Javascript is a great programming language marred by idiosyncratic flaws. Odd semantic quirks and inconsistencies in browser implementations combine with verbose syntax to make coding difficult and error-prone. While forthcoming versions will address these flaws, many of us will be maintaining support for existing web browsers well into the future.

Enter Coffeescript - a lightweight syntactic wrapper that compiles to Javascript and is available for production use right now. Coffeescript, which has been the topic of previous talks at Async, aims to help developers improve their Javascript by making "good" code easier to write.

Dave Gurnell has been writing Javascript since the Netscape days and currently uses Coffeescript as an indispensable part of his production toolchain. In this talk, Dave will provide a short introduction to Coffeescript syntax before launching into an in-depth analysis of its most valuable features and biggest drawbacks. He will touch on tools for building and testing code, as well as discussing what he believes to be good coding style and inviting you to disagree with him vociferously.

Dave is co-founder of A/B testing startup Myna and a director at software development consultancy Underscore. His current utility belt includes Scala, Akka and Play on the server and Coffeescript, Underscore.js, and Backbone.js on the client. He lives in Hove and likes synthesizers.

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