CoffeeScript:

The Great Parts

(abridged)

An introduction to my two favorite CoffeeScript features:

Destructuring Assignment
Comprehensions

But first...

A Brief Intro to CoffeeScript

In 11 days, a guy wrote the worst.language.ever

Years later, another guy was like: "Dude, SO NOT the worst language ever. I wrote a book."

And most people were like:

...still the worst.

...but this guy.  He was really like: "OMG.  That totes IS a cool story, bro."

So, he wrote CoffeeScript

...and this is what it does

You write CoffeeScript


class Person


and CoffeeScript writes JavaScript that

the "I wrote a book" guy would have


var Person; Person = (function() { function Person() {} return Person; })();


To learn more


http://coffeescript.org/

So, Comprehensions and Destructuring Assignment...


Big words

My Goal:

To give you simple definitions of these terms and give you enough info that you can (somewhat painlessly) read the docs

Destructuring Assignment


Easy in. Easy out.

Let's start


food = 'toast'
aFood = food
console.log aFood # 'toast'

What about arrays?


foods = ['toast', 'cheese', 'wine']
theFood = foods
console.log theFood # ['toast', 'cheese', 'wine']

...and if i want contents?


foods = ['toast', 'cheese', 'wine']
first = foods[0]
console.log first # 'toast'

Let's try CoffeeScript


foods = ['toast', 'cheese', 'wine']
first = foods[0]
console.log first # 'toast'

Strip the accessor on `foods`


foods = ['toast', 'cheese', 'wine']
first = foods
console.log first # ['toast', 'cheese', 'wine']

and put it on you `first`


foods = ['toast', 'cheese', 'wine']
[first] = foods
console.log first # 'toast'

Let's grab the rest


foods = ['toast', 'cheese', 'wine']
[first, second, third] = foods console.log first, second, third # toast cheese wine

Let's try and object


foods = {carb: 'toast', fat: 'cheese', beverage: 'wine'}
carb = foods.carb
console.log carb 'toast'

Lose the message to food


foods = {carb: 'toast', fat: 'cheese', beverage: 'wine'}
carb = foods
console.log carb # {carb: 'toast', fat: 'cheese', beverage: 'wine'}

wrap our `carb` in {}


foods = {carb: 'toast', fat: 'cheese', beverage: 'wine'}
{carb} = foods
console.log carb 'toast'

Let's get the rest...


foods = {carb: 'toast', fat: 'cheese', beverage: 'wine'}
{carb, fat, beverage} = foods
console.log carb, fat, beverage 'toast cheese wine'

...and nesting works!


foods = {carb: 'toast', fat: 'cheese', beverage: ['wine', 'coffee']}
{carb, fat, beverage:[firstBev, lastBev]} = foods
console.log carb, fat, firstBev, lastBev 'toast cheese wine coffee'


Comprehensions


Smart loops

Let's start


for(var i = 1; i <= 10; i++) {
log(i); } // The same for loop we've had for 40 years

(), {} — get out of here!


for var i = 1; i <= 10; i++ log i ;

var, ; — see ya!


for i = 1 i <= 10 i++ log i

strip out the extra i's


for i = 1 <= 10 log i

make 1-10 a range


for i [1..10] log i

...and tell our loop to use it


for i in [1..10] log i

Boom, CoffeeScriptin'

   for i in [1..10]    log i

again... Javascript


for(var i = 1; i <= 10; i++) { log(i); }

CoffeeScript


for i in [1..10] log i

Let's play with food again...


foods = ['toast', 'cheese', 'wine']
for food in foods eat food

We can remove our action


foods = ['toast', 'cheese', 'wine']
for food in foods eat food

and put if before our loop.


foods = ['toast', 'cheese', 'wine']
 eat food for food in foods

and put if before our loop.


foods = ['toast', 'cheese', 'wine']
 eat food for food in foods

What about conditionals?


foods = ['toast', 'cheese', 'wine']
 eat food for food in foods

Append them to your loop


foods = ['toast', 'cheese', 'wine']
 eat food for food in foods when food isnt 'wine'

Append them to your loop


foods = ['toast', 'cheese', 'wine']
 eat food for food in foods when food isnt 'wine'

How does assignment work?


foods = ['toast', 'cheese', 'wine']
 aFoodfood for food in foods when food isnt 'wine'
# ?

How does assignment work?


foods = ['toast', 'cheese', 'wine']
 aFoodfood for food in foods when food isnt 'wine'
# aFood = 'cheese'

Add parens to collect()


foods = ['toast', 'cheese', 'wine']
 aFood = (food for food in foods when food isnt 'wine') # ?

Add parens to collect()


foods = ['toast', 'cheese', 'wine']
 aFood = (food for food in foods when food isnt 'wine') # aFood = ['toast', 'cheese']

The hardest part to comprehensions is the syntax.


How would Xzibit remember...

Peep mo'


http://coffeescript.org/#destructuring

@chantastic

CoffeeScript: The Great Parts

By Michael Chan

CoffeeScript: The Great Parts

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