Skinny is a lightweight web framework for Scala that aims to provide a Rails-like development experience. It offers features like routing, CRUD templates, validation, ORM, database migrations, asset compilation, and mail sending. Some benefits highlighted include an easy setup process, statically typed but simple code, and suitability for replacing legacy systems. The framework is under active development with a 1.0 release planned for this week and continued work on future versions.

1. Skinny Framework
– Rapid Development in Scala –
@seratch
#m3dev

2. What’s Skinny?
- http://skinny-framework.org
- Under The MIT License
- “Scala on Rails” (actually Padrino style)
- Still only 6 months old, 186 stargazers
- 1.0.0 will be out this week!
- Routings, CRUD template,Validation DSL,
ActiveRecord-like ORM, DB Migration,Assets
compilers, Mail Sender and more

3. 6 Strong Points
1. Trouble-less Scala environment
2. Mostly Rails-like conventions
3. Simple but statically typed code
4. Servlet level performance
5. Suitable for replacing legacy systems
6. Windows users as first-class citizens

4. 1. Trouble-less Scala setup
- Scala setup may be difficult for beginners
- Scala versions (2.9, 2.10, …)
- sbt versions (0.11, 0.12, 0.13 …)
- Fix sbt plugin deps
- Be aware of JVM PermGen options!
- Other tools? cs? g8?
- Skinny requires only JDK, just unzip it

5. 2. Rails-like conventions
- Accessible for Rails users
- Recent other frameworks are also similar
- Less new/original concepts
- Coding style will be unified
- To avoid over engineering, KISS

6. 3. Simple but statically typed
- Looks simple but statically typed
- You can use IDE effectively
- Types are helpful when refactoring
- Types are helpful when reading code written by
other developers
- Compiler sometimes finds typo and bugs

7. 4. Servlet level performance
- Skinny app is a Scalatra app
- TechEmpower’s Benchmarks
- http://www.techempower.com/benchmarks/

8. 5. Replacing legacy systems
- Useful reverse-scaffold
- CoC but configurable
“Skinny Framework is
much powerful for
replacing in-house
legacy apps.”
- @Kuchitama

9. 6. Windows ready
- Skinny requires only JDK
- No native library deps unlike Rails
- CoffeeScript, LESS, React JSX and Scala.js
- Assets compilers run on the Rhino JS engine (We
may consider Nashorn?)
- Sass/Compass on the fly requires native compiler
(not limited to Skinny)

10. Weak Points
- Scala compilation is slow (use ./skinny ~compile
for auto reloading)
- Some helpful features are still absent (View
helper,Authentication module)
- Scalate errors may be kindless
- Eco-system has only begun
- Less name recognition over the world

11. Roadmap
- We keep working on version 1.1 (for Scala 2.11,
Scalatra 2.3 and others)
- We’re always seeking new contributors
- Should be useful not only for Scala enthusiasts
- ScalaMatsuri 2014: Martin Odersky (Scala creator)
will come to Japan in September!
- Enjoy Scala!