gistfile1.js

 var couchapp = require('couchapp')
  , path = require('path')
  ;

ddoc = 
  { _id:'_design/app'
  , rewrites : 
    [ {from:"/", to:'index.html'}
    , {from:"/api", to:'../../'}
    , {from:"/api/*", to:'../../*'}
    , {from:"/*", to:'*'}
    ]
  };


date_to_array =  function(date){
    return [date.getFullYear(),
	    (date.getMonth() + 1),
	    date.getDate(),
	    date.getHours(),
	    date.getMinutes(),
	    date.getSeconds()];
};

//does not work
transactionDate = function(doc){
    return date_to_array(new Date(doc.time.end));
};

ddoc.views = {};

ddoc.views.transactions_by_type = {
    map : function (doc) {	

        /*works when defined here
	transactionDate = function(doc){
	    return date_to_array(new Date(doc.time.end));
	};*/

	var key = [transactionDate(doc)];
	emit(key, 1);
    },
    reduce: "_sum"
};