What is Zio (Scala)

Welcome Zio

What is ZIO

ZIO is a zero-dependency Scala library, part of Scala, one of the most popular functional programming language. ZIO was developed to solve complex, modern business problems using simple, testable, and composable code. Powered by highly-scalable, non-blocking fibers that never waste or leak resources ZIO supports you in developing highly scalable, resilient, and reactive applications.

Why use Zio in the first place?

High-performance

Zio helps developers build scalable applications with 100x the performance of Scala’s Future

Concurrency

With Zio one can easily build concurrent apps without deadlocks, race conditions, or complexity

Type-safe

The full power of the Scala compiler can catch bugs at compile time

Asynchronous

Sequential code that looks the same whether asynchronous or synchronous

Fewer bugs

Fewer bugs — less money lost because of your system going out of service

Resilient

Apps that respond to failures locally and flexibly and never lose errors

Benefits of ZIO

For someone who’s writing in Scala

1. Purely-functional design

One of Scala’s main benefits is its combination of function-oriented and object-oriented programming paradigms.

2. Easy to start working with

Scala syntax isn’t as strict as some other languages, which is beneficial in regards to both development and testing. The syntax is also much more concise compared to Java, which can mean long-term efficiency gains for businesses.

3. Catch bugs at compile time

Scala can be used to build a wide variety of programs, including apps, games, software-as-as-service, databases, and more. Developers have access to an array of advanced features that leverages the JVM.

4. Write unit tests easier

Scala is compatible with Java (it is compiled into Java Byte Code), which means that developers can fully leverage their Java libraries and the Java SDK. It provides many features that are lacking in Java, such as lazy evaluation and currying.

5. Build highly concurrent applications

Scala is a relatively easy language to learn. Comprehensive documentation and a large community of users make it an excellent new option for developers. This is important for businesses when evaluating costs. It’s also worth remembering that this ease-of-use isn’t provided at the expense of functionality. Scala has a very “mature” backend.

6. Refactoring that you can like

Because Scala provides much of the same functionality as Java, but with fewer lines of code, it’s generally easier to create and troubleshoot programs. It’s also possible to write programs very quickly in Scala. Even when compared to languages like Python, the comparatively low effort required to maintain and test Scala programs almost always makes it the better choice.

Conclusion

We have read what Zio is all about and how it promises to help developers write better codes with ease. In the next articles, we will explore how to use Zio to write real-world applications.

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