Renaming application.js to application.js.coffee?

Question

Starting a new project, I just try to rename my application.js to application.js.coffee.

Rails raise a error : SyntaxError: unexpected IDENTIFIER (in my_path/application.js.coffee)

Application.js is empty, just jquery include :

//= require jquery
//= require jquery_ujs

Any ideas? Thanks

apneadiving · Accepted Answer · 2013-08-13 16:22:35Z

27

Comments in coffeescript are written with # so replace with:

#= require jquery
#= require jquery_ujs

answered Aug 13, 2013 at 16:22

apneadiving

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2 Comments

Yoann Augen Over a year ago

Ok, that works. It was things like that I was skeptical about the use of coffee :) Will put flag answer after time limit. Thanks!

apneadiving Over a year ago

coffeescript is really great, you'll get used to its convention quickly. remind you can convert js to coffee easily using tools like http://js2coffee.org/

leviathanbadger · Accepted Answer · 2015-09-26 22:34:58Z

7

Why would you want to do that?

It is not recommended to add code to your application.js.

If you need to run a coffee script just create a coffee file in the same folder and it will include it automatically.

From the comments in the file:

// This is a manifest file that'll be compiled into application.js, which will include all the files
// listed below.
//
// Any JavaScript/Coffee file within this directory, lib/assets/javascripts, vendor/assets/javascripts,
// or vendor/assets/javascripts of plugins, if any, can be referenced here using a relative path.
//
// It's not advisable to add code directly here, but if you do, it'll appear at the bottom of the
// the compiled file.
//
// WARNING: THE FIRST BLANK LINE MARKS THE END OF WHAT'S TO BE PROCESSED, ANY BLANK LINE SHOULD
// GO AFTER THE REQUIRES BELOW.
//

This file is not your regular .js file, it serves the purpose of serving your javascripts to the asset pipeline, its not a good practice to add code here.

Whatever you need to do it can be done another way...

edited Sep 26, 2015 at 22:34

leviathanbadger

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answered Aug 13, 2013 at 16:23

Rodrigo Zurek

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4 Comments

Yoann Augen Over a year ago

Can you detail that? Why it's not recomended?

Gary Over a year ago

I'm curious as to exactly what downsides there are to renaming and editing this file, too. The official Ruby on Rails guides mentions "application.js.coffee.erb" in its documents, for instance, although maybe that's just a generic name.

Rodrigo Zurek Over a year ago

im not sure what are the downsides, but why rename it anyway? you can always create a coffe file in the same folder and include it through the application.js through the //= require newcoffefile

Mario Over a year ago

@RodrigoZurek Some people like consistency which is why they want to rename application.js to application.coffee since all their other javascripts are .coffee. Your answer incorrectly makes the assumption that the reason is to put code in application.coffee and you assert your own preference without actually identifying a valid technical or architectural reason why renaming application.js should be avoided. If you want to label something as a bad practice you need identify the reasons why.

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