When comparing Scala in Action vs Functional Programming in Scala, the Slant community recommends Functional Programming in Scala for most people. In the question“What are the best resources to learn Scala?” Functional Programming in Scala is ranked 5th while Scala in Action is ranked 12th. The most important reason people chose Functional Programming in Scala is:
"Functional Programming in Scala" offers no shortage of exercises. Throughout the book, exercises and examples are plentiful to help the reader put what they're learning into practice for a better understanding.
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Pros
Pro Has a very hands-on approach
Uses lots of hands-on examples to get you programming early on.
Pro Creative, fun exercises
"Functional Programming in Scala" offers no shortage of exercises. Throughout the book, exercises and examples are plentiful to help the reader put what they're learning into practice for a better understanding.
Pro Does an excellent job of teaching functional programming
"Functional Programming in Scala" focuses on building a strong foundation in Functional Programming(FP). It fully explains FP concepts, including the "why" behind everything discussed.
Cons
Con Can be hard to follow
This book jumps around, with examples that are poorly explained and difficult to follow.
Con Not a good beginner-friendly resource
The examples are complex and the book is written with experienced programmers in mind (basic programming concepts are not explained).
Con Not for beginners
The material gets advanced pretty quickly. The material in the book is more effective if you already have an introduction to category theory and combinatorial analysis.
Con Only uses Scala as a medium to teach functional programming
Rather than focusing on teaching the language (such as the syntax), "Functional Programming in Scala" only uses Scala as the medium for teaching functional programming. This means the reader needs to already have some experience with Scala.