Book Image

Introduction to JVM Languages

Book Image

Introduction to JVM Languages

Overview of this book

Anyone who knows software development knows about the Java Virtual Machine. The Java Virtual Machine is responsible for interpreting Java byte code and translating it into actions. In the beginning, Java was the only programming language used for the JVM. But increasing complexity of the language and the remarkable performance of the JVM created an opening for a new generation of programming languages. If you want to build a strong foundation with the Java Virtual Machine and get started with popular modern programming languages, then this book is for you. The book will begin with a general introduction of the JVM and its features, which are common to the JVM languages, helping you get abreast with its concepts. It will then dive into explaining languages such as Java, Scala, Clojure, Kotlin, and Groovy and will show how to work with each language, their features, use cases, and pros and cons. By writing example projects in those languages and focusing on each language’s strong points, it will help you find the programming language that is most appropriate for your particular needs. By the end of the book, you will have written multiple programs that run on the Java Virtual Machine and know about the differences between the various languages.
Table of Contents (21 chapters)
Title Page
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewer
www.PacktPub.com
Customer Feedback
Preface

Installing Scala


From the official Scala site, download the latest version:

Scala is distributed for many different operating systems. While you can download an archive (ZIP file for Windows or a .tgz file for Linux and macOS) and install everything manually, automatic installation packages for popular operating systems are available as well.

On the DOWNLOAD page, scroll down to Other resources, find your preferred archive format, and download it. Simply unpack it somewhere and add its bin subdirectory to your path. Consult Chapter 2, Developing on the Java Virtual Machine, for instructions on how to add a directory to the path on Windows, macOS, and Linux systems. When you choose to use the installer, just follow its prompts.

To verify the installation, open Command Prompt (Windows) or the Terminal screen (Linux or OS X), type the following command, and press Enter:

scala

If the installation was successful, then something similar to the following will appear on the console:

Welcome to Scala 2...