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I tried learning Clojure, I really did, and I have to agree, the syntax is simpler, but I can't really read Clojure or code in Clojure the way I do in Scala, I

I tried learning Clojure, I really did, and I have to agree, the syntax is simpler, but I can't really read Clojure or code in Clojure the way I do in Scala, I don't know why. Whenever I read articles about Scala, I keep finding it amusing, prehaps this is because I had experience with Java, but for me Scala is a life saver, can't go back to Java after this. And I won't go back to Ruby, Python or JavaScript. So I can't really understand what these articles try to achieve, it's like the "don't buy bitcoin" articles, not sure what is the goal. If you don't like Scala, thanks for sharing, but I don't see how it affects me, I will still continue using it as my go to language until I find something better (there are contenders, Kotlin, Ceylon, Dart, TypeScript, and my favorite now - Nimrod, but there is still a big gap for me to fully switch) So for someone like me who wants a statically typed language (there goes Ruby, Python JavaScript, Clojure), who thinks Haskell is too academic to be really productive (I have to think too much to get things done with it) and who don't get what is all the rage about Go (perhaps because I'm not a system programmer, in any case I still don't get it, sorry) This leaves me with no other options (except C#, which I would probably use if it was really portable) Scala is not perfect, but I feel more productive with it than with any other language, if anyone who never used Scala will decide not to even try it because of this article, I wish them luck, but I doubt this will be the case. for those who use it, they will still continue. So I really don't think I understand what is the point of such an article. Try the language for yourself, if you like it use it, if not, and you have a choice, don't. p.s. for all those poor bastards who are forced to use Java at work, Scala is by far a gift from the Gods, so it helps to keep things in proportions, one man's source for a rant article, is other's source of means to finish work at 5pm and go back to the SO and kids. (they would go back at 1pm but their Sun Certified Java EE team lead brain will explode if they will use Clojure, with Scala your EJBs or Spring code can still look recognizable, perhaps a bit more pretty) p.s. did I forgot to say I love Scala?

jaxytee 13y ago
This times 1000. I have been using Scala for the past 3 months in a play framework app that serves json. Today I had to write some quick Java for an Android client, and was quickly reminded how much freedom Scala's expressiveness gives you vs Java old cruft. I mistakenly wrote a Java anonymous inner class that called a closed over variable from the outer scope like one would do with Scala closures. Of course the Java compiler threw an error because I didn't mark the variable as final. When programing in Scala, one never has to deal with such low level rigidness. It just let's you get shit done.
- saryant 13y ago
  Well, be careful with those closures. Scala's compiler won't (yet) throw an error if you close over a variable from the outer scope while operating on a Future. The Scala team does have a plan to fix this though. Of course, if you aren't operating asynchronously or you're only closing over immutable values it doesn't matter anyways.
joelgrus 13y ago
I feel the opposite regarding Clojure and Scala -- Clojure just makes sense to me, whereas Scala gives me a headache. As an aside, insofar as you have some sort of willingness toward C#, you should check out F#, which is functional with really nice type inference and none of the syntactic woes that I have come to associate with Scala. (Not sure how portable it is, I have heard stories of people using it with Mono, but I haven't tried it myself.)
jimbokun 13y ago
You managed to say you really like Scala several times, without mentioning a single concrete thing you like about it.
- eranation 13y ago
  You are right, though I'm not trying to convince anyone, but I wrote some of my favorite features on another comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6830814 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6830814, thanks P.s. I did mention I chose it via elimination, and due to a very subjective preference to typed languages. Another plus for scala for me is this: I can use it at work.
codygman 13y ago
You might want to check back on Haskell again sometime in the future. It has been my experience that the number of Haskellers writing productive "real world" code is increasing and as a result the paths to do those things are becoming easier. Though, this could just be me getting more comfortable with the language, knowing where to look, or a combination thereof.
xmonkee 13y ago
Nimrod's got me so hot. Much pretty. Doing anything in it so far?

jaxytee 13y ago

This times 1000. I have been using Scala for the past 3 months in a play framework app that serves json. Today I had to write some quick Java for an Android client, and was quickly reminded how much freedom Scala's expressiveness gives you vs Java old cruft. I mistakenly wrote a Java anonymous inner class that called a closed over variable from the outer scope like one would do with Scala closures. Of course the Java compiler threw an error because I didn't mark the variable as final. When programing in Scala, one never has to deal with such low level rigidness. It just let's you get shit done.

saryant 13y ago
Well, be careful with those closures. Scala's compiler won't (yet) throw an error if you close over a variable from the outer scope while operating on a Future. The Scala team does have a plan to fix this though. Of course, if you aren't operating asynchronously or you're only closing over immutable values it doesn't matter anyways.

joelgrus 13y ago

I feel the opposite regarding Clojure and Scala -- Clojure just makes sense to me, whereas Scala gives me a headache. As an aside, insofar as you have some sort of willingness toward C#, you should check out F#, which is functional with really nice type inference and none of the syntactic woes that I have come to associate with Scala. (Not sure how portable it is, I have heard stories of people using it with Mono, but I haven't tried it myself.)

jimbokun 13y ago

You managed to say you really like Scala several times, without mentioning a single concrete thing you like about it.

eranation 13y ago
You are right, though I'm not trying to convince anyone, but I wrote some of my favorite features on another comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6830814 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6830814, thanks P.s. I did mention I chose it via elimination, and due to a very subjective preference to typed languages. Another plus for scala for me is this: I can use it at work.

codygman 13y ago

You might want to check back on Haskell again sometime in the future. It has been my experience that the number of Haskellers writing productive "real world" code is increasing and as a result the paths to do those things are becoming easier. Though, this could just be me getting more comfortable with the language, knowing where to look, or a combination thereof.

xmonkee 13y ago

Nimrod's got me so hot. Much pretty. Doing anything in it so far?