Node in Max/MSP

Cakefile

# Compile the coffee in bare joined mode.

{exec, spawn} = require 'child_process'
fs = require 'fs'
util = require 'util'

print = (data) ->
  console.log data.trimRight()

task 'build', 'Compile Coffeescript to Javascript', ->
  exec 'mkdir -p lib && coffee --bare --output lib --compile --join weird.js src/*.coffee'

task 'clean', 'Remove generated Javascripts', ->
  exec 'rm -fr lib'

task 'test', 'Run the tests', ->
  vows = exec "vows --spec test/*test*"
  vows.stdout.on 'data', print
  vows.stderr.on 'data', print

helper.coffee

# test/helper.coffee
# Create globals for the classes under test.

global.util = require 'util'
global.assert = require 'assert'

require '../src/array'
global.World = require('../src/world').World
global.Inspector = require('../src/inspector').Inspector
global.Lseq = require('../src/lseq').Lseq

vows = require 'vows'

max_obj.coffee

w = new World 16, 8
gw = new Global "world"
@bang = ->
  post w.cells.length

world.coffee

# src/world.coffee
# Define classes as top level vars.

@World = class
  constructor: (@lseq, @cells) ->
    unless @cells?
      @cells = @generateCells()
      @reset()

  generateCells: ->
    len = @length() - 1
    @lseq.toCoords(i) for i in [0..len]

world_test.coffee

# test/world_test.coffee
# Test the globals defined in helper.coffee.

require './helper'

test module, 'World',
  'constructor with an lseq and no provided cells':
    topic: ->
      @lseq = new Lseq({x:0, y:0}, 2, 2)
      @world = new World @lseq
    'has an lseq': ->
      @world.lseq.should eq @lseq
    'has an array of cells with 0 state': ->
      cells = [
        {x: 0, y: 0, state: 0},
        {x: 1, y: 0, state: 0},
        {x: 0, y: 1, state: 0},
        {x: 1, y: 1, state: 0}
      ]
      @world.cells.should deq cells

I've been stubbing out the Max API using a little mock/stub library I put together, but you've got the basic gist. I've been testing my own class' functionality to make sure those work correctly and then using the resulting JS inside of Max. If you were interested in writing tests that exercised the Max API itself, I would give Rhino a shot. If you are able to get Rhino running inside of Max let me know because I think that could be awesome.

I talked to some c74 guys when i speak at http://code-control.com and showed them coffee script and talked about Node.

Lets see what they will do about it ( :

Hope they enjoyed the ideas, and pay me a beer after they get millionare