Programming Language: What is it about the Scala Programming Language?

Scala combines object-oriented and functional programming in one concise high-level programming language.

• By Mensah Alkebu-Lan
• 28 September 2022

Table of Contents

• Summary
• References

Summary

If you are a programmer and come across an opportunity to learn Scala, you should take it. I love Java, but I have to appreciate the fact you can often do the same thing with fewer lines of code.

The language was created by Martin Odersky in 2003. Scala combines object-oriented and functional programming in one concise high-level programming language.

Some of the Scala language’s notable features are static types, which help to avoid bugs in complex applications. Scala runs on the JVM, so Scala and Java can be mixed for seamless integration.

Those who are familiar with the switch construct commonly used in programming, you’ll be sure to appreciate the pattern matching. It is much more flexible with what you can match against.

We’ll end off by getting into the code some. If you usually code in Java a good place to start is to compare the “Hello World” program in Java code compared to Scala code.

// Hello World written in the Java programming language
public class HelloJava {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println("Hello World!");
    }
}

// Hello World written in the Scala programming language
object HelloScala {
    def main(args: Array[String]): Unit = {
        println("Hello World!")
    }
}

On Social Media

• “r/Scala.” Reddit

Online Classes

• “Functional Programming Principles in Scala.” Coursera

From its Ecosystem

• “Scala - IntelliJ IDEA & Android Studio Plugin - Marketplace.” JetBrains Marketplace

References

1. The Scala Programming Language Accessed 27 September 2022.
2. “Scala Tutorial.” Tutorialspoint Accessed 27 September 2022.
3. Hicks, Matt. “Scala vs. Java: Why Should I Learn Scala?” Toptal Accessed 27 September 2022.