Functional Programming Principles in Scala

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/scala-functional-programming

Introduction

### Course Review: Functional Programming Principles in Scala on Coursera In the ever-evolving landscape of software development, functional programming is rapidly gaining traction, making it essential for aspiring developers to familiarize themselves with its principles. The Coursera course **"Functional Programming Principles in Scala,"** authored by the renowned Martin Odersky, stands out as an exceptional resource for both newcomers and seasoned programmers looking to deepen their understanding of functional programming while leveraging the power of Scala. #### Course Overview The course is precisely designed to introduce learners to the functional programming paradigm using Scala. As a hybrid language that seamlessly marries functional programming with object-oriented principles, Scala is a powerful tool for developers. It's gaining popularity in industries that rely on robust frameworks such as Apache Spark, Kafka, and Akka. By completing this course, you’ll not only learn Scala but also gain insights into why it's the language of choice for massive scale applications—serving backend operations in platforms like Twitter and Netflix. #### Syllabus Breakdown The course covers a wide range of topics divided into weekly modules, each building upon the last. Here's a closer look at what you can expect: 1. **Getting Started + Functions & Evaluation** - Kick off your Scala journey by setting up the environment. This week focuses on the foundational differences between functional and imperative programming. You’ll get comfortable with Scala syntax while exploring concepts like expressions, evaluation, functions, and recursion. 2. **Higher Order Functions** - Delve deeper into functional programming as you learn about functions as first-class values and higher-order functions. This module introduces Scala's syntax and structure while engaging you in the design of a logical data structure for rational numbers. 3. **Data and Abstraction** - Build on your understanding of classes and traits, which are foundational in Scala's type system. You’ll explore class hierarchies and polymorphism, gaining insights into organizing data effectively. 4. **Types and Pattern Matching** - Discover how functions are treated as objects in Scala. This week focuses on the intricacies of Scala’s type system, including subtyping, generics, and variance, alongside practical applications of Lists and pattern matching. 5. **Lists** - A deep dive into Lists—the cornerstone of data structures in Scala. You’ll understand their practical applications and how they fit into functional programming. 6. **Collections** - The course wraps up with an exploration of Scala’s rich collection library. You’ll study additional data structures like vectors and maps, also learning to harness for-comprehensions for querying data effectively. #### Why Take This Course? 1. **Comprehensive and Structured Learning**: The course is well-paced and logically organized, allowing you to build on your knowledge week by week. The blend of theory and hands-on assignments ensures that you grasp concepts practically. 2. **Expert Instruction**: Martin Odersky, the creator of Scala, leads the course. His expertise adds immense value, offering insights from a pioneer in the field. 3. **Community and Support**: Coursera’s platform provides a community of learners where you can discuss challenges and share insights. The interactive forums and peer reviews enhance learning and foster collaboration. 4. **Real-World Relevance**: The knowledge you acquire here isn't just theoretical; it’s invaluable in the job market, especially for roles focused on data engineering, backend development, and big data frameworks. #### Recommendation I highly recommend the **Functional Programming Principles in Scala** course for anyone interested in modern programming techniques. Whether you are a software developer wanting to enhance your skill set or a student eager to dive into the world of programming, this course provides an essential foundation. By the end of the course, not only will you be proficient in Scala, but you'll also have a strong grasp of functional programming principles that you can apply in numerous real-world scenarios. Invest in your programming future by taking this course—your coding skills will thank you!

Syllabus

Getting Started + Functions & Evaluation

Get up and running with Scala on your computer. Complete an example assignment to familiarize yourself with our unique way of submitting assignments. In this week, we'll learn the difference between functional imperative programming. We step through the basics of Scala; covering expressions, evaluation, conditionals, functions, and recursion

This week, we'll learn about functions as first-class values, and higher order functions. We'll also learn about Scala's syntax and how it's formally defined. Finally, we'll learn about methods, classes, and data abstraction through the design of a data structure for rational numbers.

This week, we'll cover traits, and we'll learn how to organize classes into hierarchies. We'll cover the hierarchy of standard Scala types, and see how to organize classes and traits into packages. Finally, we'll touch upon the different sorts of polymorphism in Scala.

This week we'll learn about the relationship between functions and objects in Scala; functions *are* objects! We'll zoom in on Scala's type system, covering subtyping and generics, and moving on to more advanced aspects of Scala's type system like variance. Finally, we'll cover Scala's most widely used data structure, Lists, and one of Scala's most powerful tools, pattern matching.

This week we dive into Lists, the most commonly-used data structure in Scala.

After a deep-dive into Lists, this week we'll explore other data structures; vectors, maps, ranges, arrays, and more. We'll dive into Scala's powerful and flexible for-comprehensions for querying data.