Introduction to Scala
Purpose
In this module, we’ll walk you from zero Scala knowledge to being able to contribute to our production code. The main tool will be the book Programming Scala by Dean Wampler and Alex Payne. We will supplement and replace chapters as needed, but it is vital that you complete the projects listed within this wiki for each chapter. Each of these will be reviewed with your mentor. This mentor will also be your first go-to for any questions or problems you have while working through this module.
How to use this module
What follows is a list of every section you’ll walk through, starting with Iteration 1. Most of these will correspond to a chapter, blog post, or doc that contains the information to learn. Some chapters from the Scala book are omitted, but even these are worth reading. Don’t feel the need to read all the chapters up front! Many find it easier to alternate reading with writing code, and you’ll find the reading far more useful if you follow along with examples in the REPL.
Keep your work up to date on the internal Git server- this is how we will track progress. Be sure to share any repos with your mentor so they can help you! This is the easiest way to share code if they cannot come sit with you. And remember: ask questions! If your mentor is not there, there are plenty of other people around who have worked through this book and our Scala program. We have both a Scala channel and a #team-scala-interns channel in Slack- these are great places for any Scala questions you have.
Expectations for apprentices
This module is a guide to help understand Scala syntax and important concepts. The information contained in this module is not all-inclusive, and much of your learning with be self-guided. You are expected to work through examples in the book or find additional resources on your own when you don’t understand something, and when you still don’t understand: Ask your mentor! Verbose explanations are purposefully left off since anything within the scope of this module is extremely Google-able. As such, you will see many links to outside resources throughout the module. There is also a document packed with extra reading on this very wiki that you can and should dig into.
Don’t Forget:
The Scala REPL is your friend. Type
scalainto the command line. For more info, check the quick-start guide.The Scala API is your friend.
If you haven’t yet, be sure to set up your environment.
And of course: Google is your friend.