Scala Pattern Matching

Pattern matching is a powerful feature in Scala that allows for concise and readable code. However, mastering it can be challenging. In this post, we’ll explore the nuances of pattern matching in Scala, including case classes and pattern guards, to help you write more elegant and efficient code.

On First look, Scala Pattern Matching is more or less like a switch case in Java/C. It is a much more powerful version than Java.

But there are some fundamental changes. In Java, statements in switch blocks fall through- i.e., all statements after the matching case label are executed in sequence, regardless of the expression of subsequent case labels, until a break statement is encountered.

Syntax

The basic Syntax of Scala Pattern Matching is like

The last case _ is a “catch-all” case for other possible Int values. Cases are also called alternatives.

There are multiple types of Pattern matching in Scala. Above Example covers

• Literal Patterns: Value (0,1,2)
• Variable Patterns: _

Matching Multiple Patterns At Once

In Java, we can do multiple case matching using switch case by following the way.

Scala also supports the same. It is called Pattern Alternatives. A pattern alternative P1 | …… | P𝑛 consists of several alternative patterns Pi. All alternative patterns are type-checked with the expected type of the pattern