CSC 735 – Data Analytics

Introduction to Scala
Functions

2
 Functions
• Write a function to return maximum of two inputs

def maximum(x: Double, y: Double)

3
 Functions
• To define a function, specify its name, parameters, and
body like this
def maximum(x: Double, y: Double) = if (x > y) x else y

4
 Functions
• To define a function, specify its name, parameters, and
body like this
def maximum(x: Double, y: Double) = if (x > y) x else y

• If the function is not recursive, it is optional to specify its

return type
def maximum(x: Double, y: Double): Double = if (x > y)
x else y

5
 Functions (cont.)
• If body is more then one expression, enclose in { }

6
 Functions (cont.)
• If body is more then one expression, enclose in { }
/*A function to raise a number m to the power n.
Assume that n is a nonnegative integer*/
def power(m:Int, n:Int) = {
var result = 1
for ( i <- 1 to n)
result *= m
result
}

7
 Functions (cont.)
• If body is more then one expression, enclose in { }
/*A function to raise a number m to the power n.
Assume that n is a nonnegative integer*/
def power(m:Int, n:Int) = {
var result = 1
Calling the for ( i <- 1 to n)
function: result *= m
power(5, 4) result
}

8
 Functions (cont.)
• If body is more then one expression, enclose in { }
/*A function to raise a number m to the power n.
Assume that n is a nonnegative integer*/
def power(m:Int, n:Int) = {
var result = 1
Calling the for ( i <- 1 to n)
function: result *= m
power(5, 4) result
}

• Recursive version of above function ?

9
 Functions (cont.)
• If body is more then one expression, enclose in { }
/*A function to raise a number m to the power n.
Assume that n is a nonnegative integer*/
def power(m:Int, n:Int) = {
var result = 1
Calling the for ( i <- 1 to n)
function: result *= m
power(5, 4) result
}

• Recursive version of above function

def raise(m: Int, n: Int): Int = if ( n <= 0) 1 else m * raise(m, n -1)
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What if a function returns no value?

11
 Procedures
• A procedure is a function that does not return a
value
• Usually used for its side effect such as printing
• You can define such function/procedure by
– either specifying ? as the return type

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 Procedures
• A procedure is a function that does not return a
value
• Usually used for its side effect such as printing
• You can define such function/procedure by
– either specifying Unit as the return type

def sayHello(name: String): Unit = {

println("Hello " + name)
}

sayHello("David") // Hello David

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 Procedures (cont.)
– or, omitting the return type and not using =
symbol before the function body

14
 Procedures (cont.)
– or, omitting the return type and not using =
symbol before the function body

def sayGoodBye(name: String) {

println("Good Bye " + name)
}

sayGoodBye("David") // Good Bye David

15
 Functions as First class Citizens
• Functions in Scala, are first class citizens
– can be assigned to a variable, stored in a data
structure, passed as a parameter to another function,
or be the returned value of another function

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 Functions as First class Citizens - Examples
import math._
val num = 3.14
val f = ceil _
//_ is needed to let Scala know that you intended to assign ceil as a ref to f

f(num) // 4

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 Functions as First class Citizens - Examples
import math._

//A function that takes another function as a parameter

def f2(functionArgument: (Double) => Double, dataArgument: Double) =
functionArgument(dataArgument)

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 Functions as First class Citizens - Examples
import math._

//A function that takes another function as a parameter

def f2(functionArgument: (Double) => Double, dataArgument: Double) =
functionArgument(dataArgument)

f2(math.sqrt, 2) //res156: Double = 1.4142135623730951

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 Functions as First class Citizens - Examples
import math._

//A function that returns a function as its result

def f3() = math.sqrt _

f3()(4) //res165: Double = 2.0

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Anonymous Functions - Examples

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 Anonymous Functions - Examples
(x: Int) => {
x + 100
}
//res: Int => Int

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 Anonymous Functions - Examples
(x: Int) => { (x: Int) => x + 100
x + 100 //res: Int => Int
}
//res: Int => Int

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 Anonymous Functions
• A function without a name is called an
anonymous function (aka function literal)
• An anonymous function is defined with input
parameters in parenthesis, followed by a right
arrow and the body of the function
• The body of a functional literal is enclosed in
"optional" curly braces.

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 Anonymous Functions - Examples
(x: Int) => { (x: Int) => x + 100
x + 100 //res: Int => Int
}
//res: Int => Int

• We can store an anonymous function in a variable

val add100 = (x: Int) => x + 100

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 Anonymous Functions
• Anonymous functions are useful when a function
is passed as an argument to another function
def doSomething(func: (Double) => Double, x: Double): Double = {
func(x)
}

doSomething(math.sqrt, 2)
//1.4142135623730951

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 Anonymous Functions
• Anonymous functions are useful when a function
is passed as an argument to another function
def doSomething(func: (Double) => Double, x: Double): Double = {
func(x)
}

doSomething(math.sqrt, 2)
//1.4142135623730951

doSomething( (x: Double) => 0.25 * x, 12)

//3.0

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 Higher-Order Methods
• A function that takes a function as a parameter is
called a higher-order function
def doSomething(func: (Double) => Double, x: Double): Double = {
func(x)
}

doSomething( (x: Double) => 0.25 * x, 12)

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 Parameter Inference
• Scala can deduce types whenever possible
• How can we call the following function?
def doSomething(func: (Double) => Double, x: Double): Double = { func(x) }

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 Parameter Inference
• Scala can deduce types whenever possible
• How can we call the following function?
def doSomething(func: (Double) => Double, x: Double): Double = { func(x) }
doSomething( (x: Double) => 0.25 * x, 12)

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 Parameter Inference
• Scala can deduce types whenever possible
• How can we call the following function?
def doSomething(func: (Double) => Double, x: Double): Double = { func(x) }
doSomething( (x: Double) => 0.25 * x, 12)
• Scala can deduce the type of x from the function header

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 Parameter Inference
• Scala can deduce types whenever possible
• How can we call the following function?
def doSomething(func: (Double) => Double, x: Double): Double = { func(x) }
doSomething( (x: Double) => 0.25 * x, 12)
• Scala can deduce the type of x from the function header
doSomething( (x) => 0.25 * x, 12)

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 Parameter Inference
• Scala can deduce types whenever possible
• How can we call the following function?
def doSomething(func: (Double) => Double, x: Double): Double = { func(x) }
doSomething( (x: Double) => 0.25 * x, 12)
• Scala can deduce the type of x from the function header
doSomething( (x) => 0.25 * x, 12)
• If an anonymous function takes only one parameter, we
can omit the () around the parameter

34
 Parameter Inference
• Scala can deduce types whenever possible
• How can we call the following function?
def doSomething(func: (Double) => Double, x: Double): Double = { func(x) }
doSomething( (x: Double) => 0.25 * x, 12)
• Scala can deduce the type of x from the function header
doSomething( (x) => 0.25 * x, 12)
• If an anonymous function takes only one parameter, we
can omit the () around the parameter
doSomething( x => 0.25 * x, 12)

35
 Parameter Inference
• Scala can deduce types whenever possible
• How can we call the following function?
def doSomething(func: (Double) => Double, x: Double): Double = { func(x) }
doSomething( (x: Double) => 0.25 * x, 12)
• Scala can deduce the type of x from the function header
doSomething( (x) => 0.25 * x, 12)
• If an anonymous function takes only one parameter, we
can omit the () around the parameter
doSomething( x => 0.25 * x, 12)
• If the parameter occurs only once on the right-hand side
of the =>, we can replace it with an underscore

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 Parameter Inference
• Scala can deduce types whenever possible
• How can we call the following function?
def doSomething(func: (Double) => Double, x: Double): Double = { func(x) }
doSomething( (x: Double) => 0.25 * x, 12)
• Scala can deduce the type of x from the function header
doSomething( (x) => 0.25 * x, 12)
• If an anonymous function takes only one parameter, we
can omit the () around the parameter
doSomething( x => 0.25 * x, 12)
• If the parameter occurs only once on the right-hand side
of the =>, we can replace it with an underscore
doSomething( 0.25 * _, 12)
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 Closures
• A closure is a function that uses a non-local non-
parameter variable captured from its
environment.

38
 Closures
• A function whose return value depends on one or
more variables outside the function scope called
a closure
var c = 10

def add(a: Int, b: Int) = a + b + c

add(3, 4) //?

39
 Closures
• A function whose return value depends on one or
more variables outside the function scope called
a closure
var c = 10

def add(a: Int, b: Int) = a + b + c

add(3, 4) //17

40
 Closures
• A function whose return value depends on one or
more variables outside the function scope called
a closure
var c = 10

def add(a: Int, b: Int) = a + b + c

add(3, 4) //17

c = 50
add(3, 4) //?

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 Closures
• A function whose return value depends on one or
more variables outside the function scope called
a closure
var c = 10

def add(a: Int, b: Int) = a + b + c

add(3, 4) //17

c = 50
add(3, 4) //57

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 Closures (cont)
• The function can be called when a non-local
variable is no longer in scope
• The function is aware of any changes to such
variable and will use the new values

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Closures – Example (closures.scala)

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Closures – Example (closures.scala)
class MyClass {
def exec(f:(String) => Unit, name: String) = {
f(name)
}
}

var greetings = "Hello“ // greetings is defined outside of the function

def sayHello(name: String) = { println(s"$greetings, $name") }

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Closures – Example (closures.scala)
class MyClass {
def exec(f:(String) => Unit, name: String) = {
f(name)
}
}

var greetings = "Hello“ // greetings is defined outside of the function

def sayHello(name: String) = { println(s"$greetings, $name") }

val object1 = new MyClass()

object1.exec(sayHello, "Mark") // ?

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Closures – Example (closures.scala)
class MyClass {
def exec(f:(String) => Unit, name: String) = {
f(name)
}
}

var greetings = "Hello“ // greetings is defined outside of the function

def sayHello(name: String) = { println(s"$greetings, $name") }

val object1 = new MyClass()

object1.exec(sayHello, "Mark") // Hello, Mark

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Closures – Example (closures.scala)
class MyClass {
def exec(f:(String) => Unit, name: String) = {
f(name)
}
}

var greetings = "Hello" // greetings is defined outside of the function

def sayHello(name: String) = { println(s"$greetings, $name") }

val object1 = new MyClass()

object1.exec(sayHello, "Mark") // Hello, Mark

greetings = "Howdy"
object1.exec(sayHello, "Martin") //?

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Closures – Example (closures.scala)
class MyClass {
def exec(f:(String) => Unit, name: String) = {
f(name)
}
}

var greetings = "Hello" // greetings is defined outside of the function

def sayHello(name: String) = { println(s"$greetings, $name") }

val object1 = new MyClass()

object1.exec(sayHello, "Mark") // Hello, Mark

greetings = "Howdy"
object1.exec(sayHello, "Martin") //Howdy, Martin

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 Closures – Example (closures.scala)
// Closure.scala file
class MyClass {
def exec(f:(String) => Unit, name: String) = {
f(name)
}
}
var greetings = "Hello" // greetings is defined outside of the function
def sayHello(name: String) = { println(s"$greetings, $name") }

object Closure {
def main(args: Array[String])={
val object1 = new MyClass()
object1.exec(sayHello, "Mark") // Hello, Mark

greetings = "Howdy"
object1.exec(sayHello, "Martin") //Howdy, Martin
}
}
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 Arrays
• Similar to Arrays in Java and C++
• Homogeneous
• Fixed-length
• You can efficiently access any element in an array
in constant time using () not []
• Mutable data structure
– you can update an element in an array
• Arrays are zero indexed

51
 Declaring an Array
• val names: Array[String] = new Array[String](3)
//names: Array[String] = Array(null, null, null)

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 Declaring an Array
• val names: Array[String] = new Array[String](3)
//names: Array[String] = Array(null, null, null)
or
val names = new Array[String](3)
//names: Array[String] = Array(null, null, null)

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 Declaring an Array
• val names: Array[String] = new Array[String](3)
//names: Array[String] = Array(null, null, null)
or
val names = new Array[String](3)
//names: Array[String] = Array(null, null, null)
• val nums = new Array[Int](10)

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 Declaring an Array
• val names: Array[String] = new Array[String](3)
//names: Array[String] = Array(null, null, null)
or
val names = new Array[String](3)
//names: Array[String] = Array(null, null, null)
• val nums = new Array[Int](10)
• val s = Array("Hello", "World")
// Note: no new when you supply initial values

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 Declaring an Array
• val names: Array[String] = new Array[String](3)
//names: Array[String] = Array(null, null, null)
or
val names = new Array[String](3)
//names: Array[String] = Array(null, null, null)
• val nums = new Array[Int](10)
• val s = Array("Hello", "World")
// Note: no new when you supply initial values
• s(1) // World
// Use () instead of [] to access elements
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 Variable-Length Arrays: Array Buffers
• ArrayBuffer is similar to ArrayList in Java or vector in C++

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 Variable-Length: Array Buffers
• ArrayBuffer is similar to ArrayList in Java or vector in C++
import scala.collection.mutable.ArrayBuffer
val b = ArrayBuffer[Int]()
// Or, b = new ArrayBuffer[Int]

58
 Variable-Length: Array Buffers
• ArrayBuffer is similar to ArrayList in Java or vector in C++
import scala.collection.mutable.ArrayBuffer
val b = ArrayBuffer[Int]()
// Or, b = new ArrayBuffer[Int]
b += 1 // Add an element at the end with +=
// ArrayBuffer(1)

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 Variable-Length: Array Buffers
• ArrayBuffer is similar to ArrayList in Java or vector in C++
import scala.collection.mutable.ArrayBuffer
val b = ArrayBuffer[Int]()
// Or, b = new ArrayBuffer[Int]
b += 1 // Add an element at the end with +=
// ArrayBuffer(1)
b += (1, 2, 3, 5) // Add multiple elements at the end
// ArrayBuffer(1, 1, 2, 3, 5)

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 Variable-Length: Array Buffers
• ArrayBuffer is similar to ArrayList in Java or vector in C++
import scala.collection.mutable.ArrayBuffer
val b = ArrayBuffer[Int]()
// Or, b = new ArrayBuffer[Int]
b += 1 // Add an element at the end with +=
// ArrayBuffer(1)
b += (1, 2, 3, 5) // Add multiple elements at the end
// ArrayBuffer(1, 1, 2, 3, 5)
b ++= Array(8, 13, 21) // You can append any collection with the ++=
// ArrayBuffer(1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21)

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 Variable-Length: Array Buffers
• ArrayBuffer is similar to ArrayList in Java or vector in C++
import scala.collection.mutable.ArrayBuffer
val b = ArrayBuffer[Int]()
// Or, b = new ArrayBuffer[Int]
b += 1 // Add an element at the end with +=
// ArrayBuffer(1)
b += (1, 2, 3, 5) // Add multiple elements at the end
// ArrayBuffer(1, 1, 2, 3, 5)
b ++= Array(8, 13, 21) // You can append any collection with the ++=
// ArrayBuffer(1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21)
val a = b.toArray
//a: Array[Int] = Array(1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21)
val c = a.toBuffer
//c: scala.collection.mutable.Buffer[Int] = ArrayBuffer(1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21)

62
 Variable-Length: Array Buffers
• ArrayBuffer is similar to ArrayList in Java or vector in C++
import scala.collection.mutable.ArrayBuffer
val b = ArrayBuffer[Int]()
// Or, b = new ArrayBuffer[Int]
b += 1 // Add an element at the end with +=
// ArrayBuffer(1)
b += (1, 2, 3, 5) // Add multiple elements at the end
// ArrayBuffer(1, 1, 2, 3, 5)
b ++= Array(8, 13, 21) // You can append any collection with the ++=
// ArrayBuffer(1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21)
val a = b.toArray
//a: Array[Int] = Array(1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21)
val c = a.toBuffer
//c: scala.collection.mutable.Buffer[Int] = ArrayBuffer(1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21)
b.trimEnd(5) // Removes the last five elements
63
// ArrayBuffer(1, 1, 2)
 Traversing

val a = Array(1, 7, 2, 9)
?

64
 Traversing

val a = Array(1, 7, 2, 9)
for (i <- 0 until a.length) \\ for (i <- 0 to a.length-1)
println(s"$i: ${a(i)}")
\\ 0: 1
\\ 1: 7
\\ 2: 2
\\ 3: 9

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 Built—in Functions
• Array(1, 7, 2, 9).sum // 19
– Works for ArrayBuffer too

66
 Built—in Functions
• Array(1, 7, 2, 9).sum // 19
– Works for ArrayBuffer too
• ArrayBuffer("Mary", "had", "a", "little",
"lamb").max
// "little"

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 Built—in Functions
• Array(1, 7, 2, 9).sum // 19
– Works for ArrayBuffer too
• ArrayBuffer("Mary", "had", "a", "little",
"lamb").max
// "little"
• val b = ArrayBuffer(1, 7, 2, 9)
val bSorted = b.sorted
// bSorted is ArrayBuffer(1, 2, 7, 9)

68
 Built-in Functions (cont.)
• val bDescending = b.sortWith(_ > _)
// ArrayBuffer(9, 7, 2, 1)

69
 Built-in Functions (cont.)
• val bDescending = b.sortWith(_ > _)
// ArrayBuffer(9, 7, 2, 1)
• You can sort an array, but not an array buffer, in
place:
val a = Array(1, 7, 2, 9)
scala.util.Sorting.quickSort(a)
// a is now Array(1, 2, 7, 9)

70
 Built-in Functions - mkString
• The mkString method displays the contents using
separator between elements
val a = Array(1, 7, 2, 9)
a.mkString(" and ")
// "1 and 7 and 2 and 9"
• A second variant has parameters for the prefix
and suffix
a.mkString("<", ",", ">")
// "<1,7,2,9>"

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