This post is for Java developers who have heard about Scala but, although it might sound interesting, are getting on with what they need to do in Java thankyouverymuch.
If that’s you, it’s still worth installing Scala because the command-line tool makes noodling with Java a delight. The tool in question is the REPL (read-eval-print-loop, a language shell).
Two quick examples…
Let’s say there’s some API you’re going to use, but you just can’t quite
remember the format of the return result. The REPL is a great way to
quickly find out what you actually get. Here’s what I found out looking
for the list of all TimeZones:
$ scala
Welcome to Scala version 2.7.5.final [...]
Type in expressions to have them evaluated. Type :help for more information.
scala> import java.util.TimeZone
import java.util.TimeZone
scala> TimeZone.getAvailableIDs()
res2: Array[java.lang.String] = Array(Etc/GMT+12, Etc/GMT+11, MIT, Pacific/Apia, Pacific/Midway, Pacific/Niue, Pacific/Pago\_Pago, Pacific/Samoa, US/Samoa, America/Adak, America/Atka, Etc/GMT+10, HST, Pacific/Fakaofo, Pacific/Honolulu, Pacific/Johnston, Pacific/Rarotonga, Pacific/Tahiti, SystemV/HST10, US/Aleutian, US/Hawaii, Pacific/Marquesas, AST, America/Anchorage, America/Juneau, A...
Most of the developers I know might do a double take at the results
syntax but wouldn’t have a problem reading that
TimeZone.getAvailabeIDs() gives me back an array of strings like
“Pacific/Tahiti”. No Scala knowledge required to make use of that tool
(ok, I left the line-ending semi-colons out, but you can put them in if
you like).
Second example. Quick! Answer this: what does String.split return if
there are no matches to the pattern? Not sure? Try it and see:
scala> "Pacific/Tahiti".split("/")
res3: Array[java.lang.String] = Array(Pacific, Tahiti)
scala> "wibble".split("/")
res4: Array[java.lang.String] = Array(wibble)
Hope that’s useful. Don’t miss that you have command history editing (arrow keys on my keyboard).
If you want to do more take a look at First Steps to Scala.
