Apps/C Usage

This document describes how to build JavaScript components using the Apps/C Grunt builder. It compiles CoffeeScript, JavaScript and Eco into CommonJS/1.1 Modules providing AMD/CommonJS/window external interface.

Example Gruntfile:

module.exports = (grunt) ->
    grunt.initConfig
        pkg: grunt.file.readJSON("package.json")

        apps_c:
            commonjs:
                src: [ 'src/**/*.{coffee,js,eco}' ]
                dest: 'build/app.js'
                options:
                    main: 'src/index.js'
                    name: 'MyApp'

    grunt.loadNpmTasks('grunt-apps-c')

    grunt.registerTask('default', [ 'apps_c' ])

You can now include the build/app.js file and, depending on your surrounding environment, you will be able to load it using RequireJS/AMD, CommonJS or straight from window under the MyApp key.

Config

The options.main property specifies which file will be considered the “main” one for your package. Somehow, the external world needs to know what to get when they call require(package_name). If you do not specify this property the following actions are taken:

1. We try make use of the property main as specified in your app’s package.json file. Failing that, we…
2. try to find the index.[js|coffee] file that is closest to the root of your sources.

The options.name overrides the name of the package in package.json. It specified the name of the exported package as in: require(name). One can pass in an array of names, as alternatives, as well.

Eco Templates

Are precompiled so when you require them, you need to only pass a context to them to get a string back.

CommonJS/1.1 Modules

The following template wraps your modules:

// filename
require.register('package/path.js', function(exports, require, module) {
  // ...
});