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CoffeeScript

A small language that compiles into JavaScript, with a lighter syntax.

GitHub Download 2.7.1
Stars
16.6k
Forks
2k
Licence
MIT
Language
CoffeeScript
Last update
11 days ago
Type
Library

What it is

CoffeeScript is a small programming language that is translated (compiled) into JavaScript, which browsers and Node.js can run. You write code with less punctuation than JavaScript, then the compiler turns it into normal JavaScript. The README describes it as a little language that compiles into JavaScript, and it can also run .coffee files directly with the coffee command.

  • Run a .coffee script directly with the coffee command
  • Compile a .coffee file into JavaScript with coffee -c
  • Install it into a project as a development dependency with npm

Great for

  • Developers maintaining an existing CoffeeScript codebase
  • Developers who prefer a terse, indentation-based syntax over JavaScript's braces and semicolons
  • People experimenting with language design or JavaScript compilers

Not ideal for

  • New projects that want mainstream JavaScript or TypeScript tooling, since the README does not describe current ecosystem support and the project is less commonly chosen for new work
  • Non-programmers, because it requires understanding JavaScript and Node.js to use effectively
Step-by-step guide: how to use CoffeeScriptInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs
Babel vs CoffeeScript

How to get it

  1. 1

    Install with a package manager

    You'll need: Node.js

    Install locally for a project

    npm install --save-dev coffeescript

    Install globally to execute .coffee files anywhere

    npm install --global coffeescript
  2. 2

    Run it

    • Install Node.js
    • Install CoffeeScript with npm (locally or globally)
    • Run a script with: coffee /path/to/script.coffee
    • Or compile it to JavaScript with: coffee -c /path/to/script.coffee
  3. 3

    Get the most out of it

    • Use the coffee -c command to produce JavaScript you can ship or inspect
    • Read the documentation and examples at coffeescript.org
    • Check the changelog on coffeescript.org for changes between releases
    • Report bugs or suggest features through the GitHub issues page

Downloads

Source code (.zip)main branch · straight from GitHubRelease 2.7.1Release notes and sourceOfficial website & docscoffeescript.org/

Strengths

  • Simple, short syntax that compiles to readable JavaScript
  • Installs easily through npm, both per project and globally
  • Has an MIT license and a long-running public changelog and documentation site

Trade-offs

  • Requires Node.js, and the README does not detail which Node.js versions are supported
  • The README is brief, so detailed language features are only available on the external website
  • Smaller community and fewer new tools than JavaScript or TypeScript

How it compares

ProjectStarsTypeLevelUpdatedBest for
coffeescript (this)16.6kLibrarybeginner11 days agoDevelopers maintaining an existing CoffeeScript codebase
babel44.1kDev toolintermediate4 days agoWeb developers who want to use recent JavaScript syntax while still supporting older browsers

Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.