connect-assets production setup for heroku

express.coffee

prodAssetHelpers = require("./middleware/prod_asset_helpers")

if app.get('env') == 'production'
  app.use express.static(path.join(__dirname, "/../public"), maxAge: constant.one_week)
  prodAssetHelpers(app, path.join(__dirname, "/../public"))
else
  app.use express.static(path.join(__dirname, "/../public"), maxAge: constant.one_second)
  app.use connectAssets(paths: [ "public/css", "public/js" ], helperContext: app.locals, build: false)

package.json

{
  "scripts": {
    "install": "./node_modules/.bin/connect-assets -i public/js public/css -c styles* application.js -o public/assets -gz"  
  }
}

prod_asset_helpers.coffee

module.exports = (app, asset_path) ->
  manifest = require asset_path+"/assets/manifest.json"
  app.locals.js = (file) -> '<script src="/assets/'+manifest.assets[file+'.js']+'"></script>'
  app.locals.css = (file) -> '<link rel="stylesheet" href="/assets/'+manifest.assets[file+'.css']+'"/>'

...because I got tired of a kludged together setup. Keep in mind that the install script has to be customized to your environment. I never got wildcards to work for my less files for some reason, without putting it at the end of the filename. If anyone has any thoughts, I'd welcome them.