sort by IATA code
const byIata = airlines.sortBy('iata');

// Sort by custom function
const byCallsignLength = airlines.sortBy(model => {
  return model.get('callsign').length;
});

// Results are still Backbone Models
byIata.forEach(model => {
  console.log(model.get('iata'));
});

Utility Methods

size / length

Get the number of models in the collection.

return

number

Returns the total count of models

// Get total count
const total = airlines.length;
console.log(`Total airlines: ${total}`);

// Also available as method
const count = airlines.size();

isEmpty

Check if the collection has no models.

return

boolean

Returns true if the collection is empty

if (airlines.isEmpty()) {
  console.log('No airlines found');
} else {
  console.log(`Found ${airlines.length} airlines`);
}

indexOf

Get the index of a specific model.

model

Model

required

The Backbone Model to find

return

number

Returns the index, or -1 if not found

const airline = airlines.findWhere({ iata: 'AA' });
const index = airlines.indexOf(airline);
console.log(`American Airlines is at index ${index}`);

Method Chaining

Many Backbone methods support chaining through the chain() method:

const usAirlineNames = airlines.chain()
  .filter(model => model.get('country') === 'United States')
  .filter(model => model.get('active') === 'Y')
  .sortBy('name')
  .map(model => model.get('name'))
  .value();

console.log(usAirlineNames);

Working with Models

Once you retrieve a model from the collection, you can access its attributes:

const airline = airlines.findWhere({ iata: 'BA' });

// Get individual attributes
const name = airline.get('name');
const country = airline.get('country');
const icao = airline.get('icao');

// Get all attributes as plain object
const data = airline.toJSON();
console.log(data);

// Check if attribute exists
if (airline.has('callsign')) {
  console.log(airline.get('callsign'));
}

Next Steps

Data Fields

Learn about all available fields in airline objects

Get Started

Usage

Data Management

API Reference

Overview

Query Methods

findWhere

where

filter

find

Access Methods

at

get

first

last

Data Extraction Methods

pluck

toJSON

Iteration Methods

forEach

map

reduce

some

every

Sorting Methods

sortBy

Utility Methods

size / length

isEmpty

indexOf

Method Chaining

Working with Models

Next Steps

Data Fields

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get Started

Usage

Data Management

API Reference

​Overview

​Query Methods

​findWhere

​where

​filter

​find

​Access Methods

​at

​get

​first

​last

​Data Extraction Methods

​pluck

​toJSON

​Iteration Methods

​forEach

​map

​reduce

​some

​every

​Sorting Methods

​sortBy

​Utility Methods

​size / length

​isEmpty

​indexOf

​Method Chaining

​Working with Models

​Next Steps

Data Fields

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Overview

Query Methods

findWhere

where

filter

find

Access Methods

at

get

first

last

Data Extraction Methods

pluck

toJSON

Iteration Methods

forEach

map

reduce

some

every

Sorting Methods

sortBy

Utility Methods

size / length

isEmpty

indexOf

Method Chaining

Working with Models

Next Steps