New Year, Better You? How To Improve Your Scala Programming Skills

Scala is a powerful high-level, type-safe programming language that relies on the JVM runtime. Some may call Scala a “better Java” as it is a combination of functional programming and object-oriented programming. It combines them in one concise high-level language.

Ways to learn or improve your Scala Skills:

1. "Programming in Scala" book — it is THE book on Scala co-authored by the designer of the Scala language. It will teach you, one step at a time, the Scala language and the ideas behind it.

2. "Functional Programming Simplified" book — Alvin Alexander, writes about his own problems in trying to understand FP, and how he overcame them.

Alternatively, check out our books sections for a greater variety for all levels of knowledge.

3. Youtube videos—  you can type in any topic in the search bar and we guarantee that there will be something for you. You have an option between tutorial-type videos or videos from previous Scala conferences. Those are usually top-speakers in the industry and someone you can definitely learn a lot from. Check out our video section!

4. A list that Nicolas Rinaudo put together of well explained rules he wish someone had told him about, when he was learning Scala language: https://nrinaudo.github.io/scala-best-practices/

5. Attending Scala conferences and meetups— leveraging the power of networking cannot be underestimated. You will gain knowledge about what’s new, and insights from companies that are hiring Scala developers. But most of all, you’ll meet fellow developers who are willing to help others solve their problems, and make friends. Check out our events page to find upcoming events!

6. Workshops/hackathons — Working on complex challenges have its perks. Such sessions can accelerate your learning process because you can quickly grasp a predefined chunk of knowledge and apply it in practice. Looking for Scala workshops happening now? Check out our events page.

Remember that there’s always a substantial community happy to help new users and discuss ideas. Do you know any cool resources for mastering Scala? Let us know in the comments!