Introduction to Scala

Navdeep kaur MongoDB

A contemporary multi-paradigm programming language called Scala was created to describe common programming patterns in a clear, beautiful, and type-safe manner. Martin Odersky developed Scala, and in 2003, he published the first version. Both attributes of functional and object-oriented languages are seamlessly combined in Scala. The fundamentals of Scala are presented in this tutorial in an approachable and clear manner.

What is Scala?

A general-purpose programming language is Scala. It supports imperative, functional, and object-oriented programming paradigms. It has a powerful static type system. Everything in Scala, including functions and numbers, is an object. It has no understanding of basic data. Martin Odersky created it. Early in 2004 for the java platform and in June for the.Net framework, it was formally released. Scala dropped later. Net assistance in 2012.

Java, Haskell, Lisp, Pizza, etc., as well as F#, Fantom, Red, etc., are all influences on Scala. Scala source files can have either a.scala or.sc file extension.

You can develop any type of application, including desktop-based, mobile, web-based, and enterprise-based applications.

Audience

Beginners can learn the fundamentals of Scala by following the tutorial’s straightforward instructions. You will be at a moderate level of Scala proficiency after completing this course, from which you can advance to higher levels.

Prerequisites

Since Scala programming is based on Java, learning Scala is rather simple if you are familiar with Java syntax. Additionally, knowing any other programming language, such as C, C++, or Python, even if you are not an expert in Java, will help you pick up Scala principles quickly.

Scala Program Example

Let’s see the simple program of scala. A detailed description of this program is given in next chapters.

object
 MainObject{     
def main(args:Array[String])
{         print("Hello Scala")   
}  }  

Where to use Scala

  • Web applications
  • Utilities and libraries
  • Data streaming with Akka
  • Parallel batch processing
  • Concurrency and distributed application
  • Data analysis with Spark
  • AWS lambda expression
  • Ad hoc scripting in REPL etc.
Where use Scala

With Scala, you can develop any kind of application—web-based, mobile-based, or desktop-based—in less time and with less coding. With the help of Scala’s robust tools and API, you can build applications. In this case, you can use the Play framework, which offers a foundation for quickly building online applications.

History of Scala

A general-purpose programming language is Scala. Martin Odersky invented and refined it. In 2001, Martin began developing Scala at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL). On January 20, 2004, it was formally released.

Although Scala is totally compatible with Java, it is not an extension of Java. Scala files are converted to Java bytecode during compilation and run on the JVM (Java Virtual machine).

Scala was created to be both functional and object-oriented. In the sense that every value is an object and every function is a value, it is a wholly object-oriented and functional language. Scala, from which the word derives, meaning that it may expand to meet customer need.

Why Scala?

Scala has many reasons for being popular among programmers. Few of the reasons are :  

  • Easy to Start: Due to its high level nature, Scala is more similar to other well-known programming languages like Java, C, and C++. As a result, anyone can learn Scala extremely easily. Scala is simpler to learn for Java programmers.
  • Contains best Features: Scala is more functional, scalable, and productive because it incorporates features from many other languages, including C, C++, Java, and others.
  • Close integration with Java: The Java classes can be understood by the Scala compiler thanks to the way the language’s source code is structured. Additionally, its compiler may make use of many tools, libraries, and frameworks for Java. Scala programmes can be run on the JVM after compilation.
  • Web – Based & Desktop Application Development: It provides support for web applications by converting to JavaScript. It can also be compiled to JVM bytecode for desktop applications.
  • Used by Big Companies: The majority of well-known organisations, like Apple, Twitter, Walmart, Google, and others, have switched the majority of their code from other languages to Scala. because it is extremely scalable and suitable for backend activities.

Note: People frequently believe that Scala is a Java extension. But that is untrue. Simply put, it works flawlessly with Java. After successful compilation, Scala programmes are turned into.class files that contain Java Byte Code and may then be launched on JVM (Java Virtual Machine).

Finding a Compiler: You can run Scala programmes online using a variety of online IDEs like Scala Fiddle IDE and others without installing anything.

Programming in Scala: It is simpler to understand and code in Scala because of how syntactically similar it is to other commonly used languages.In any of the popular text editors like Notepad++, gedit, etc. or on any of the text-editors, programmes can be developed in Scala. When you’re through writing the programme, save the file with the.sc or.scala extension.

For Windows & Linux: Java Development Kit (JDK) 1.8 or higher must be installed on your machine before you can install Scala on Windows or Linux. Because Java 1.8 or later is required for Scala to run. 

Introduction to Scala
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