---
title:      "Scala 3"
ring:       "trial"
quadrant:   "languages-and-frameworks"
tags:       [coding]
---

[Scala 3](https://docs.scala-lang.org/scala3/) is the successor of the Scala 2.x series programming language.

It's not just a small iteration on Scala 2 but a complete overhaul of the language trying to improve in several areas like:
* Syntax
  * "quiet" syntax for control structures like `if`, `while` and `for`
  * optional `new` operator
  * Optional braces with significant-indentation syntax like in python
  * Completely revised `implicit`s - see below
* Contextual Abstractions focusing on intent instead of mechanics
  * Abstracting over contextual information with `using`
  * Providing type-class instances via `given`
  * direct extension method syntax `extension (s: String) def pirate: String = s"$s arr!"`
* Type System improvements
  * `enum`s
  * opaque types
  * intersection and union types
  * dependent function types
  * polymorphic function types
  * type lambdas
  * match types
* Improvements for object oriented design
* Completely new metaprogramming facilities while Scala 2 macros were removed

Even with these big changes Scala 3 provides a great compatibility story supporting Scala >2.13.5 libraries in Scala 3 projects and vice versa.

Although slowly we will update our existing Scala 2 codebase to Scala 3 over the next months and years to take advantage of the improvements made.