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    \$\begingroup\$ This applies to C++ as well with #define for example, but I admit it's nice that def and val are shorter. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Nov 11, 2011 at 18:21
  • \$\begingroup\$ Hm. def is the keyword to define a method, and a simple translation to c++ for val is 'const', and it is a declaration, but the type is often inferred. The shortening is in the first case the type= which is closer to typedef - isn't it? The second example isn't from me and it is new to me. I have to watch out, where to use it. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Nov 11, 2011 at 19:01
  • \$\begingroup\$ typedef long long ll; is the same as #define ll long long, so the latter's shorter by 1. But yeah, typedef does work. Looking at the val example again I definitely misread it. It seems even less Scala-specific. x = thingWithAReallyLongComplicatedNameForNoReason is a pretty general strategy :P \$\endgroup\$ Commented Nov 11, 2011 at 19:21
  • \$\begingroup\$ @userunknown When you instantiate a List or Array etc with syntax val x = List(1,2,3) you're just calling the apply method on the List object. (This technique for object creation is known as a "factory method", in contrast to using a constructor with new.) So above, we're just making a new variable that points to the same singleton object as the variable name Array. Since it's the same thing, all the methods, including apply, are available. \$\endgroup\$ Commented Nov 12, 2011 at 17:36