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

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.