Scala is a programming language that blends functional and object-oriented language features. Scala programs run on the Java Virtual Machine and can easily interact with Java code. Learn how Scala can yield concise, safe, and compatible code, and how you can start learning Scala on your own.

My article "An Introduction to Scala" is now in print in the November/December 2010 issue of Better Software Magazine.

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See the online Sticky Notes and Further Reading sections for footnotes and further references.

Special thanks to Daniel Spiewak for the technical review and edits. Thanks to Paul Blair, Najati Imam, Eric Stolten, and Joe Leo for their reviews and feedback. Thanks to Lee Copeland, Heather Shanholtzer, Cheryl Burke, and the publication team at Better Software Magazine for their support and top-notch editing.

Addendum

In the article I wrote "Scala is developed at a university—not funded commercially by a big company like Java and Sun/Oracle—so its resources are more limited." Since the time of writing, Martin Odersky and colleagues have formed Scala Solutions, a company that provides commercial support, tools, and training for Scala.

