# Is it better for Discourse to use JavaScript or CoffeeScript?

**URL:** <https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-it-better-for-discourse-to-use-javascript-or-coffeescript/3153>\
**Category:** Development\
**Created:** [February 15, 2013, 1:34pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-it-better-for-discourse-to-use-javascript-or-coffeescript/3153 "2013-02-15T13:34:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 25

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**Author:** ![ryanflorence](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/ryanflorence/32/103879_2.png) [@ryanflorence](https://meta.discourse.org/u/ryanflorence)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2013, 6:20am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-it-better-for-discourse-to-use-javascript-or-coffeescript/3153/25 "2013-02-16T06:20:44Z")

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Wise choice @eviltrout.

I prefer CoffeeScript, personally, its the only language I write in that I don’t think about the language.

However, Discourse is going to (hopefully) be around for a very long time. There are so many things that are going to be difficult for CoffeeScript in the future. For example, default arguments. `null` in CoffeeScript will defer to the default while in ES6 it will not because `null !== undefined`. I can’t see how it will target ES6 successfully and keep backwards compat.

Worth noting, CoffeeScript fell off the top 10 list on github. CoffeeScripters _usually_ still like and write JavaScript, including the language’s creator. Discourse will get more contributors with JavaScript without question.

Better create a style guide first.

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