This course is part of the Functional Programming in Scala Specialization

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Martin Odersky

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Functional Programming in Scala SpecializationÉcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

About this Course

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In this course you will learn how to apply the functional programming style in the design of larger Scala applications. You'll get to know important new functional programming concepts, from lazy evaluation to structuring your libraries using monads. We'll work on larger and more involved examples, from state space exploration to random testing to discrete circuit simulators. You’ll also learn some best practices on how to write good Scala code in the real world. Finally, you will learn how to leverage the ability of the compiler to infer values from types.
Several parts of this course deal with the question how functional programming interacts with mutable state. We will explore the consequences of combining functions and state. We will also look at purely functional alternatives to mutable state, using infinite data structures or functional reactive programming.

Recommended background: You should have at least one year programming experience. Proficiency with Java or C# is ideal, but experience with other languages such as C/C++, Python, Javascript or Ruby is also sufficient. You should have some familiarity with using the command line. This course is intended to be taken after Functional Programming Principles in Scala: https://www.coursera.org/learn/progfun1.

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Course 2 of 5 in the

Functional Programming in Scala Specialization

Intermediate Level

Approx. 35 hours to complete

English

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What you will learn

Recognize and apply design principles of functional programs
Design functional libraries and their APIs
Write simple functional reactive applications
Understand reasoning techniques for programs that combine functions and state

Skills you will gain

Laziness
Type Class
Functional Programming
Referential Transparency
Reactive Programming

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 2 of 5 in the

Functional Programming in Scala Specialization

Intermediate Level

Approx. 35 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.72/5 (106 Ratings)

Martin Odersky

Offered by

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating89%(4,016 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

12 hours to complete

For Expressions and Monads

We'll start by revisiting some concepts that we have learned from Principles of Functional Programming in Scala; collections, pattern matching, and functions. We'll then touch on for-comprehensions, a powerful way in Scala to traverse a list, process it, and return a new list. We'll see how to do queries with for-comprehensions as well as how the for-comprehension is "desugared" into calls to higher-order functions by the Scala compiler. Finally, we'll discuss what monads are, and how to verify that the monad laws are satisfied for a number of examples.

12 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 76 min), 8 readings, 3 quizzes

8 videos

Introduction1mWeek 1 Introduction58sRecap: Functions and Pattern Matching12mLecture 1.1 - Queries with For5mLecture 1.2 - Translation of For6mLecture 1.3 - Functional Random Generators23mLecture 1.4 - Monads11mLecture 1.5 - Exceptional Monads13m

8 readings

Working on Assignments5mTools Setup (Please read)10mGrading Policy10mSBT tutorial and Submission of Assignments (Please read)10mCheat Sheet10mScala Style Guide10mLearning Resources10mReactive Cheat Sheet10m

Week2

Week 2

7 hours to complete

Lazy Evaluation

7 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 69 min)

Week3

Week 3

9 hours to complete

Type-Directed Programming

9 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 89 min), 5 readings, 5 quizzes

7 videos

Week 3 Introduction1mLecture 3.1 - Contextual abstractions10mLecture 3.2 - Using clauses and given instances18mLecture 3.3 - Type classes13mLecture 3.4 - Abstract algebra and type classes9mLecture 3.5 - Context passing26mLecture 3.6 - Implicit function types9m

5 readings

Motivating Example10mType-Directed Programming10mType Classes10mConditional Implicit Definitions10mImplicit Conversions10m

3 practice exercises

Type-Directed ProgrammingConditional Implicit Definitions30mImplicit Conversions

Week4

Week 4

1 hour to complete

Functions and State

1 hour to complete

5 videos (Total 62 min)

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4.5

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TOP REVIEWS FROM FUNCTIONAL PROGRAM DESIGN IN SCALA

by SBSep 16, 2020

Awesome course. All assignments except the last one are super difficult.

Maybe the assignments could be made a little simpler by providing some more hints.

by CRMar 17, 2021

i thought i knew scala at the time. but i had trouble putting the pieces together. this course really helped me understand how the various parts can be used together in practice.

by CPJun 27, 2016

Maybe an unfair comparison but I am comparing this with the principles of reactive programming. That had much more contents such as actors, etc. Having said that this is a good course by itself.

by HHJul 23, 2016

Really enjoyed doing the course. Learned a ton of Stuff. Functional programming design is amazing. It's like learning Object Oriented programming (with design patterns) for the first time.

View all reviews

About the Functional Programming in Scala Specialization

Discover how to write elegant code that works the first time it is run.

This Specialization provides a hands-on introduction to functional programming using the widespread programming language, Scala. It begins from the basic building blocks of the functional paradigm, first showing how to use these blocks to solve small problems, before building up to combining these concepts to architect larger functional programs. You'll see how the functional paradigm facilitates parallel and distributed programming, and through a series of hands on examples and programming assignments, you'll learn how to analyze data sets small to large; from parallel programming on multicore architectures, to distributed programming on a cluster using Apache Spark. A final capstone project will allow you to apply the skills you learned by building a large data-intensive application using real-world data.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

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Functional Program Design in Scala

About this Course

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