CoffeeScript in Rails

[ox]

Would it be possible to call CoffeeScript compiling calls within a rails app itself and for the written CS code to be converted to JS on the server call? So instead of compiling a separate script, why not just write it natively in the rhtml <%= %> tags, or in the controller or in the helper? seems like a better use of CoffeeScript, especially for teaching or using Prototype or script.aculo.us

[jashkenas]

Sure, you could totally integrate it with a Rails app in that way:

require 'coffee-script'
CoffeeScript.compile(string)

Go right ahead and make that a helper function or special partial.

[ox]

def cs(string)
"#{CoffeeScript.compile(string)}"
end

there ya go. :P

[jashkenas]

Now, jnicklaus' BistroCar solves this problem neatly:

http://github.com/jnicklas/bistro_car/

[d2kagw]

I've been having issues with this method, I can't seem to create classes using the class syntax for scripts compiled using either gem.

I get this error:

CoffeeScript::ParseError: line 2: syntax error, for '2' unexpected indent

The code is:

class Animal
  color: null
  getColor: ->
    @color

Any ideas why this would be happening?

EDIT: I should point out that the script compiles without error using coffee on the command line.