Book: CoffeeScript: Accelerated JavaScript Development @ PragProg
Video: CoffeeScript Basics Video @ railscasts.com
Podcast: Trevor Burnham on CoffeeScript @ Herding Code
CoffeeScript is a little language that compiles into JavaScript. Underneath all of those embarrassing braces and semicolons, JavaScript has always had a gorgeous object model at its heart. CoffeeScript is an attempt to expose the good parts of JavaScript in a simple way.
The golden rule of CoffeeScript is: "It's just JavaScript". The code compiles one-to-one into the equivalent JS, and there is no interpretation at runtime. You can use any existing JavaScript library seamlessly (and vice-versa). The compiled output is readable and pretty-printed, passes through JavaScript Lint without warnings, will work in every JavaScript implementation, and tends to run as fast or faster than the equivalent handwritten JavaScript.
# Assignment: number = 42 opposite = true # Conditions: number = -42 if opposite # Functions: square = (x) -> x * x # Arrays: list = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] # Objects: math = root: Math.sqrt square: square cube: (x) -> x * square x # Splats: race = (winner, runners...) -> print winner, runners # Existence: alert "I knew it!" if elvis? # Array comprehensions: cubes = (math.cube num for num in list)
