Scala sets sights on top-tier status among the Java faithful
20.05.12
To hear Typesafe tell it, the Scala programming language is about to join the ranks of top-tier development tools such as Java, C++, Ruby, and PHP. A new Scala plugin for the Eclipse integrated development environment (IDE) should help pave the way.
The Scala software stack attacks two sticky problems for software developers. The Scala language aims to make it easier to write code for multiple cores, and the Akka middleware attemptd to ease the creation of applications that run across multiple servers.
A third piece, a Ruby-on-Rails-style framework called Play, makes development more productive and fun than is usually the case in Java, said Donald Fischer, CEO of Typesafe, the startup charged with promoting and supporting the stack.
The ability to better automate programming for multi-core chips and distributed servers is a key criterion for developing cloud applications that scale up big time.
Recapping Scala history
Scala was initially developed by Martin Odersky, who wrote the original Java compiler for Sun Microsystems. ”He did [the compiler] in 2000 as part of making Java better. Then he handed it off to Sun and turned to making a better Java. That’s the genesis of Scala,” Fischer said.
Source: GigaOm
