scala (was RE: checksum for distributed debugging?)

[Ulf Wiger (AL/EAB)]

Bob.Smart@REDACTED
> 
> P.S. On a completely different matter, I'd be interested in 
> comments on the Scala language (http://scala.epfl.ch/) by 
> Erlang experts. It can be used in a fairly pure functional 
> style using val declarations, and it seems to support 
> Erlang-style message exchange (see chapter 3 of "Scala by 
> Example" http://scala.epfl.ch/docu/files/ScalaByExample.pdf). 
> Far be it from me to suggest that Erlang might not last 
> forever, but if not this seems a possible migration path.

I took a look at that a while back, and was first 
impressed with the examples in the intro of how one
could use erlang-style concurrency. I was less impressed
when I read the manual chapter on concurrency, and 
discovered that it was all about Java-style concurrency.

It may be a minor point, but the problem I see is 
that Scala may end up with the same problem as Java CSP
and other similar initiatives: people will still write 
software in the original java style, at least as regards
concurrency.

While you can still use Scala as a nice language for 
development from scratch, reusability will hinge on the
degree to which people adopt new ways of thinking.

Scala is a language worth keeping an eye on, though, IMO.

/Uffe