Programming Language Atlas

A structured reference to language families, paradigms, and implementations

Scala

Functional and object-oriented. First appeared 2004; managed runtimes; data engineering, backend services.

Record

First appeared2004
FamilyManaged runtimes
Paradigm emphasisFunctional and object-oriented
TypingStatic, strong, inferred
MemoryTracing GC (JVM)
ExecutionBytecode + JIT
Primary domainData engineering, backend services
DesignersMartin Odersky
Referencehttps://www.scala-lang.org/files/archive/spec/
Last verifiednot yet checked against its source by a human

Dates are first public release or publication, not the start of internal development. Colour on the typing and memory tags encodes kind, never rank.

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Influence

ML1973Haskell1990Java1995Kotlin2011Unison2020Scala2004
Figure 1. Scala in the influence graph: recorded ancestors on the left, languages that record it as an influence on the right. Every node links to its own record. Edges name indexed languages only, so an empty side means no indexed relative, not none at all. Source: languages.json.

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Within the Managed runtimes

Languages targeting a shared virtual machine and inheriting its collector, threading model, and library surface.

Language First appeared Typing Memory Execution
Java 1995 Static, strong Tracing GC Bytecode + JIT
C# 2000 Static, strong, partly inferred Tracing GC Bytecode + JIT/AOT
Kotlin 2011 Static, strong, inferred Tracing GC (JVM) Bytecode + JIT, native AOT

3 other languages in this family, ordered by first appearance. Scala itself is omitted. Source: languages.json.

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