Learning Scala

Preface

Welcome to Learning Scala. In this book I will provide you with a comprehensive yet approachable introduction to the Scala programming language.

Who This Book Is For

This book is meant for developers who have worked in object-oriented languages such as Java, Ruby, or Python and are interested in improving their craft by learning Scala. Java developers will recognize the core object-oriented, static typing and generic collections in Scala. However, they may be challenged to switch to Scala’s more expressive and flexible syntax, and the use of immutable data and function literals to solve problems. Ruby and Python developers will be familiar with the use of function literals (aka closures or blocks) to work with collections, but may be challenged with its static, generic-supporting type system.

For these and any other developers who want to learn how to develop in the Scala programming language, this book provides an organized and examples-based guide that follows a gradual learning curve.

Why Write “Learning Scala”?

When I picked up Scala in early 2012, I found the process of learning the language was longer and more challenging than it ought to be. The available books on Scala did cover the core features of the language. However, I found it difficult to switch from Java to Scala’s unfamiliar syntax, its preference for immutable data structures, and its sheer extensibility. It took me several weeks to become comfortable writing new code, several months to fully understand other ...