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Using CoffeeScript in a Sails app

The recommended language for building Node.js+Sails apps is JavaScript.

But Sails also supports using CoffeeScript to write your custom app code (like actions and models). You can enable this support in three steps:

  1. Run npm install coffee-script --save in your app folder.
  2. Add the following line at the top of your app's app.js file:
    require('coffee-script/register');
    
  3. Start your app with node app.js instead of sails lift.

Using CoffeeScript generators

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If you want to use CoffeeScript to write your controllers, models or config files, just follow these steps:

  1. Install the generators for CoffeeScript (optional):
    npm install --save-dev sails-generate-controller-coffee sails-generate-model-coffee
  2. To generate scaffold code, add --coffee when using one of the supported generators from the command-line:
    sails generate api <foo> --coffee
    # Generate api/models/Foo.coffee and api/controllers/FooController.coffee
    sails generate model <foo> --coffee
    # Generate api/models/Foo.coffee
    sails generate controller <foo> --coffee
    # Generate api/controllers/FooController.coffee
    

Is something missing?

If you notice something we've missed or could be improved on, please follow this link and submit a pull request to the sails repo. Once we merge it, the changes will be reflected on the website the next time it is deployed.

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