# CoffeeScript

> programming language which compiles to JavaScript

**Wikidata**: [Q1106819](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1106819)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CoffeeScript)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/coffeescript

## Summary

CoffeeScript is a software application. Its design was influenced by JavaScript and Python.

## Summary  
CoffeeScript is a programming language created by Jeremy Ashkenas that compiles into JavaScript. Designed to enhance JavaScript's syntax with features inspired by languages like Python, it supports multiple programming paradigms including functional, imperative, and prototype-based programming. Its development began in 2009, and it has been widely used in web development for writing cleaner and more readable code.

## Key Facts  
- Created by Jeremy Ashkenas in 2009  
- First released on December 24, 2009 (version 0.1.0)  
- Compiles to JavaScript and runs in any JavaScript environment  
- Licensed under the MIT License  
- Influenced by Python, Ruby, and Haskell  
- Supports multi-paradigm programming: functional, imperative, prototype-based  
- Stable version as of early 2018: 2.2.4  
- Official website: [https://coffeescript.org](https://coffeescript.org)  
- Source repository: [https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript)

## FAQs  
### Q: What is CoffeeScript used for?  
A: CoffeeScript is used to write JavaScript applications with a cleaner and more expressive syntax. It simplifies JavaScript development by reducing boilerplate and introducing syntactic sugar inspired by languages like Python and Ruby.

### Q: Is CoffeeScript still used today?  
A: While less popular than in the early 2010s, CoffeeScript is still used in legacy projects and by developers who prefer its syntax. Many modern alternatives like TypeScript now offer similar benefits with stronger tooling support.

### Q: How does CoffeeScript compare to JavaScript?  
A: CoffeeScript compiles to JavaScript but offers a more concise and readable syntax. It abstracts away some of JavaScript’s quirks, such as the need for explicit semicolons and parentheses, while adding features like list comprehensions and destructuring.

## Why It Matters  
CoffeeScript played a pivotal role in the evolution of front-end and server-side JavaScript development. By offering a more elegant syntax and integrating concepts from languages like Python and Ruby, it attracted developers seeking a higher-level abstraction over raw JavaScript. Although newer tools like Babel and TypeScript have since gained popularity, CoffeeScript was among the first successful attempts to improve JavaScript ergonomics. It influenced the direction of JavaScript itself, encouraging features that later made their way into ECMAScript standards.

## Notable For  
- Being one of the earliest and most influential transpilers to JavaScript  
- Introducing clean, Python-like syntax to JavaScript development  
- Supporting multiple programming paradigms including functional and prototype-based styles  
- Having a strong presence in the Node.js and web development communities during the 2010s  

## Body  
### Overview  
CoffeeScript is a programming language that transpiles (compiles) into JavaScript. It was designed to overcome perceived shortcomings in JavaScript’s syntax while enabling developers to write more maintainable and expressive code. The language supports various programming paradigms, making it suitable for both functional and object-oriented programming styles.

### Development and History  
- **Creator**: Jeremy Ashkenas, a software developer based in the United States  
- **Inception Date**: December 13, 2009  
- **First Release**: Version 0.1.0 published on December 24, 2009  
- **License**: MIT License  
- **Inspired By**: Python, Ruby, Haskell, and other high-level languages  
- **Source Code Repository**: [GitHub](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript)  

### Technical Details  
- **File Extension**: `.coffee`  
- **Media Types**: `text/coffeescript`, `application/vnd.coffeescript`  
- **Typing Discipline**: Dynamic  
- **Operating System Support**: Cross-platform  
- **Programming Paradigms Supported**:
  - Functional Programming
  - Imperative Programming
  - Prototype-Based Programming
  - Aspect-Oriented Programming  

### Versions and Releases  
Below are selected stable versions with release dates:

| Version | Release Date       |
|---------|--------------------|
| 1.10.0  | September 3, 2015  |
| 2.0.0   | September 18, 2017 |
| 2.1.0   | December 11, 2017  |
| 2.2.4   | March 30, 2018     |

### Community and Distribution  
- **Package Managers**:
  - NPM package: `coffeescript`
  - Homebrew formula: `coffeescript`
  - Debian/Ubuntu package: `coffeescript`
- **Community Platforms**:
  - Subreddit: r/coffeescript (started December 26, 2010)
  - Stack Overflow tag: [coffeescript](https://stackoverflow.com/tags/coffeescript)
- **Documentation and Resources**:
  - Official Website: [https://coffeescript.org](https://coffeescript.org)
  - GitHub Topic: `coffeescript`

### Influence and Legacy  
CoffeeScript influenced the JavaScript ecosystem significantly:
- Inspired improvements in JavaScript syntax that were later standardized in ES6+  
- Paved the way for modern transpilers like Babel and alternative languages like TypeScript  
- Widely adopted in the mid-2010s by developers working with frameworks like Backbone.js and Node.js  

Despite declining usage in recent years, CoffeeScript remains historically significant as a catalyst in the evolution of JavaScript tooling and developer experience.

## Schema Markup  
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "CoffeeScript",
  "description": "Programming language which compiles to JavaScript",
  "url": "https://coffeescript.org/",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q161418",
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CoffeeScript"
  ],
  "additionalType": "ProgrammingLanguage"
}

## References

1. [Source](https://github.com/JohnMarkOckerbloom/ftl/blob/master/data/wikimap)
2. [The coffeescript Open Source Project on Open Hub: Licenses Page. Open Hub](https://www.openhub.net/p/coffeescript/licenses)
3. [The coffeescript Open Source Project on Open Hub: Languages Page. Open Hub](https://www.openhub.net/p/coffeescript/analyses/latest/languages_summary)
4. [2025](https://github.com/EvanLi/Github-Ranking/blob/master/Data/github-ranking-2025-07-06.csv)
5. [Merge pull request #4079 from lydell/v1.10.0. 2015](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/1.10.0)
6. [npmjs](https://registry.npmjs.com/coffeescript)
7. [coffeescript: Unfancy JavaScript](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/2.1.0)
8. [coffeescript: Unfancy JavaScript. 2017](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/2.0.0)
9. [Source](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/2.1.1)
10. [coffeescript: Unfancy JavaScript. 2018](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/2.2.0)
11. [coffeescript: Unfancy JavaScript. 2018](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/2.2.1)
12. [jashkenas/coffeescript](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/2.2.2)
13. [Source](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/2.2.3)
14. [Source](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/2.2.4)
15. [Release 0.1.0. 2009](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.1.0)
16. [Release 0.1.1. 2009](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.1.1)
17. [Release 0.1.2. 2009](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.1.2)
18. [Release 0.1.3. 2009](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.1.3)
19. [Release 0.1.4. 2009](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.1.4)
20. [Release 0.1.5. 2009](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.1.5)
21. [Release 0.1.6. 2009](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.1.6)
22. [Release 0.2.0. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.2.0)
23. [Release 0.2.1. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.2.1)
24. [Release 0.2.2. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.2.2)
25. [Release 0.2.3. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.2.3)
26. [Release 0.2.4. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.2.4)
27. [Release 0.2.5. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.2.5)
28. [Release 0.2.6. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.2.6)
29. [Release 0.3.0. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.3.0)
30. [Release 0.3.1. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.3.1)
31. [Release 0.3.2. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.3.2)
32. [Release 0.4.0. 2015](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.4.0)
33. [Release 0.5.0. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.5.0)
34. [Release 0.5.1. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.5.1)
35. [Release 0.5.2. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.5.2)
36. [Release 0.5.3. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.5.3)
37. [Release 0.5.4. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.5.4)
38. [Release 0.5.5. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.5.5)
39. [Release 0.5.6. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.5.6)
40. [Release 0.6.0. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.6.0)
41. [Release 0.6.1. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.6.1)
42. [Release 0.6.2. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.6.2)
43. [Release 0.7.0. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.7.0)
44. [Release 0.7.1. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.7.1)
45. [Release 0.7.2. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.7.2)
46. [Release 0.9.0. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.9.0)
47. [Release 0.9.1. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.9.1)
48. [Release 0.9.2. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.9.2)
49. [Release 0.9.3. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.9.3)
50. [Release 0.9.4. 2010](https://github.com/jashkenas/coffeescript/releases/tag/0.9.4)