Scala glossary Page

Scala Glossary

Return to Scala, Glossary of Java Programming Language Terms, Glossary of Kotlin Programming Language Terms, Scala Bibliography, Scala Courses, Scala DevOps - Scala CI/CD, Scala Security - Scala DevSecOps, Scala Functional Programming, Scala Concurrency, Scala Data Science - Scala and Databases, Scala Machine Learning, Awesome Scala, Scala GitHub, Scala Topics

----

* Provide a glossary of the top 40 Scala language concepts and Scala tools sorted by the most commonly used. Include code examples and usage examples. Answer using MediaWiki format.

Creating a Scala glossary that includes the top 40 Scala language concepts and Scala tools, sorted by their most commonly used, involves highlighting both foundational elements of the Scala language and Scala key tools that are essential for Scala development. Scala, known for blending Scala object-oriented and Scala functional programming paradigms, offers a wide array of features that encourage concise code, readable code, and expressive code. Additionally, Scala's ecosystem is rich with Scala tools that support effective Scala development workflows, Scala testing, and Scala functional programming practices.

Below is a glossary, showcasing essential Scala concepts and Scala tools with Scala examples:

= Top 40 Scala Language Concepts and Tools Glossary =

This glossary lists and explains the top 40 concepts and tools in the Scala language and its ecosystem, focusing on those most commonly used in Scala programming. Each entry provides a brief description and code or usage example.

Immutable Collections

Scala Immutable collections are a fundamental part of Scala's design, promoting Scala functional programming principles.



val numbers = List(1, 2, 3)

Case Classes

Case classes provide a convenient way to model immutable data.



case class Person(name: String, age: Int)

Pattern Matching

Pattern matching allows for complex and expressive conditional logic.



def describe(x: Any): String = x match {

  case 1 => "one"

  case "Hello" => "greeting"

  case _ => "unknown"

}

Futures

Futures support writing non-blocking, asynchronous code.



import scala.concurrent.Future

import scala.concurrent.ExecutionContext.Implicits.global



val future = Future { // Some long-running computation

  Thread.sleep(1000)

  "Completed"

}

For Comprehensions

For comprehensions provide a way to work with monads like `Option`, `Future`, and collections.



for {

  x <- Some(5)

  y <- Some(10)

} yield x + y

SBT (Simple Build Tool)

SBT is the de facto build tool for Scala projects, managing dependencies, compiling code, and running tests.
Usage example:
```
sbt compile
```

Akka

Akka is a toolkit for building highly concurrent, distributed, and resilient message-driven applications.
Usage example:
```
val actorSystem = ActorSystem("MySystem")
```

Play Framework

Play Framework is a high-velocity web framework for Scala and Java developers.
Usage example:
```
# Routes definition in Play Framework
GET /hello controllers.HomeController.hello
```

ScalaTest

ScalaTest is a flexible testing tool for Scala and Java.
Usage example:
```
class MySpec extends FunSuite {
test("An empty List should be empty") {
assert(List().isEmpty)
}
}
```

Implicit Conversions

Implicit conversions allow for automatic conversion between types.



implicit def intToString(x: Int): String = x.toString

val myString: String = 123 // Implicitly converts to "123"

Type Inference

Scala's type inference allows the compiler to deduce types, reducing verbosity.



val x = 10 // Int inferred

Higher-Order Functions

Higher-order functions can take functions as parameters or return them as results.



def apply(f: Int => String, x: Int): String = f(x)

Traits

Traits are used to define object types by specifying the signature of the supported methods.



trait Greeter {

  def greet(name: String): Unit

}

Mixins

Scala allows traits to be mixed into classes to compose behavior.



class MyGreeter extends Greeter with Logger {

  def greet(name: String): Unit = log("Hello, " + name)

}

Option Type

Option is a container that may or may not hold something.



val someValue: Option[String] = Some("I exist")

val noValue: Option[String] = None

Collections API

Scala's Collections API is rich and supports both mutable and immutable collections.



val immutableMap = Map(1 -> "a", 2 -> "b")

val mutableListBuffer = collection.mutable.ListBuffer(1, 2, 3)

Lazy Evaluation

Scala supports lazy evaluation, allowing computations to be deferred until their results are needed.



lazy val heavy = { println("Computing..."); "Done" }

Macros

Macros provide a way to perform compile-time metaprogramming.



// Simple macro example (advanced topic, requires macro paradise plugin)

Scala.js

Scala.js is a compiler that compiles Scala code to JavaScript, allowing Scala to be used for frontend development.
Usage example:
```
sbt fastLinkJS
``

`

Spark

Apache Spark is a unified analytics engine for large-scale data processing, with built-in modules for streaming, SQL, machine learning, and graph processing, often used with Scala for big data processing.
Usage example:
```
val spark = SparkSession.builder.appName("Simple Application").getOrCreate()
```

Type Classes

Type classes allow for ad-hoc polymorphism, enabling a form of polymorphism where types can be made to adhere to an interface in a decoupled way.



trait JsonSerializable[T] {

  def serialize(value: T): String

}

Algebraic Data Types (ADTs)

ADTs, encompassing case classes and sealed traits, enable the construction of complex types.



sealed trait Shape

case class Circle(radius: Double) extends Shape

case class Rectangle(width: Double, height: Double) extends Shape

Scaladoc

Scaladoc is the documentation tool for Scala, analogous to Javadoc in Java.
Usage example:
```
/** Summarizes the method here.
*
* @param x Description of x
* @return Description of return value
*/
def myMethod(x: Int): Int = x + 1
```

This glossary covers essential Scala language concepts and tools, providing a solid foundation for understanding and utilizing Scala's capabilities in software development.
```

This overview captures the breadth of Scala's features and the ecosystem's tools, offering insights into Scala's capabilities for both new and experienced Scala developers.

----

GLOSSARY Programming in Scala 3 5th Edit - ! Martin Odersky.txt

Scala
Scala is a modern multi-paradigm programming language designed to express common programming patterns in a concise, elegant, and type-safe way. Scala has been created by Martin Odersky and it smoothly integrates the features of object-oriented and functional languages. It is particularly useful for big data processing.

Terms
#::
Absolute and Relative Paths in Scala
Abstract Classes
Accessing Array Elements
Accessing Elements in a Tuple
Accessing Elements in Seq
Accessing Elements in Tuple2
Accessing Map Values
Accessing XML Elements in Scala
Actor
Actor Model
'ActorSystem'
Adding and Removing Elements from a Set in Scala
Adding and Removing Elements in Map
Adding Elements to a MutableList
Adding Elements to an Array Queue
Adding elements to BitSet
Adding Elements to Seq
Adding to a Map
Advanced Typed Patterns in Scala
Advanced Type Matching
Akka
Akka Framework
Akka HTTP
Akka HTTP Library
+ and - operators
:+ and +: operators in Scala
Anonymous Functions
AnyRef
Any Type
AnyVal Type in Scala
Apache Spark
application.conf
Apply Method
apply method in Scala
array
ArrayBuffer
Array Queue in Scala
Arrays
ArraySeq in Scala
ArraySeq Operations
Arrays in Scala
Array Stack
Auto Derivation of Type Class Instances
Basic Pattern Matching
Basic Syntax
Basic Syntax for Type Annotations in Scala
Basic Syntax for Typed Patterns in Scala
Basic Tuple Patterns
Basic Types in Scala

* algebraic data type - A type defined by providing several alternatives, each of which comes with its own constructor. It usually comes with a way to decompose the type through pattern matching. The concept is found in specification languages and functional programming languages. Algebraic data types can be emulated in Scala with case classes.

* alternative A branch of a match expression. It has the form "case pattern => expression." Another name for alternative is case.

* annotation An annotation appears in source code and is attached to some part of the syntax. Annotations are computer processable, so you can use them to effectively add an extension to Scala.

* anonymous class An anonymous class is a synthetic subclass generated by the Scala compiler from a new expression in which the class or trait name is followed by curly braces. The curly braces contains the body of the anonymous subclass, which may be empty. However, if the name following new refers to a trait or class that contains abstract members, these must be made concrete inside the curly braces that define the body of the anonymous subclass.

* anonymous function Another name for function literal.

* apply You can apply a method, function, or closure to arguments, which means you invoke it on those arguments.

* argument When a function is invoked]], an argument is passed for each parameter of that function. The parameter is the variable that refers to the argument. The argument is the object passed at invocation time. In addition, applications can take (command line) arguments that show up in the Array String passed to main methods of singleton objects.

* assign You can assign an object to a variable. Afterwards, the variable will refer to the object.

* auxiliary constructor Extra constructors defined inside the curly braces of the class definition, which look like method definitions named this, but with no result type.

{{navbar_scala}}

{{navbar_footer}}