Problem accessing a function defined in Coffeescript

Question

I'm converting some javascript to coffeescript, and I'm having trouble accessing a function I've defined. Here's the original working javascript (I'm also using jQuery):

function check_quiz_state(){
  var div = $('#quiz-waiting');
  var timestamp = new Date().getTime();

  $.ajax({
    url: window.location.pathname + "?time=" + timestamp,
    success: function(state) {
      if (state == 'created' || state == 'completed') {
        setTimeout("check_quiz_state()", 3000);
      }
      else if (state == 'built') {
        div.html("<a href='" + window.location.pathname + "/pages/1'>Click to begin!</a>");
      }
      else if (state == 'graded') {
        window.location.pathname = window.location.pathname + "/review"
      }
    }
  });
};

After some cleanup and liberal use of the delete key, here's my coffeescript:

check_quiz_state = ->
  success = (state) ->
    switch state
      when 'created', 'completed' then setTimeout "check_quiz_state()", 3000
      when 'built' then $('#quiz-waiting').html "<a href='#{window.location.pathname}/pages/1'>Click to begin!</a>"
      when 'graded' then window.location.pathname = window.location.pathname + "/review"

  $.ajax {url: "#{window.location.pathname}?time=#{Date.now()}"}, success

The problem is with using setTimeout to make the function repeat - this works fine in the original javascript, but with the coffeescript it doesn't. I think it's unable to find the check_quiz_state function - if I use the javascript console in Chrome I can trigger the function just fine with my original javascript, but with the coffeescript version I get an error: "ReferenceError: check_quiz_state is not defined".

What should I be doing differently?

Edit - Here's what coffeescript is outputting. Sorry, slipped my mind:

(function() {
  var check_quiz_state;
  $(function() {
    // Other application code I omitted above, which is calling check_quiz_state() successfully.
  });
  check_quiz_state = function() {
    var success;
    success = function(state) {
      switch (state) {
        case 'created':
        case 'completed':
          return setTimeout("check_quiz_state()", 3000);
        case 'built':
          return $('#quiz-waiting').html("<a href='" + window.location.pathname + "/pages/1'>Click to begin!</a>");
        case 'graded':
          return window.location.pathname = window.location.pathname + "/review";
      }
    };
    return $.ajax({
      url: "" + window.location.pathname + "?time=" + (Date.now())
    }, success);
  };
}).call(this);

I guess the function it's wrapped in is why I can't call it from the Chrome developer console, but I don't get why the timeout is failing. I'm not that great with javascript, though.

Can you post what coffeescript is outputting? That would help a lot. — Jared Farrish
– Jared Farrish, Commented Feb 20, 2011 at 0:37
Your also passing in a string to setTimeout rather then passing in the function which could change things quite a bit. try passing in check_quiz_state instead — Raynos
– Raynos, Commented Feb 20, 2011 at 0:46
Raynos: Just tried that, the compiled javascript now reads return setTimeout(check_quiz_state, 3000);, but the result is the same - the function runs once but doesn't repeat itself. — PreciousBodilyFluids
– PreciousBodilyFluids, Commented Feb 20, 2011 at 0:49

PreciousBodilyFluids · Accepted Answer · 2011-02-20 05:21:55Z

2

D'oh. Stupid mistake. I screwed up the ajax call when I was translating from javascript to coffeescript.

$.ajax {url: "#{window.location.pathname}?time=#{Date.now()}"}, success

Should be:

$.ajax {url: "#{window.location.pathname}?time=#{Date.now()}", success: success}

Sorry, everyone.

answered Feb 20, 2011 at 5:21

PreciousBodilyFluids

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1 Comment

Alex Wayne Over a year ago

Cool tip: in a coffee script object literal { localVarName: localVarName } can be written as { localVarName }. Letting you do $.ajax { url: "#{window.location.pathname}?time=#{Date.now()}"}, success }

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