Rock the JVM: Scala at Lightspeed

Instructor Introduction

• Instructor: Daniel, software engineer and lead instructor for Rock the JVM
• Experience: Taught over 20,000 engineers
• Specialties: Scala, Functional Programming, Akka, Apache Spark
• Website: Rock the JVM
• Contact: daniel@rockthejvm.com for suggestions and corporate training

Course Overview

• Course Goal: Equip with tools to start with Scala in a few hours
• Platform: Based on JVM (Java Virtual Machine)
• Strengths of Scala:
  • Compatible with Java libraries
  • Expressive and powerful
  • Blend of Object-Oriented and Functional Programming
• Industry Demand: High demand for Scala developers, often higher paid than Java developers

Learning Outcomes

• Duration: Cover essentials in a couple of hours
• Content: Very condensed, covers a 300-page book
• Requirements:
  • Prior programming experience
  • Focus and commitment during the series

Additional Resources

• Courses and videos available on Rock the JVM
• Free online course and downloadable videos

Setup Instructions

Development Environment

1. Download IntelliJ IDEA

• Go to JetBrains website
• Download IntelliJ IDEA, preferably the Community Edition

2. Install Scala Plugin

• Install during the first launch of IntelliJ

3. GitHub Repository

• Visit Rock the JVM GitHub
• Clone the Scala at Lightspeed repo
• Run git checkout start
• If unfamiliar with Git, download the zip from the Releases tab

4. IntelliJ Setup

• Load the project into IntelliJ
• Code is in the src/main/scala/com.rockthejvm directory
• Ensure everything is set up correctly by running a simple hello world application

Troubleshooting

• Common Issue: Cannot find class com.rockthejvm.playground
  • Solution: Go to File > Project Structure -> Global libraries -> Remove and re-add Scala SDK

Final Notes

• If setup correctly, you should see "I love Scala" in the console
• Ready to proceed to writing actual Scala code in the next video