coffeescript
Unfancy JavaScript
CoffeeScript is a small programming language that compiles to plain JavaScript, write more expressive, cleaner syntax and get valid JS output that runs anywhere JavaScript runs, including Node.js and browsers.
CoffeeScript, described in its own README as "a little language that compiles into JavaScript" and in its tagline as "unfancy JavaScript", is a programming language whose source files are translated by a compiler into ordinary JavaScript code that can then run anywhere JavaScript runs. The tool is installed through npm, either locally to a single project or globally so the coffee command is available everywhere, and it requires Node.js. Once installed, the coffee command can either run a .coffee script directly or compile it into a .js file with the -c flag. Someone would use it if they prefer CoffeeScript's syntax over plain JavaScript but still need standard JavaScript as the final output. The full documentation and examples live at coffeescript.org.
Where it fits
- Write a Node.js script in CoffeeScript syntax and compile it to JavaScript for deployment without changing your runtime.
- Add CoffeeScript to an existing project via npm so your team can author in CoffeeScript while shipping standard JS files.
- Run a CoffeeScript file directly with the coffee command during development, skipping the compile step entirely.