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Tower.js - JavaScript Framework for Node.js modeled after Ruby on Rails

towerjs.org

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Re: Tower.js - JavaScript Framework for Node.js modeled after Ruby on Rails

#41

Post by trustfundbaby »

phleet wrote: post #33
yawnt wrote: post #17

i don't see why you should force someone to use coffeescript though

While I agree with some others here that calling it a JavaScript framework is a bit of a stretch, there are legitimate reasons to do this in coffeescript as opposed to javascript. In particular, the Rails-y way of doing things requires particular concise classical OO abstractions that are difficult to provide in a pure prototypal JavaScript way without introducing your own class library (which there are far, far too…

Thank you for taking the time to explain that, I hadn't even thought about it like that, the venom in some of the other responses to people who are skeptical of coffeescript is really alarming.

Re: Tower.js - JavaScript Framework for Node.js modeled after Ruby on Rails

#42

Post by franze »

am i the only who is not excited by any "RoR"-like framework?

i like node because it lets me build small standalone programs/apps which i can link together to act like on big project.

i - for one's part - found that having one master-overlord framework kills a lot of the joy of programming.

ok, there is the "it's much more manageable" argument, but well, my experience is that big apps on RoR need much more maintenance work then similar programs on much uglier stacks (i.e. webprojects using LAMP)

said that - after reading some of the docs - i will probably give towerjs a try.

Re: Tower.js - JavaScript Framework for Node.js modeled after Ruby on Rails

#43

Post by firefoxman1 »

eldude wrote: post #15
eldude wrote: post #8

Thanks for the efforts and the framework. Unfortunately, I cannot properly appreciate it for the following reason: Please don't call something JavaScript if it's actually all in CoffeeScript (even if it's just the documentation). A lot of us have not bothered to learn CoffeeScript and a good many of them have no intention of doing so. My time was wasted following a link that says "JavaScript", a language I know well,…

To the down voters: My comment is civil and explannatory. You may not like my sentiments, but down votes are not intended for unpopularity. Not only that, but in this case, my comment serves to reinforce the standards of HN regarding mis-titling of links and it is being downvoted. A house divided against itself cannot stand.

Your original comment did come across as a bit harsh but it didn't deserve anyone's downvote. I think your stance can be summed up similar to mine: Just because I haven't learned Coffeescript doesn't mean I don't plan to, or at the very least, doesn't mean I am against it. I (like you) would like to see the site's documentation in Vanilla because, after all, both Coffeescripters and Javascripters can read pure Javascript.

A side note, am I the only one that has noticed an increase in downvote-readiness here lately?

Re: Tower.js - JavaScript Framework for Node.js modeled after Ruby on Rails

#44

Post by yeswecan »

blindhippo wrote: post #21
matt2000 wrote: post #11

Would some node.js experts mind weighing in here with pros and cons of this framework as they see it? I'm too new to node to really understand the tradeoffs here. Thanks!

In addition to matt2000's question - I'd also like someone to explain when a node.js rails inspired framework would a better option then a standard rails or symfony based application.

When you have programmers who are more proficient in writing JavaScript than Ruby or PHP. Better a PHP expert using PHP than a cowboy coder using Node just because it is the new hotness.

Re: Tower.js - JavaScript Framework for Node.js modeled after Ruby on Rails

#47

Post by ascendant »

franze wrote: post #42

am i the only who is not excited by any "RoR"-like framework? i like node because it lets me build small standalone programs/apps which i can link together to act like on big project. i - for one's part - found that having one master-overlord framework kills a lot of the joy of programming. ok, there is the "it's much more manageable" argument, but well, my experience is that big apps on RoR need much more maintenanc…

The bulk of today's web devs are coming from Rails and it's nice to have that hand-holding when you're trying to cross that chasm. Besides, a lot of the concepts that RoR were built on are sound (i.e. don't reinvent the wheel every time you make a new project), even if Rails has become as bloated as the technologies it replaced (J2EE, .NET).

Re: Tower.js - JavaScript Framework for Node.js modeled after Ruby on Rails

#48

Post by pooriaazimi »

bstar77 wrote: post #38
eldude wrote: post #8

Thanks for the efforts and the framework. Unfortunately, I cannot properly appreciate it for the following reason: Please don't call something JavaScript if it's actually all in CoffeeScript (even if it's just the documentation). A lot of us have not bothered to learn CoffeeScript and a good many of them have no intention of doing so. My time was wasted following a link that says "JavaScript", a language I know well,…

If I had the ability to downvote your post I would have. Your comment "I have not bothered to learn, nor do I plan anytime soon" goes against everything I believe in as a web developer. Sure, I may not be proficient in everything, but I try to have a working knowledge of all of the latest popular technologies so that I am not ignorant to what's going on around me. Like others have stated, 30min is all you need to rea…

I didn't downvote him because of his civil comment about misleading comment, but because of his un-hackerish tone about him not planning to learn something that is completely relevant to his career (his description in his page is: I'm a JavaScript and Node nerd). Maybe I shouldn't have done it, but I really have nothing against him. I truly wanted him the best and downvoting his (IMO) wrong comment was an effort to make him understand that what he is doing is wrong.

We are all online friends and friends ought to warn each other when they see their friend is doing something stupid (I really think writing any script longer than 20 lines in JavaScript instead of CoffeeScript is stupid).

Re: Tower.js - JavaScript Framework for Node.js modeled after Ruby on Rails

#49

Post by thelastnode »

Regarding the Coffeescript-Javascript difference, Coffeescript and Javascript can be used transparently in node. Once require('coffee-script') is run, the module replaces the require function with one that can load both Coffeescript and Javascript.

This means that if there is a file ./lib/foo.coffee, the following code in bar.js will work:

    require('coffee-script');
    var foo = require('./lib/foo');
Yes, some people may not like Coffeescript anywhere in their project, but this functionality makes it easy to add Coffeescript to an existing Javascript project or use Coffeescript modules as a blackbox in a Javascript project.

Re: Tower.js - JavaScript Framework for Node.js modeled after Ruby on Rails

#50

Post by pak »

ascendant wrote: post #47
franze wrote: post #42

am i the only who is not excited by any "RoR"-like framework? i like node because it lets me build small standalone programs/apps which i can link together to act like on big project. i - for one's part - found that having one master-overlord framework kills a lot of the joy of programming. ok, there is the "it's much more manageable" argument, but well, my experience is that big apps on RoR need much more maintenanc…

The bulk of today's web devs are coming from Rails and it's nice to have that hand-holding when you're trying to cross that chasm. Besides, a lot of the concepts that RoR were built on are sound (i.e. don't reinvent the wheel every time you make a new project), even if Rails has become as bloated as the technologies it replaced (J2EE, .NET).

>The bulk of today's web devs are coming from Rails

Ahem, you're exaggerating there just a little bit. There are probably around a dozen web frameworks that are competing for the spotlight right now. With Zend, CI, Django, Symfony, Struts, Cake, etc. all equally if not more popular it's hard to say Rails has the "bulk" of today's web devs. I wouldn't even go as far as saying that the bulk of today's web devs appreciate MVC.

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