Table of Contents
1-1: Installing Scala
1-2: VS Code for Scala
1-3: Launching the Spark Shell
1-4: "Hello World" in Command Prompt
1-5: "Hello World" in VS Code
The first task is to download Scala. You'll need to go through several steps. If you're using Windows 10, I recommend the following tutorial on YouTube
How to Install and Setup SBT + Scala on Windows 10
You can decide on your own whether you want to install SBT, as well, as there are other options for running Scala (such as IntelliJ).
If you are using a Linux-based OS, here is a similar video for you. I cannot vouch for this, but it's by the same author.
How to Install and Setup SBT on Ubuntu
Finally, here are some Mac instructions.
While I found installing Scala to be more difficult than Python or R, there are plenty of resources out on the web if you're struggling. The good news is this is probably the most challenging part for most people.
We'll use the command prompt for our early exercises, but we'll eventually need a code editor. I recommend VS Code and I'll walk you through how to download it.
You are obviously free to use other options, such as Atom or Sublime, as well. Alternatively, if you want to use a full IDE, IntelliJ is a good choice and there is a Scala plug-in for it.
If you want to use VS Code and do not have it yet, download it here.
Once you have VS Code on your computer, launch it. On the left hand side of the screen, you should see some icons. One of these icons is a square of sorts. If you hover it, it should say "Extensions." Click on that.
In the search bar, enter "Scala". You should see some plug-in options for Scala. Go to "Scala (sbt)" and install it. Screenshot below highlights the box and correct plug-in.
You might also consider some other Scala plug-ins. I haven't messed around much with the others, but I did download the Scala Syntax plug-in, as well.
In any case, now you should be configured for running Scala files.
Once you have everything installed, you should be able to run Scala through your command prompt. If you follow the instructions successfully and you're running Windows, you can open the command prompt (shortcut: enter "cmd" in the search box at the "Start" menu) and type in:
spark-shell
This will launch Spark in local mode, which is what we'll use for learning the basics of Scala.
Let's start with the simple print statement. Scala's print statements look similar to Java, but a bit more concise.
println("Hello world!")
And voila! You've now run your first Scala program.
We won't need a code editor till we're a few lessons in, but if you also want to make sure Scala works properly in VS Code, then go to File -> New File. Save your file as "hello_world.scala". Enter the correct code in the file and then save.
Now open your terminal: View -> Terminal. Enter "spark-shell" in the terminal just as we did in the command prompt. To run the program, enter:
:load hello_world.scala
With that, you should get your printout. Let's move onto data types.
Next: Data Types
Part 1: Installation, Set-Up, and "Hello World"
Part 2: Data Types
Part 3: Arithmetic Operators
Part 4: Variables vs Values
Part 5: String Operations
Part 6: Tuples
Part 7: Lists
Part 8: Arrays
Part 9: Sets
Part 10: Maps
Part 11: Logical Operators
Part 12: If Statements
Part 13: For Loops
Part 14: While Loops
Part 15: Functions