Scala Reference Manuals

Here are our reference manuals about the Scala language: these manuals are available in pdf format, and are typeset for printing.

• The Scala Language Specification
  This is the most technical and detailed manual concerning the inner working of the Scala language. If you have any doubts concerning the behavior of a program written in Scala, if you wish to explore all of the most obscure features, or are interested in the expected semantics of the available constructs, this document will address your questions. If you still have doubts after reading this manual, you can ask for further explanations on our mailing lists.
   
• An Overview of the Scala Programming Language (2. Edition, 20 pages)
  A general, albeit fairly technical, introduction to Scala for programmers who are already fluent in object oriented programming. This document is a particularly interesting reading if you want to have a general overview of the main features of the language. For further information, a good follow-up is our online Tour of Scala.

The manuals above are reference material, and are rather on the technical side. If you need some introductory material instead, the following documents will be quite useful.

• A Brief Scala Tutorial
  A brief introduction to Scala for Java programmers. This document will introduce you to the core features of the language, from the point of view of a Java programmer. Interoperability with Java is also introduced.
   
• Scala By Example
  Learn Scala through a series of examples. An excellent step-by-step introduction to many of the Scala features with the help of simple code examples.

If you need a comprehensive and easy to follow manual for the Scala language, the book "Programming in Scala" is the canonical reference text; other books on Scala are also available.

• Translations of the Scala Manuals
  From time to time, Scala users living in different countries take the time to translate some of the manuals above in different languages. Find here their translated versions of the Scala manuals.
   
• The Scala Improvement Process
  The Scala Improvement Process is designed to coordinate and document the introduction of new features to the Scala language. You can find more information at the SIP site.

A concise manual on the usage of the Scaladoc tool can be found on our wiki.

• Scaladoc 2 Manual
  This manual covers general usage, from how to use Scaladoc to browse API documentation, to writing documentation with the Scaladoc tool. From the documentation writer's point of view, Scaladoc syntax, tags, and macros are explained. Additionaly, the document contains information about the development of the Scaladoc tool.