How do I define global variables in CoffeeScript?

Question

On Coffeescript.org:

bawbag = (x, y) ->
    z = (x * y)

bawbag(5, 10) 

would compile to:

var bawbag;
bawbag = function(         


        

Answer 1

To me it seems @atomicules has the simplest answer, but I think it can be simplified a little more. You need to put an @ before anything you want to be global, so that it compiles to this.anything and this refers to the global object.

so...

@bawbag = (x, y) ->
    z = (x * y)

bawbag(5, 10)

compiles to...

this.bawbag = function(x, y) {
  var z;
  return z = x * y;
};
bawbag(5, 10);

and works inside and outside of the wrapper given by node.js

(function() {
    this.bawbag = function(x, y) {
      var z;
      return z = x * y;
    };
    console.log(bawbag(5,13)) // works here
}).call(this);

console.log(bawbag(5,11)) // works here

Answer 2

To add to Ivo Wetzel's answer

There seems to be a shorthand syntax for exports ? this that I can only find documented/mentioned on a Google group posting.

I.e. in a web page to make a function available globally you declare the function again with an @ prefix:

<script type="text/coffeescript">
    @aglobalfunction = aglobalfunction = () ->
         alert "Hello!"
</script>

<a href="javascript:aglobalfunction()" >Click me!</a>