Chapter 1Language Features
Scala borrows many of its syntax and control structures from various other languages. Methods are declared in Algol/C style with the addition of features such as optional braces, and semicolons to reduce code boilerplate.
Scala syntax also has features such as expressions for statements, local type inference, suffix/infix notation, and implicit return statements, which make typical idiomatic Scala code look like dynamic languages such as Lisp/Python/Ruby, but with the added benefit of strong static typing.
The expressive nature of Scala's syntax is useful to create custom DSL's, with the most notable example being Scala's own XML library. Scala also features several forms of inheritance (traits, classes, objects), which can be combined in various ways to structure composition in your code in a more natural and elegant way. This combined with a strong support for functional programming, syntactic sugar (for comprehension), and type inference makes it possible to create very terse domain specific code that is also type safe.
This chapter provides a broad overview of the various parts of Scala's design and syntax, as well as the features that are expected in modern generic programming languages (control of scoping, string interpolation, encapsulation, and modules).
STATIC TYPES AND TYPE ...
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