Hands-on Scala.js
Nov. 24th, 2014 03:40 pmI've burbled here about Scala.js, the increasingly-mature Scala-to-Javascript compiler that I am currently rewriting Querki in. (And I owe a writeup of my rant on the subject from a couple of weeks ago.)
One thing that Scala.js has lacked heretofore is a really solid *book*. There's a decent tutorial and a bunch of other useful information on the main website, and a growing body of community knowledge, but getting started looks a bit daunting, which is unfortunate: it's not actually a terribly hard technology to get started on, especially if you already know some Scala.
To help with that, Li Haoyi (one of the primary library-authors for Scala.js) today released a draft of Hands-on Scala.js, an online book aimed right at this problem. I'm just starting to read it myself, but at a quick skim it looks like just what the community needed. It starts off assuming only a fairly modest knowledge of Scala, Javascript and web development, and walks you through the rest: the rationale for using Scala.js, how to set up an environment, tutorials for various kinds of webby applications, and a final chapter going into depth on various major Scala.js topics.
As these sorts of books go it's pretty short (not having a publisher pushing up the page count helps), but it's still a book rather than an article: expect to take a while going through it. And please note that this a draft, albeit a late one: it's akin to a late-stage MEAP, so don't be surprised by an occasional typo.
Recommended reading to anyone who wants to keep their skills sharp and is interested in Web programming. IMO, Scala.js is one of the most important parts of the Scala ecosystem, and very much a tool whose time has come. Having a good guide for getting started in it should only make that better...
One thing that Scala.js has lacked heretofore is a really solid *book*. There's a decent tutorial and a bunch of other useful information on the main website, and a growing body of community knowledge, but getting started looks a bit daunting, which is unfortunate: it's not actually a terribly hard technology to get started on, especially if you already know some Scala.
To help with that, Li Haoyi (one of the primary library-authors for Scala.js) today released a draft of Hands-on Scala.js, an online book aimed right at this problem. I'm just starting to read it myself, but at a quick skim it looks like just what the community needed. It starts off assuming only a fairly modest knowledge of Scala, Javascript and web development, and walks you through the rest: the rationale for using Scala.js, how to set up an environment, tutorials for various kinds of webby applications, and a final chapter going into depth on various major Scala.js topics.
As these sorts of books go it's pretty short (not having a publisher pushing up the page count helps), but it's still a book rather than an article: expect to take a while going through it. And please note that this a draft, albeit a late one: it's akin to a late-stage MEAP, so don't be surprised by an occasional typo.
Recommended reading to anyone who wants to keep their skills sharp and is interested in Web programming. IMO, Scala.js is one of the most important parts of the Scala ecosystem, and very much a tool whose time has come. Having a good guide for getting started in it should only make that better...