Synopsis

The open source Scala language is a Java-based dynamic scripting, functional programming language. Moreover, this highly scalable scripting language lends itself well to building cloud-based/deliverable Software as a Service (SaaS) online applications.

Written by Lift Scala web framework founder and lead Dave Pollak, Beginning Scala takes a down-to-earth approach to teaching Scala that leads you through simple examples that can be combined to build complex, scalable systems and applications.

This book introduces you to the Scala programming language and then guides you through Scala constructs and libraries that allow small and large teams to assemble small components into high-performance, scalable systems. You will learn why Scala is becoming the language of choice for Web 2.0 companies such as Twitter as well as enterprises such as Seimens and SAP.

What you’ll learn

• Get running with the Scala programming language for functional Java, Java-based, and cloud-based/deliverable applications development, and more.
• Understand the basic syntax and mechanisms for writing Scala programs.
• Discover the techniques for and advantages of using immutable data structures.
• Create functional programming techniques for defining and managing concurrency.
• Use a complex type system and traits to define object-oriented programs.
• Work with Scala constructs and libraries that allow teams of any size to assemble small components into high-performance, scalable systems.
• Build complex systems based on the simple examples learned along the way through this book.

Java developers looking to reduce boilerplate, improve team performance, improve interteam dynamics, and build more scalable and robust systems. Also, this book will appeal to Java developers looking to do cloud-based development. Lastly, Ruby, Python, and Groovy programmers looking for a higher performance and a more robust language will benefit.

Table of Contents

1. About Scala and How to Install It
2. Scala Syntax, Scripts, and Your First Scala Programs
3. Collections and the Joy of Immutability
4. Fun with Functions, and Never Having to Close That JDBC Connection
5. Pattern Matching
6. Actors and Concurrency
7. Traits and Types and Gnarly Stuff for Architects
8. Parsers—Because BNF Is Not Just for Academics Anymore
9. Scaling Your Team

Biography

David Pollak has been writing commercial software since 1977. He wrote the award-winning Mesa spreadsheet, which in 1992 was the first real-time spreadsheet. Wall Street companies traded billions of dollars a day through Mesa. In 1996, David sold his company to CMP Media and became CTO of CMP Media's NetGuide Live and was one of the first large-scale users of Java and WebLogic to power an Internet site. In 1998, David released Integer, the world's first browser-accessible, multiuser spreadsheet. Since 2000, David has been consulting for companies including Hewlett-Packard, Pretzel Logic/WebGain, BankServ, Twitter, and SAP. David has been using Scala since 2006 and is the lead developer of the Lift Web framework.