Is Scala for me? (C# developer with focus on functional / OOP style)

Question

I want to learn a new programming language and develop for the Android platform.

I'm a fulltime C# / F# - developer and I also use C# in the most functional way possible (because I like this paradigm far better than the old skool style "lets iterate and describe to the barkeeper how to make the cocktail", to quote Microsoft).

However, I have a strong dislike for Java, because in my opinion it is outdated and, hm, a dinosaur - it lacks exactly the features I like best about C# and F#.

On the other hand, developing for the Android platform requires JDK use.

So, would you recommend Scala? Or is the JDK stuff not for me at all?

Answer 1

Scala rocks exactly as you'd expect that a functional language built on the JVM might. The only downside compared to C# for me (I haven't used F#) is that the IDEs haven't quite got the refactoring down yet. It isn't bad. I'm using IntelliJ's plugin for Scala; that seems to work well enough.

Of course, the main benefit you get from Scala is being able to leverage all the many Java libraries out there, since they work (mostly) interchangeably. That might not be important for the Android platform where your apps will be small and stand-alone, but for commercial development it means that Scala is already a serious Enterprise language. Learning Scala will therefore give you more job opportunities in the future. I would definitely recommend Scala.

One of my large financial clients is using it as their server-side language and it works beautifully. There are a few interesting clashes between eg: Scala and Java lists, Scala and Java booleans, all well-documented, but otherwise it's smooth.

Good luck!

Answer 2

An alternative to using Scala might be the upcoming MonoDroid, a port of the Mono runtime to android. Unfortunately it isn't completed yet, and will cost something like 400$.

I'd recommend looking into scala if you develop a new application for android and only use monodroid if you want to create a port of an existing .net application.