I'd been meaning to pick up a new language, and a few weeks ago I pared down my list of choices to two languages: Scala and Go. Then I went looking for "official" tutorials/references. For Scala I found
Scala by Example, a 145 page PDF that comes with the Scala docs. For Go, I found the Go tutorial -- a very short tutorial with a bunch of examples.
I picked Go because, seriously, I don't have time to read 145 pages just to get started. I'd be fine if Scala By Example introduced me to the major features of the language in a single whirlwind tour so I could at least start solving simple algorithmic problems, but the Scala folks went for something more elaborate. If it works for them, cool.
Ever read the Python tutorial? Even though it omits a bunch of important stuff, like decorators, it gives you enough information to get started with the language. A more dedicated learner can just read the PEPs or the language reference to learn about advanced features as he needs.
This is what I do with Go these days: look up features I'm having trouble with in the reference.
A friend once said this: "I'm convinced that in reality the documentation is the product."
I picked Go because, seriously, I don't have time to read 145 pages just to get started. I'd be fine if Scala By Example introduced me to the major features of the language in a single whirlwind tour so I could at least start solving simple algorithmic problems, but the Scala folks went for something more elaborate. If it works for them, cool.
Ever read the Python tutorial? Even though it omits a bunch of important stuff, like decorators, it gives you enough information to get started with the language. A more dedicated learner can just read the PEPs or the language reference to learn about advanced features as he needs.
This is what I do with Go these days: look up features I'm having trouble with in the reference.
A friend once said this: "I'm convinced that in reality the documentation is the product."