Scala

Scala

A Pragmatic Programming Language

Scala is a language designed to integrate the functional style of programming within an object-oriented framework. It introduces a set of abstractions that is powerful enough to accommodate both of the paradigms but still manages to remain scalable.

The current implementation of the language is actively being developed for the Java Virtual Machine and the .NET framework. This approach has the advantage of utilizing widely-tested platforms with well-developed libraries.

This book assumes working knowledge of object-oriented programming and familiarity with at least one of the currently targeted platforms. However, only a basic understanding of functional programming should suffice.

Overview

This book is aimed at making the transition from Java/C# to Scala as smooth as possible. The syntax is there to begin with, though many aspects of it will be covered along the way. The Scala type system, arguably the hardest stumbling block, is explained next. Then, the key aspects of functional programming as adapted by Scala are discussed. Finally, the book sheds light into the inner workings of the implementation strategy, something that a Scala programmer should find helpful in order to handle large projects.

Scala Basics Setup Expressions, Not Statements Classes and Objects	Scala Type System Generics Traits Implicits Structural Typing	Functional Programming
Practical programming Lists and collections XML Actors	Libraries Simple Build Tool Lift Akka Configgy Specs Scalatra	Inner Workings

Additional Resources

• Scala homepage
• Scala wiki
• German Scala Tutorial