The State of Scala Meeting #1: 10/28/2009 Boston Area Scala Enthusiasts http://boston-scala.org Paul Chiusano Nermin Serifovic Chris Herron

Abe Egnor & for hosting us! Thanks to...

Abe Egnor &

for hosting us!

Bill Venners & for sponsoring food and donating a copy of Programming in Scala Thanks to...

Bill Venners &

for sponsoring food

and donating a copy of

Programming in Scala

Agenda Short round of introductions New features in 2.8 Future direction of the language IDE support Tools Libraries Job trends Enterprise adoption Optional lightning talks Feedback & suggestions for future meetings Book draw

Short round of introductions

New features in 2.8

Future direction of the language

IDE support

Tools

Libraries

Job trends

Enterprise adoption

Optional lightning talks

Feedback & suggestions for future meetings

Book draw

SCALA 2.8... AND BEYOND

2.8 features Overhaul of collections library Named and default arguments Nested annotations Package objects @specialized Continuations plugin, break, "ping-pong" tail calls optimized Improvements to: REPL, Swing wrapper, compiler interface

Overhaul of collections library

Named and default arguments

Nested annotations

Package objects

@specialized

Continuations plugin, break, "ping-pong" tail calls optimized

Improvements to: REPL, Swing wrapper, compiler interface

TOOL AND IDE SUPPORT

IDE Support Eclipse, IDEA, NetBeans All three: syntax highlighting, error highlighting, code completion, go to declaration, code folding, xml, multiple scala sdk support, mixed java/scala projects, debugging, code outline, open type, find references Just IDEA and NetBeans (6.8): auto-import, local and global renaming, multiple scala sdk support

Eclipse, IDEA, NetBeans

All three:

syntax highlighting, error highlighting, code completion, go to declaration, code folding, xml, multiple scala sdk support, mixed java/scala projects, debugging, code outline, open type, find references

Just IDEA and NetBeans (6.8):

auto-import, local and global renaming, multiple scala sdk support

Build Tools SBT (Simple Build Tool) ant tasks (scalac, fsc, scaladoc) maven plugin buildr

Testing Tools ScalaTest Reductio Specs ScalaCheck Rehersal

Command Line Tools scala scaladoc scalac scalap, javap & jad Scala Bazaar System (sbaz) fsc

Other Tools Productivity tool: JRebel (free license provided for Scala developers)

Does anybody think there is a lack of tool support? If so, what kind of tool would you like to see?

LIBRARIES

Interoperability with Java libraries Reuse of Java open source libraries is one of Scala's selling points. However, does it work seamlessly? Also, should the community strive more on reuse or developing Scala libraries?

General Purpose Libraries Scalax Scalaz Scala Migrations Scala/xml Akka (Actor Kernel) Scalextric Scales MetaScala

Most of the more specific libraries seem to be scientific or math oriented (Scala-rel, Jiva, Scalala, Scalalab). Do you see that as an indicator of Scala's primary usage? Is it a consequence of Scala's functional programming support?

JOB TRENDS

Compared With Other Alt-JVM Languages

Companies Using Scala 'High Profile': Twitter, Sony, Yahoo, SAP, Siemens, others? Local: Capital IQ ClariFI Synthesis Studios (wattzon.com) others?

'High Profile':

Twitter, Sony, Yahoo, SAP, Siemens, others?

Local:

Capital IQ ClariFI

Synthesis Studios (wattzon.com)

others?

ENTERPRISE ADOPTION

Enterprise Adoption Group question: who is using Scala for enterprise work? Evidence Web articles, blog traffic, mailing list questions How to use Scala with X JPA/Hibernate, Spring, Wicket, Stripes Challenges Technical Annotations support Nested annotations @BeanProperty annotation copy behavior All addressed in Scala 2.8

Group question: who is using Scala for enterprise work? Evidence

Web articles, blog traffic, mailing list questions

How to use Scala with X

JPA/Hibernate, Spring, Wicket, Stripes

Challenges

Technical

Annotations support

Nested annotations

@BeanProperty annotation copy behavior

All addressed in Scala 2.8

Enterprise Adoption Challenges (continued) Tension: Java interop vs. Scala best-practices Uniform access principle vs. Java Bean convention Option vs. null handling DI/AOP vs. Cake Pattern etc. Annotations vs. Partial Functions Popular Java libs vs. Scala rewrites Conservative Boss Concerns Local availability of expertise Perception that Scala is academic/experimental/in-flux Lack of commercial backing Tool Support Basic editing / refactoring Java EE tools correct treatment of Scala as Java

Challenges (continued)

Tension: Java interop vs. Scala best-practices

Uniform access principle vs. Java Bean convention

Option vs. null handling

DI/AOP vs. Cake Pattern etc.

Annotations vs. Partial Functions

Popular Java libs vs. Scala rewrites

Conservative Boss Concerns

Local availability of expertise

Perception that Scala is academic/experimental/in-flux

Lack of commercial backing

Tool Support

Basic editing / refactoring

Java EE tools correct treatment of Scala as Java

Enterprise Adoption Opportunities Java is mature, slow to change Oracle aquisition of Sun Polyglottism becoming more accepted Sneak it in? Tool support is improving Killer-app Concurrency Will Lift be for Scala what Rails was for Ruby?

Opportunities

Java is mature, slow to change

Oracle aquisition of Sun

Polyglottism becoming more accepted

Sneak it in?

Tool support is improving

Killer-app

Concurrency

Will Lift be for Scala what Rails was for Ruby?

Lightning Talks Anybody interested in giving a talk? Don't forget, they are a good way to make yourself learn language features... Plus, you don't have to join a local Toastmasters club...

Feedback Suggestions Ideas for next meetings

Thank you all for coming and participating! and now... The Book Draw

Credits Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mycakeswithlove/3035963582/sizes/l/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimheid/321544717/sizes/o/ Creative Commons 2.0 http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeremybrooks/3115366057/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaxmac/1492034448/in/pool-88519191@N00 Books: Programming Scala by Dean Wampler and Alex Payne