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Scala Tutorial

Introduction to Scala

Scala is a modern programming language that blends object-oriented and functional programming styles. It is designed to be concise, elegant, and type-safe. Scala runs on the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and is compatible with existing Java code.

Setting Up Scala

To set up Scala on your machine, follow these steps:

  1. Download and install the Java Development Kit (JDK).
  2. Download and install Scala from the official Scala website.
  3. Install an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) like IntelliJ IDEA, which supports Scala development.

Basic Syntax

Scala syntax is similar to Java, but it includes many enhancements. Here's a simple "Hello, World!" example:

object HelloWorld {
    def main(args: Array[String]): Unit = {
        println("Hello, World!")
    }
}

In this example:

  • object HelloWorld defines a singleton object named HelloWorld.
  • def main(args: Array[String]): Unit defines the main method, which is the entry point of the application.
  • println("Hello, World!") prints the string "Hello, World!" to the console.

Variables and Data Types

Scala has two types of variables: mutable and immutable.

  • var defines a mutable variable.
  • val defines an immutable variable.

Here is an example of how to declare variables in Scala:

var mutableVariable: Int = 10
val immutableVariable: String = "Scala"

Control Structures

Scala supports various control structures, including conditional statements and loops.

If-Else Statement

val x = 10
if (x > 0) {
    println("x is positive")
} else {
    println("x is non-positive")
}

For Loop

for (i <- 1 to 5) {
    println(i)
}

While Loop

var i = 0
while (i < 5) {
    println(i)
    i += 1
}

Functions

Functions in Scala are first-class citizens. Here's how you can define and use functions:

def add(a: Int, b: Int): Int = {
    a + b
}

println(add(2, 3)) // Output: 5

Classes and Objects

Scala is an object-oriented language and supports classes and objects.

Class Definition

class Person(val name: String, val age: Int) {
    def greet(): Unit = {
        println(s"Hello, my name is $name and I am $age years old.")
    }
}

val person = new Person("Alice", 30)
person.greet()

Functional Programming

Scala supports functional programming features such as higher-order functions and immutable data structures.

Higher-Order Functions

def applyFunction(f: Int => Int, x: Int): Int = {
    f(x)
}

val increment: Int => Int = (x: Int) => x + 1
println(applyFunction(increment, 5)) // Output: 6

Collections

Scala provides a rich set of collection libraries. Here are some commonly used collections:

List

val list = List(1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
list.foreach(println)

Map

val map = Map("a" -> 1, "b" -> 2, "c" -> 3)
map.foreach { case (key, value) => println(s"$key -> $value") }

Pattern Matching

Pattern matching is a powerful feature in Scala that allows you to match on the structure of data:

val number = 6

number match {
    case 1 => println("One")
    case 2 => println("Two")
    case _ => println("Other number")
}

Concurrency

Scala provides various tools for concurrent and parallel programming, including the Future and Promise APIs.

import scala.concurrent.Future
import scala.concurrent.ExecutionContext.Implicits.global

val future = Future {
    Thread.sleep(1000)
    42
}

future.onComplete {
    case Success(value) => println(s"Got the result: $value")
    case Failure(e) => println(s"Failed with exception: $e")
}

Conclusion

Scala is a versatile language that supports both object-oriented and functional programming paradigms. By learning Scala, you can leverage its powerful features to build robust and scalable applications.