Scala Language Var, Val, and Def Var, Val, and Def

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Example

var

A var is a reference variable, similar to variables in languages like Java. Different objects can be freely assigned to a var, so long as the given object has the same type that the var was declared with:

scala> var x = 1
x: Int = 1

scala> x = 2
x: Int = 2

scala> x = "foo bar"
<console>:12: error: type mismatch;
 found   : String("foo bar")
 required: Int
       x = "foo bar"
       ^

Note in the example above the type of the var was inferred by the compiler given the first value assignment.

val

A val is a constant reference. Thus, a new object cannot be assigned to a val that has already been assigned.

scala> val y = 1
y: Int = 1

scala> y = 2
<console>:12: error: reassignment to val
       y = 2
         ^

However, the object that a val points to is not constant. That object may be modified:

scala> val arr = new Array[Int](2)
arr: Array[Int] = Array(0, 0)

scala> arr(0) = 1

scala> arr
res1: Array[Int] = Array(1, 0)

def

A def defines a method. A method cannot be re-assigned to.

scala> def z = 1
z: Int

scala> z = 2
<console>:12: error: value z_= is not a member of object $iw
       z = 2
       ^

In the above examples, val y and def z return the same value. However, a def is evaluated when it is called, whereas a val or var is evaluated when it is assigned. This can result in differing behavior when the definition has side effects:

scala> val a = {println("Hi"); 1}
Hi
a: Int = 1

scala> def b = {println("Hi"); 1}
b: Int

scala> a + 1
res2: Int = 2

scala> b + 1
Hi
res3: Int = 2

Functions

Because functions are values, they can be assigned to val/var/defs. Everything else works in the same manner as above:

scala> val x = (x: Int) => s"value=$x"
x: Int => String = <function1>

scala> var y = (x: Int) => s"value=$x"
y: Int => String = <function1>

scala> def z = (x: Int) => s"value=$x"
z: Int => String

scala> x(1)
res0: String = value=1

scala> y(2)
res1: String = value=2

scala> z(3)
res2: String = value=3


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