Issue #2608: Add support for parsing incoming pojo into an existing

model child instance.

@@ -83,13 +83,18 @@ define(
                     (attrs = {})[key] = val;
                 }
                 if (options && options.merge) {
-                    nestedOptions = {silent: false, merge: true};
+                    nestedOptions = {silent: false, merge: true, parse: options.parse};
                     for (attr in attrs) {
                         curVal = this.get(attr);
                         newVal = attrs[attr];
-                        if (curVal instanceof Backbone.Model && newVal instanceof Backbone.Model)  {
-                            delete attrs[attr];
-                            curVal.set(newVal.attributes, nestedOptions);
+                        if (curVal instanceof Backbone.Model) {
+                            if (newVal instanceof Backbone.Model)  {
+                                delete attrs[attr];
+                                curVal.set(newVal.attributes, nestedOptions);
+                            } else if (options.parse && typeof newVal === 'object') {
+                                delete attrs[attr];
+                                curVal.set(newVal, nestedOptions);
+                            }
                         }
                     }
                 }

@@ -189,6 +189,33 @@ define(function(require) {
             } else {
                 expect(top.counts).toBeUndefined();
             }
+
+            result = top.set('nested', {address1: '1234 Main St.'}, {merge: true, parse: true});
+            expect(result).toBe(top);
+            var cidsSetnestedpojoparse = extractCids(top);
+            expect(cidsSetnestedmerge.top).toEqual(cidsSetnestedpojoparse.top);
+            expect(cidsSetnestedmerge.nested).toEqual(cidsSetnestedpojoparse.nested);
+            expect(top.get('name')).toEqual('value');
+            expect(top.get('nested').get('address1')).toEqual('1234 Main St.');
+            if (checkCounts) {
+                expect(top.counts).toEqual({set: 7});
+            } else {
+                expect(top.counts).toBeUndefined();
+            }
+
+            result = top.set('nested', {address1: '4321 Main St.'}, {merge: true});
+            expect(result).toBe(top);
+            var cidsSetnestedpojo = extractCids(top);
+            expect(cidsSetnestedpojoparse.top).toEqual(cidsSetnestedpojo.top);
+            expect(cidsSetnestedpojo.nested).toBeUndefined();
+            expect(top.get('name')).toEqual('value');
+            expect(top.get('nested')).not.toEqual(jasmine.any(Backbone.Model));
+            expect(top.get('nested').address1).toEqual('4321 Main St.');
+            if (checkCounts) {
+                expect(top.counts).toEqual({set: 8});
+            } else {
+                expect(top.counts).toBeUndefined();
+            }
         }
         it('set-mixin-plain', function() {
             testSet.call(this, NestedModels.mixin(Top), false);