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CoffeeScript is not a language worth learning

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Re: CoffeeScript is not a language worth learning

#2
Not sure why it needs the sensationalist title if the author's underlying point is simply that Coffeescript is a pretty good tool for writing nicely patterned Javascript and not a language in and of itself. I guess it is a marketing ploy. I expect it will work.

Re: CoffeeScript is not a language worth learning

#3
post #2

Not sure why it needs the sensationalist title if the author's underlying point is simply that Coffeescript is a pretty good tool for writing nicely patterned Javascript and not a language in and of itself. I guess it is a marketing ploy. I expect it will work.

Yes, I appreciate a title that conveys the author's actual point.

Re: CoffeeScript is not a language worth learning

#4
post #2

Not sure why it needs the sensationalist title if the author's underlying point is simply that Coffeescript is a pretty good tool for writing nicely patterned Javascript and not a language in and of itself. I guess it is a marketing ploy. I expect it will work.

I usually write these sort of titles because they amuse me rather than in the extreme hope of linkbaiting. I accept that writing for my own amusement has about as much value for others as laughing at my own jokes.

Re: CoffeeScript is not a language worth learning

#6
post #2

Not sure why it needs the sensationalist title if the author's underlying point is simply that Coffeescript is a pretty good tool for writing nicely patterned Javascript and not a language in and of itself. I guess it is a marketing ploy. I expect it will work.

I like the title. It's based on a quote. I think it will get people to read it, sure, but it will also get people to remember it, as well as the Perlis quote. It's also fun to guess what the contents of the article will be. Partly because I knew raganwald liked CoffeeScript all right, I solved that riddle before reading it.

Re: CoffeeScript is not a language worth learning

#7
I'm not particularly sold on CoffeeScript, however this article seems to imply we'll someday have to maintain the generated files? As long as you keep the source near the generated files (which should be easy with version control -- you shouldn't even be checking in the generated source, in my opinion), I don't see the problem.

Re: CoffeeScript is not a language worth learning

#8
Quite honestly the premise is rubbish.

"CoffeeScript isn't a language worth learning because it isn't a language. It doesn't make you think about programming in a new way"

How is that a definition of a language? It compiles down to another language sure - but what doesn't?

Re: CoffeeScript is not a language worth learning

#10
> Ryan Florence argues that if people use CoffeeScript to write JavaScript programs, maintenance will be a nightmare:

I posted that article a little prematurely and more as a rant for my co-workers. It was a bit misunderstood (and it blew up online before I even knew it so I didn't bother editing).

My point in that quote was that bad CoffeeScript is worse than bad JavaScript.

Good CoffeeScript is better than good JavaScript.

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