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Welcome friends, to my next blog on programming language. This time we would be talking about the infamous Scala. First things first, what is scala? And why is it so famous with Java developers? Can it replace Java in full? So, if you are an experienced programmer, then you may be having a lot of questions like these in mind. Don’t worry. That’s why we are here for.
Scala is just a short form for Scalable Language. It means you can, not only use it for writing one-liner applications, but also for writing huge server related problems. Scala takes a lot of itself from Java. Thus, you may see a lot of code in scala is similar to Java. But, then again…why was scala actually built? Now, these are the things that we are gonna go in deep in this blog. So, lets take a look at these things one by one. Shall we?
Is scala a scripting language?
I have heard a lot of people saying that scala seems like a scripting language. But I would beg to differ. Scala has shorter syntaxes and eat up less memory. For quick responses, you can use REPL or IDE.
Scala is the language which is actually used for building many large servers since it can be very dependent at times. The syntax and codes are mostly similar to that of Java’s. And since Scala is mostly a typo-type language, most of its error are actually caught when compiling codes rather than when debugging it or when you actually try to run the software.
That means less hassle when debugging and if you are running a large company; it would probably be more profitable, since the manpower needed to debug the code would be less as most of the errors are taken care of when compiling small pieces of codes.
So, the question, which I asked previously that “Whether scala is a scripting language?” I would agree that this is 50% true, but at the sae time it is 50% false as well. Though scala may seem a lot similar like scripting languages; heck, it even feels like a scripting language when coding, but the thing is, it is not.
So, to be more precise, in deep, scala is a multi-compilation of, or to be more specific; it is a combination of carefully integrated object oriented programming and the fundamental concepts of functional programming.
How is Scala Object Oriented?
First things first, how do you actually define object orientation?
Object oriented programming or OOP means it’s a different type of coding language that combines together structures of data in the code with the functions inside it to build re-usable objects.
The synonym object orientation is preferably used to explain a system, which deals proprietarily with different modes of objects, where the actions you perform depend upon what type of object you used for the manipulation of data.
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Let’s say, for example, an OOP drawing algorithm may enable you to draw innumerable types of data objects, such as circles, octagons, squares etc. Performing the same option to each of these objects would however change the results. Getting my point?
So, the answer to the question is, scala though walks and talks like an object oriented language. It is not fully. You may find a lot of people saying exactly the opposite. But let me tell you why. Scala is actually a purely functional language.
But still developers have given it a lot of feel of an object oriented language. Similarly when developing this particular language, developers had their proper way to integrate the feature of a object oriented language. So, even thought Scala may feel at home when being used as an object oriented language, theoretically it is not.
How is scala a functional language?
As I said previously, scala was made with a mindset of making this as close to functional language as possible. Though I wouldn’t say it is purely functional, but then again…who am I to comment?
Scala has a lot of inbuilt features, which prove it to us that it’s a functional language. You may however feel that its syntax is actually too conventional, but Scala is also a professionally built functional language.
It has all the things you need, whether you talk about including top class function or a library with extremely proficient made immutable data structures, everything is purely functional. It also has usual priority of immutability when compared to mutation.
Unlike many old functional languages, Scala shows an easy migration from object orientation to a more functional approach. Though you can start using it as a Java without semicolons, but as time passes, you will eventually progress to limit mutable state in your applications as much as possible, converting your code into a safe functional pattern.
Scala developers tend to believe that these types of progressions are always a good habit. But at the same time, Scala is methodological. You can use it in any style you want, ranging from scripting, to object oriented to functional.
Will Scala replace Java?
Scala runs on Java Virtual Machine, which has an acronym as JVM. Classes of Java and scala can be thoroughly mixed, without the headache of whether they are located in different projects and folders or in the same.
Inspite of being located in different locations, they can still however find each other. Besides, the Compiler of scala includes a minor set from that of the compiler Java, which then matches such similar repetitive dependent codes.
Libraries and frameworks of Java and tools are freely available online. Building tools of Java, lets say for example, Maven or similar IDEs like Eclipse or Netbeans and frameworks with the likes of Hibernate or even spring, they all seem to work flawlessly with Scala.
If this is not enough, Scala run also on Android. The community of scala is very wide and it is an essential part of the Java. Even infamous Scala frameworks include dual APIs for Java as well.
Following is a basic example in both of the languages:
First, lets take a glimpse of Java:
public class Test{
private String name;
private List<test1> orders;
public Test() {
orders = new ArrayList< test1>();
}
public String getName() {
return name;
}
public void setName(String name) {
this.name = name;
}
public List< test1> gettest1() {
return orders;
}
public void settest1(List<test1> orders) {
this.orders = orders;
}
}
public class test1{
private int id;
private List<Product> products;
public test1() {
products = new ArrayList<Product>();
}
public int getId() {
return id;
}
public void setId(int id) {
this.id = id;
}
public List<Contents> getContents() {
return products;
}
public void setContents(List<Contents> products) {
this.products = products;
}
}
public class Contents {
private int id;
private String category;
public int getId() {
return id;
}
public void setId(int id) {
this.id = id;
}
public String getCategory() {
return category;
}
public void setCategory(String category) {
this.category = category;
}
}
Now, lets take a look at the same example in Scala:
class Test {
var name: String = _
var orders: List[test1] = Nil
}
class test1 {
var id: Int = _
var products: List[Contents] = Nil
}
class Contents {
var id: Int = _
var category: String = _
}
What the h…? Exactly this is what I was talking about. But the thing is, though Scala has a lot of common with Java, and it is much easier than Java, it simply cannot replace Java. Java’s interoperability and scalability is far more superior than that of scalas.
It has a much more widespread community than that of Scala as well.. Even though, if I spend 15 more minutes with the above piece of code, I can still try to make this scala code above even more compact, it would still wouldn’t be much worth it, if I am about to use this in small scale.
The Conclusion
See, there is no such as conclusion at this point of time. Because Scala is, if you want me to say something, then it is a purely based functional language. No matter how much scala progresses, it will still be a full-fledged functional language with the aspects and near implications of an object-oriented language.
Scala has a compact code, similar to that of scripting languages like Ruby or Python, objects similar to that of Javas and a functional approach similar to that of Haskells. So, in the end…Yes! Scala is a functional Language.
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