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Scala-The Complete Guide
Published
05th Sep, 2023
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Introducing Scala
Does Scala have a better future than any other programming language? Why Java Developer should learn Scala? What is the demand for Scala? Don’t worry we’ll help you understand why Scala has emerged as one of the most powerful Java alternatives in recent times and what made Developers think about Scala?
Scala is a high-caliber programming language that changed the world of big data. It is a general-purpose, functional and object-oriented programming language that helps both object-oriented and functional styles of programming on a larger scale. Scala is a strong and static type language. If you are looking for a technique that can simplify your code easily then Scala is one of the great choices you can opt for. One of the best advantages of Scala for developers is, it reduces the burden by reducing the code snippets to two to three times compared to other application platforms.
Let’s understand how Scala came into existence
History of Scala
Scala is a programming language created by developed by Martin Odersky in the year 2001.
The language was first released internally in the year 2003 later it was officially released on January 20, 2004. Scala language was formally released on the platforms of Java, and .Net in the month of June 2004. Scala 2.0 version was released in Mach 2006. In the year 2011 Typesafe launched to provide commercial support training, services for Scala. These developments led towards the formal cessation of the .Net support in the year 2012. The team Scala has won a five-year research grant of over €2.3 million from the European Research Council.
Features of Scala
Like other languages, even Scala has its own features. Its operational characteristics are the same as Java’s. Let’s understand the different features of Scala.
- Scala is Object-Oriented
- Scala is functional
- Marketable
- Scala is Extensible
- Expressiveness
- Scala runs on the JVM
- Scala can execute Java Code
Let’s understand each of these clearly
1. Scala is Object-Oriented
Scala is an object-oriented programming language like Python, Ruby, Java, Smalltalk, etc. It is a pure object-oriented language, it means that every value is an object. The Behavior of objects and Types and are described by classes and traits.
2. Scala is functional
It means that every function in Scala is a value and every value is an object, which makes every function an object. Scala provides a lightweight syntax for defining anonymous functions.
3. Marketable
Yes, Scala is Marketable. Learning Scala will surely make you more marketable. These days many top companies are moving to Scala.
4. Expressiveness
Scala is inherently very expressive. There are tons and tons of useful code in Scala. This is attracting more and more Java developers to learn Scala who is willing to write beautiful and clean code.
5. Multi-Paradigm Language
Scala supports two programming paradigms like Object-oriented programming (OOP) and Functional programming (FP). It provides you a chance to explore both the languages. This combination of features will help you write Scala programs that are quite compact and simple.
6. Scala runs on the JVM
Java is compiled into Java Byte Code which is executed by the Java Virtual Machine (JVM). It means that both Java and Scala have a common runtime platform.
7. Scala can execute Java Code
Just simple, it allows you to use all the classes of the Java SDK and also your favorite java open source projects.
Frameworks for Scala
Scala is a powerful language that has gained popularity among many developers. It enables developers to develop cutting edge applications that are less costly to maintain and easier to scale. Scala frameworks will help you in selecting the right technologies for solving your project tasks.
Following is the list of different Scala frameworks:
- Play
- Finch
- Akka HTTP
- Chaos
- Lift
- ScalaQuery
- BlueEyes
- Slick
Let’s understand a few main frameworks
1. Play
Play is an open-source web application framework released in 2007. This high-velocity framework will allow developers to build highly scalable web applications written in Scala. Applications built with Play deliver all of the benefits of Reactive systems including a high degree of responsiveness, resilience, and elasticity. It is currently used by some large websites like Samsung’s IoT Artik platform, LinkedIn, etc.
2. Finch
Finch is a modular system of HTTP primitives centered upon the concept of composability. Its purpose is to provide developers simple and robust HTTP primitives. Finch is very fast and highly functional for a variety of systems.
3. Akka:
Akka is a free and open-source toolkit and runtime, good with distributed processing. It was created for building distributed and resilient message-driven applications. Since the Akka ecosystem is immense it provides a wide range of tools for various purposes like Akka Actors, Akka HTTP, etc.
4. Akka HTTP
Akka HTTP is a modern toolkit for building integration layers. It provides tools for building integration layers rather than application cores. This Akka HTTP tool is mostly used in high load environments.
5. Lift
Lift is a highly secure and scalable framework designed to address a multitude of security concerns including code injection and cross-site scripting. It was created by David Pollak since he was dissatisfied with some aspects of Ruby on Rails.
6. Slick
Slick is a modern database query and access library for Scala. It is designed to connect to databases and sources. Slick helps in simplifying the process of building next-generation distributed applications using Scala.
Applications of Scala
Scala is a general-purpose computer language that widely supports the object and functional style of programming. Using Scala, you can create any type of application in less time. It has the capability to support multiple functionalities Below are the few areas where Scala can be applied.
- It supports both front and back ends of a web application with scala.js
- Big Data and data analysis with Apache Spark
- Scala can be used to create Android Applications
- Highly concurrent things, like messaging apps, with Akka
- Scala is also applied in Hadoop
- Parallel batch processing
- Desktop Applications can be created using Scala
- Concurrency and distributed application
1. Front and back ends of a web application with scala.js
Scala is used for designing Web Applications and Web Pages. Scala.js is an implementation of Scala which gathers Scala code to JavaScript. It supports full bilateral interoperability between Scala and Javascript code and hence it allows us to develop front-end web applications in Java using Javascript libraries and frameworks.
2. Android Applications
Scala can be used to build Android Applications. In order to develop Android applications in Scala, you need a minimum set of tools like Android SDK and Homebrew. Scala is easy to use for existing and newly created Android projects and the apps written using Scala is lightweight and start at 30kb.
3. Desktop Applications
When you want to develop desktop applications you need to make sure you have the right framework that is going to work for you. There are several options out there, Scala is one among them.
4. Scala is used with Hadoop
Scala is used in some of the Hadoop ecosystem components like Apache Kafka, Apache Spark. Obviously, it will be really useful for someone to develop applications using Scala that uses Hadoop and ecosystem projects.
We use Scala due to the factor that it is faster than Java. The central drive behind Scala is to make life easier and more productive for the programmer.
Technologies built using Scala
- Apache Smaza
- Finagle
- Akka
- Lichess
- Scalding
- Apache Spark
Learn more about different technologies built using Scala here.
Career in Scala
Scala has been gradually gaining popularity in recent times, some of the world’s best-known web platforms have switched to Scala. According to Indeed, Scala is in the 12th place in terms of the most demanded languages. Very few developers know how to work with Scala. It is the best-suited technology for aspiring software professionals like Data Scientists, Data Engineers, etc. People who know Scala can enjoy a great career as Scala Developer.
Different Scala Job Roles
- Software Engineer
- Senior Software Engineer
- Software Developer
- Application Developer
- IT Consultant
Scala Developers Salary
According to PayScale the average salary for a Software Engineer with Scala Skills is RS 1019K. Let’s see the salary for different job roles.
| Job Roles | Minimum Salary in RS | Maximum Salary in RS |
|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | 296K | 1.8M |
| Senior Software Engineer | 452K | 2.9M |
| Software Developer | 296K | 1M |
| Application Developer | 708K | 1.1M |
| IT Consultant | 670K | 2.3M |
| Senior Software Engineer/ Developer/ Programmer | 528K | 2.3M |
| Software Engineer/ Developer/ Programmer | 240K | 550K |
Source: PayScale
Scala Developers Salary in different countries
As per PayScale the average salary for a Software Engineer with Scala Skills is $107,633. Scala Developer's salary differs from country to country. Let’s see the salary for a Software Engineer with Scala Skills in other countries.
| Country | Minimum | Maximum | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA | $97195 | - | Indeed.com |
| France | €33000 (Junior) | €52000 | StackOverflow |
| Australia | AUS65000 (Specialist) | AUS 146000 | PayScale |
| Germany | €43000 | €81000 | PayScale |
| Ukraine | $12000 | $46000 | PayScale |
Are you still pondering about the future of your career in Scala? Confused about whether to make a career shift in Scala or not? What will be the next career option available? Don’t worry you can earn a Scala Certification and grab a chance to get your dream job. Taking up Scala Certification Course will definitely give you an advantage while hiring. Scala Certification is the best way to tell your hiring manager that you belong to the category of niche professionals who can make a difference. Taking up this certification course will help you understand the basics of how functional programming work. Hence, learning Scala programming language will definitely take your career to the new career avenues.
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