8 Resources to Learn Scala Programming

Summary:

Scala is on the rise to becoming a popular language and is also being used by many companies worldwide. The dual feature of Scala with the ability to provide for both OOP and functional programming makes it easier for the developer to gain more control over the programs. With the constant rise in popularity, it is no wonder that a lot of people are incorporating Scala in everyday programming.

Scala is a programming language designed for general software applications. It has a very strong static type system but also offers support for functional programming. It was developed by Martin Odersky in 2001, as a means of dealing with the shortcomings of Java. Since the initial release of Scala, the programming language has been gaining popularity because of its ability to be both object-oriented as well as functional.

The name Scala is a combination of ‘scalable’ and ‘language’, signifying its ability to grow with the user. The language is intended to be compiled to Java bytecode so that the code can run on a Java virtual machine. It also allows Java libraries to be used in the coding process and similarly, Scala libraries can be used in Java programming language.

According to a few developers, if you want to learn just one programming language the best bet would be to learn Scala Programming language. If you want to learn how to code in Scala, here are few resources that are great to learn Scala.

1. Community-driven documentation for Scala

When trying to learn a new programming, it is often a good idea to start with the documentation that is provided by the company. It usually is a good tutorial that starts at the beginning with the history and also covers any developments that are being made to the language. In addition to the textual documents, you can also get the programs and the technology you require from their websites. It is basically a complete learning experience with guides, glossary, tutorials, cheat sheets, style guides and so on.

2. Functional Programming Principles in Scala

Another good place to start would be this Coursera Scala online tutorial on Functional Programming Principles that is taught by none other than the creator of Scala, Martin Odersky. It is a 7 week course that breaks down important concepts and aims to teach you everything about Scala from scratch. The best part? It is completely free!

3. Programming in Scala: A Comprehensive Step-by-Step Guide

If a video based tutorial is not your cup of tea, well then here is a written step-by-step guide to learning Scala. The book, also written by Martin Odersky, breaks down the concepts and starts at the beginning with the fundamental elements of the language and also teaches you all the tricks you might need to know directly from the creator himself.

4. Scala in Depth

Another good book that can usually be found on the desks of many developers is Scala in Depth by Joshua Suereth D. This book is actually for the advanced users of Scala aimed at all the people who are already familiar with the basics but are looking to learn how functional idioms work, best practices and so on.

5. Daily Scala

This one isn’t a well-known resource but that doesn’t make it any less awesome. The Daily Scala is actually a blog by a developer named Jesse Eicharl. He started writing about Scala in 2009 and made it an open forum where people could discuss whatever concerns they have about the language. It includes codes and some small snippets of information or tricks that can be useful for any Scala programmer – beginner or advanced.

6. Eduonix Scala Course

Eduonix is an online e-learning company that offers courses on numerous technology based topics. It has an extensive Scala tutorial that breaks down Scala, why is it a good language to learn, how to set up the Scala environment, related concepts and even technologies. Additionally, it also provides practical examples of Scala and its application.

7. Scala School!

Twitter is one of the biggest supporters of Scala programming language and for this purpose, it has been constantly consolidating ways to teach programmers the new language. Scala School is an online Scala tutorial that is aimed at bringing engineers that are already familiar with other programming languages up to speed with Scala. It’s got a bunch of lesson plans designed from basics to select features and even includes references to other resources.

8. Scala Tutorial

Scala Tutorial is a full-fledged Scala course by Tutorials Point that is created keeping in mind specifically the beginners. It covers the basics including providing an overview of the Scala framework and how it differs from Java. It also includes how to set up the Scala environment and focuses on the basics such as the syntax, variables, operators, loops, strings, etc. It is the perfect course for beginners to learn Scala.

I am a technical blog writer and content developer at Eduonix Learning Solutions, beside content writing I also love to discuss on topics related to web designing, SEO and other stuff which are trending in today's web development world.