Beginning Scala

Interested in learning Scala to use on Spark I downloaded the Kindle version to read at my gym on an iPad. Great resource, but heavy reliance upon Java, though understandable, was not helpful for me, learning "Beginning" Scala. The Kindle version, sadly, was full of typos making it difficult to understand the (mistyped and misspelled) text and code examples.

This is a low quality book. The text is absolutely filled with typos. This doesn't mean just a single item off here and there. It means individual lines of code with multiple errors as an ongoing problem through the book. Tons of the errors are due to white space missing between words very frequently having 2, 3, 4, etc. words in text and code shoved together incorrectly as 1 long word.Here is a typical example from Listing 3-7:classTwoextends One{overrridevalthing= (new java.util.Date).toString}classThree extends One{overridelazy valthing= super.thing + (newjava.util.Date).toString}That is EIGHT times a necessary space is missing in an extremely tiny example. Expect that all over the text and to be continually feeling the author's space bar must not work as the problem repeats over and over throughout the book. Note this isn't an issue of spacing to make code look pretty based on style/formatting opinions. It is about the code being valid versus invalid due to white space errors. Very frequently that type of error would occur a large number of times even on a single page.Even ignoring the ongoing white space errors, syntax was invalid in a number of examples. An example would be Listing 3-19 and 3-20 both of which have an attempt of a trait named "floating" with a def of "float" (terrible, just terrible name choice) versus a trait named "gliding" with a def of "gliding". Neither of those is correct in either listing but from context it appears really just 1 of those traits and defs was intended and things were incorrectly attempted to be renamed leaving an end result partially having both with neither correct. Some of the concepts are incorrectly explained. Frequently the text includes syntax not covered or covered incorrectly.People who have some reliable exposure to Scala and functional programming outside this text will be able to get through the text. But no one should have to "get through" it, especially with so many other sources to learn the same topic which are more robust and correct in their presentation of the material.

This book is some fun talk about Scala. It will not teach you Scala. If you know some concept from another source, you will understand what the Author means. If no, you probably won't.

This book is a very good hands-on guide to understanding Scala in detail. I started to read it without any knowledge of Scala and now I'm able to use it without any problems. I can return to the books detailed examples anytime.It's the third book I read from Vishal and I like his style, but this one was the most useful for me. I highly recommend it!