Data in Motion

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====== Scala objects can be functions ======

**Note:** This is adapted from my open-source work on Rally's //[[https://github.com/rallyhealth/scala-bootcamp/blob/master/bootcamp/snippets/objects-can-be-functions.md|Scala Bootcamp]].//

===== A function === object with an `apply` method =====

The following examples illustrate how Scala functions are objects and objects (with `apply` methods) are functions.  These aren't all idiomatic usage and don't illustrate all the ways to express function objects.

They are offered with the following objectives:

1. To teach the main ways Scala "views" functions--as gerunds: nouns that are "verbed".

2. To introduce the concept of "function factories"--methods or functions that return new functions.

==== The examples ====

Class instances can be functions

<code scala>
{
  class Square { def apply(x: Double) = x * x }
  val sqr = new Square
  sqr(5.0)
}
// res0: Double = 25.0
</code>

Writing functions as class instances is usually more useful when a constructor holds a parameter value constant.

<code scala>
{
  class Greeter(greeting: String) { def apply(who: String) = println(greeting + " " + who) }
  val greet = new Greeter("Howdy")
  greet("Slink")
  greet("Woody")
  greet("Buzz")
}
// Howdy Slink
// Howdy Woody
// Howdy Buzz
</code>

When there is no need for a parameter to be held constant (as in the first example), we can use a singleton object.

<code scala>
{
  object sqr { def apply(x: Double) = x * x }
  sqr(5.0)
}
// res2: Double = 25.0
</code>

Or you can use anonymous function syntax (which is a bit more concise) to define a function that is also an object.  (Int => Int is the function's type; it just says the function accepts an Int and returns an Int.)

<code scala>
{
  val sqr = (x: Int) => x * x
  println(sqr(5))
  println(sqr.apply(3))
}
// 25
// 9
</code>

A function object defined using anonymous function syntax also automatically extends Scala's built-in Function1[A,B] type, which provides other useful goodness that I'll let you look up.

<code scala>
{
  val sqr = (x: Int) => x * x
  sqr.isInstanceOf[Function1[Int,Int]]
}
// res4: Boolean = true
</code>

And using generics along with the Numeric implicits from Scala's standard library, we can define `sqr` over all Numeric types.

<code scala>
{
  import Numeric.Implicits._

  def sqr[T: Numeric](x: T) = x * x

  println(sqr(5))
  println(sqr(5.0))
}
// 25
// 25.0
</code>

Stay tuned!  There's much more fun to come!

==== Let's apply what we've learned ====

(I suggest using [[https://ammonite.io|Ammonite]] or a Scala Notebook application to quickly try *New Scala Things* and immediately see your results.)

Here are a couple things to try based on what we learned above:

1. Create a function `double` with the type signature `Int => Int` (in the same way we wrote `val sqr` above) that returns twice its argument.  Similarly, write a function named `plusOne` that (obviously) adds one to its argument value.

2. We discussed one way to write function factories and we noted that functions created this way also have `Function1` as a supertype.  Let's play with this idea.  Two methods on `Function1` are `andThen` and `compose`.  Given `f1` and `f2` both of type T => T, these let us create a new function `f3` by writing `f1.compose(f2)` or `f1 compose f2`.  Using `double` and `plusOne` from above, play with `andThen` and `compose`.  What is their difference?  How might this technique be useful more generally?
Data in Motion

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