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Why CoffeeScript Isn't the Answer

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Re: Why CoffeeScript Isn't the Answer

#21

Post by mistercow »

solox3 wrote: post #15

delayed: () -> -> this.model # isn't the class Well, that isn't really fair now, is it? You could have used the fat arrow (`=>`) for binding `this` to the class. With that in mind, I agree with the author in that CoffeeScript isn't the answer, at least not exactly. With syntax this incredibly similar, how far are we from compiling python (with generators, with statements, imports, ...) to JavaScript?

>how far are we from compiling python

I frankly find CoffeeScript nicer than Python. There are advantages and disadvantages, obviously, but whenever I'm writing Python, it makes me long for CoffeeScript.

Re: Why CoffeeScript Isn't the Answer

#22

Post by collyw »

jplur wrote: post #8
timestep wrote: post #5

Answer to what? What's wrong with Javascript in the first place?

For me, coffeescript was the answer to the question "How can I write javascript with python-esque whitespace block formating?" I suspect the author was asking something like "what can replace javascript?"

Coffeescript seems to be more like Perl, where parenthesis are often optional, and meaning is implied by the context a lot of the time.

I like Perl, but I tended to be fairly pedantic with parenthesis and things when writing it. I prefer explicit over implicit. (Though sometimes implicit can save you a ton of time).

Re: Why CoffeeScript Isn't the Answer

#23

Post by oskarth »

oinksoft wrote: post #18

Sometimes I think that most CoffeeScript, ClojureScript, etc. programmers are people who were advanced in other languages before they learned JavaScript. There are quite a few programmers who have no issues with these "bad parts" or "really bad parts" because they cut their teeth on them, and these numbers are growing: Most people now learn JavaScript as their first language. JavaScript already won, and things like C…

I have a hard time seeing someone who has actually spent some time with Clojurescript making that statement.

Re: Why CoffeeScript Isn't the Answer

#24

Post by oinksoft »

noir_lord wrote: post #19
oinksoft wrote: post #18

Sometimes I think that most CoffeeScript, ClojureScript, etc. programmers are people who were advanced in other languages before they learned JavaScript. There are quite a few programmers who have no issues with these "bad parts" or "really bad parts" because they cut their teeth on them, and these numbers are growing: Most people now learn JavaScript as their first language. JavaScript already won, and things like C…

As someone from the old regime (cut my teeth on spectrum basic in the 80's, get of my lawn etc etc) I sorta agree. For years I avoided using javascript beyond wiring little bits of jQuery together because I hated the language but eventually I ran into a project where I could no longer do that and resolved to learn javascript properly. Many wtf's where had but now looking back I realise that Javascript is a warty lang…

To an extent it is a Devil you know/Devil you don't thing. The moment one of the JS-first people get bitten by the CoffeeScript compiler (having to indent/dedent something, move a comma, suddenly your code is working ... I think everybody runs into the sort of issues the author described) they are going to go back to JS. JS is such a high-level language already, and the browser vendors and SSJS projects seem focused on advancing it. I just don't see much room in the future for languages like CS.

Re: Why CoffeeScript Isn't the Answer

#26

Post by oinksoft »

oskarth wrote: post #23
oinksoft wrote: post #18

Sometimes I think that most CoffeeScript, ClojureScript, etc. programmers are people who were advanced in other languages before they learned JavaScript. There are quite a few programmers who have no issues with these "bad parts" or "really bad parts" because they cut their teeth on them, and these numbers are growing: Most people now learn JavaScript as their first language. JavaScript already won, and things like C…

I have a hard time seeing someone who has actually spent some time with Clojurescript making that statement.

That statement has nothing to do with personal experience, and everything to do with unmistakable trends in software development. If JavaScript were a frozen language I would agree with you, but the momentum behind JS is a tsunami.

Re: Why CoffeeScript Isn't the Answer

#27

Post by noir_lord »

oinksoft wrote: post #24
noir_lord wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone from the old regime (cut my teeth on spectrum basic in the 80's, get of my lawn etc etc) I sorta agree. For years I avoided using javascript beyond wiring little bits of jQuery together because I hated the language but eventually I ran into a project where I could no longer do that and resolved to learn javascript properly. Many wtf's where had but now looking back I realise that Javascript is a warty lang…

To an extent it is a Devil you know/Devil you don't thing. The moment one of the JS-first people get bitten by the CoffeeScript compiler (having to indent/dedent something, move a comma, suddenly your code is working ... I think everybody runs into the sort of issues the author described) they are going to go back to JS. JS is such a high-level language already, and the browser vendors and SSJS projects seem focused…

I agree the other issue with someone like me using CoffeeScript is that first I'd want to really understand Javascript otherwise I'd never be able to trust that I could fix any bugs I ran across, it's another layer of abstraction I essentially don't need.

Re: Why CoffeeScript Isn't the Answer

#28

Post by [deleted] »

oinksoft wrote: post #26
oskarth wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a hard time seeing someone who has actually spent some time with Clojurescript making that statement.

That statement has nothing to do with personal experience, and everything to do with unmistakable trends in software development. If JavaScript were a frozen language I would agree with you, but the momentum behind JS is a tsunami.

[deleted]

Re: Why CoffeeScript Isn't the Answer

#29

Post by dgreensp »

omaranto wrote: post #9

I wonder what the author thinks of GorillaScript [1]. [1]: http://ckknight.github.io/gorillascript/

Very interesting! I was nodding along through the first dozen syntax features or so, which seemed much more obvious and well-chosen than CoffeeScript's, and then they just kept piling on... Promises? Macros? Generics??

I won't prejudge GorillaScript, but if someone ever makes a language like this that exhibits both good taste and a little more restraint, it could get wide adoption.

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