Scala and Java

About Scala

Scala is a high-level, general-purpose programming language that combines object-oriented and functional programming. Scala is primarily used with the JVM (Java Virtual Machine) platform but can also be used to develop software for other platforms. It includes native platforms that use Scala-native and JavaScript runtimes via Scala.

Scala, released in 2004, is a highly scalable language that gives the language its name. It combines the terms "scalable" and "language." Scala was developed to express general programming patterns concisely, refined, and type-safely.

Features of Scala

Some astonishing features of Scala which help us compare Scala vs Java are:

1. Scala is an object-oriented language, but it is also a functional language.
2. It is a concise, powerful language that can rapidly expand in response to user demand.
3. Allows you to run Java code.
4. Scala has a statically typed syntax.

Comparing Scala vs Java on different Parameters

Comparing Basic Programs in Scala vs Java

Now we will compare scala vs java from some basic programs' point of view,

Hello, World in Java:

public class HelloJava {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println("Hello, World!");
    }
}

 

Hello, World in Scala:

object HelloScala {
    def main(args: Array[String]): Unit = {
        println("Hello, World!")
    }
}

 

While there isn't much of a difference between the two languages in this example, Scala is still less verbose (using fewer words than needed).

 

Let's look at a more practical example: creating a simple list of Strings:

Java:

List<String> list = new ArrayList<String>();
list.add("1");
list.add("2");
list.add("3");

 

Scala:

val list = List("1", "2", "3")

 

We have some tricks in Java to shorten the code, but they are not widely used.

 

Consider the following scenario: we have a list of strings that are numbers that we want to convert to a list of integers:

Java:

List<Integer> ints = new ArrayList<Integer>();
for (String s : list) {
    ints.add(Integer.parseInt(s));
}

 

Scala:

val ints = list.map(s => s.toInt)

Scala's functional properties make this conversion extremely simple.

Now you had a good idea about both programming languages, after doing an assessment of scala vs java basic programs.

Advantages of Java

A programming language cannot remain relevant for long unless it provides a generous and useful set of features. Here is a list of Java's advantages:

1. It's a very secure and robust language.
2. Java is excellent for developing object-oriented applications.
3. Java allows us to write code once and run it on virtually any platform.
4. It is backward compatible, so once code is written, it can be run at any time.
5. Because Java has a garbage collector, programmers are not required to manage memory.
6. Java is simple to learn.

Disadvantages of Java

No language is perfect, and Java is no exception. Despite the fact that it has been around for a while and has been updated several times, some issues remain. When weighing Sala vs Java, you should be aware of some of Java's significant drawbacks.

1. Java consumes more memory and runs much slower than natively compiled languages such as C or C++.
2. Java's default GUI applications, written in Java and using the Swing toolkit, differ significantly from native applications.
3. It consumes more memory.

Advantages of Scala

If a programming language wants to challenge Java's dominance, it should provide some appealing features to programmers. To that end, Scala brings numerous advantages to the table. Here are some of its advantages:

1. Scala has a strict syntax that eliminates boilerplate code. Scala programs use less code than Java programs of a similar size.
2. It is both an object-oriented and a functional programming language. Scala is an excellent choice for web development because of this combination.
3. Scala can be used to run on Java code compiler.
4. Scala employs an expressive typing system to ensure the security and consistency of statistical abstraction.
5. It's simple to learn, particularly for programmers with an object-oriented background in Java or another similar language.
6. Scala is a highly scalable programming language that can be used to create fault-tolerant, highly concurrent systems.

Disadvantages of Scala

In comparing scala vs java, the Scala programming language, just like Java, has its drawbacks, which include:

1. It has a small community, especially when compared to Java.
2. Scala has limited backward compatibility.
3. Despite its reputation for being simple to learn, Scala contains concepts and features that many programmers are unfamiliar with, resulting in a steeper learning curve.

Must Read Julia Programming Language, Why is Java Platform Independent

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some similarities between Java and Scala?

Here are some similarities between Scala and Java:

1. Both languages are object-oriented, which allows programmers to simulate the real world.
2. JVM is used in both languages.
3. They are multi-paradigm and mandatory.

Who uses Scala?

Scala is primarily used by software developers and data engineers. Some data scientists will use it with Apache Spark to process large amounts of data.

Which companies use Java and which use Scala?

A list of Companies that use Java is 

• Airbnb
• Amazon
• Google
• Instagram
• Netflix
• Pinterest

A list of Companies that use Scala is 

• The Guardian
• Foursquare
• Klout
• LinkedIn
• Netflix
• Sony

Conclusion

In this article, we have extensively discussed Scala vs Java along with their features, advantages, and disadvantages. Concluding a brief comparison between Scala vs java.

If you think this blog has helped you enhance your knowledge about comparison of Scala vs Java, and these two programming languages, and if you would like to learn more, check out our articles java, java archives, Hashcode Method in Java, java vs python and c++, and java development kit. You can also refer to our guided path on the basics of java and many more on our Website.

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