add ability to run requests in background

docs/change-log.md

@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 ## Change Log
 
-[v0.1.11](/mithril/archive/v0.1.11) - maintenance
+[v0.1.11](/mithril/archive/v0.1.11) - enhancement
 
 ### News:
 
 -	Added `m.route()` overload to allow reading of current route [#61](https://github.com/lhorie/mithril.js/issues/61)
+-	Added `background` option to `m.request` to allow requests that don't affect rendering [#62](https://github.com/lhorie/mithril.js/issues/62)
 
 ---
 

docs/mithril.redraw.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 Redraws the view for the currently active module. Use [`m.module()`](mithril.module) to activate a module.
 
-This method is called internally by Mithril's auto-redrawing system and is only documented for completeness; you should avoid calling it manually unless you explicitly want a multi-pass redraw cycle.
+This method is called internally by Mithril's auto-redrawing system and is only documented for completeness; usually you should avoid calling it manually unless you explicitly want a multi-pass redraw cycle. One case where `m.redraw` may be useful is to force a manual redraw after background requests (see the `background` option in [`m.request`](mithril.request.md).
 
 A multi-pass redraw cycle is usually only useful if you need non-trivial UI metrics measurements. A multi-pass cycle may span multiple browser repaints and therefore could cause flash of unbehaviored content (FOUC) and performance degradation.
 

docs/mithril.request.md

@@ -290,6 +290,7 @@ where:
 		[String user,]
 		[String password,]
 		[Object<any> data,]
+		[Boolean background,]
 		[any unwrapSuccess(any data),]
 		[any unwrapError(any data),]
 		[String serialize(any dataToSerialize),]
@@ -328,6 +329,19 @@ where:
 	
 		Data to be sent. It's automatically placed in the appropriate section of the request with the appropriate serialization based on `method`
 		
+	-	**Boolean background** (optional)
+	
+		Determines whether the `m.request` can affect template rendering. Defaults to false.
+		
+		If this option is set to true, then the request does NOT call [`m.startComputation` / `m.endComputation`](mithril.computation.md), and therefore the completion of the request does not trigger an update of the view, even if data has been changed. This option is useful for running operations in the background (i.e. without user intervention).
+		
+		In order to force a redraw after a background request, use [`m.redraw`](mithril.redraw.md)
+		
+		```javascript
+		m.request({method: "GET", url: "/foo", background: true})
+			.then(m.redraw); //force redraw
+		```
+		
 	-	**any unwrapSuccess(any data)** (optional)
 
 		A preprocessor function to unwrap the data from a success response in case the response contains metadata wrapping the data.