scala.bythebay.io: James Ward Interview

you yeah I'm James Ward I'm a platform yeah I'm James Ward I'm a platform evangelist at salesforce com right now evangelist at salesforce com right now focused on Kafka and machine learning focused on Kafka and machine learning stuff so I started getting into Scala stuff so I started getting into Scala maybe six or seven years ago because maybe six or seven years ago because dick wall and Diane Marsh were doing dick wall and Diane Marsh were doing presentations about Scala back before presentations about Scala back before many people are using it and I really many people are using it and I really respect both of those people and was respect both of those people and was like laughs they think this is great like laughs they think this is great then I got to check it out and so I I then I got to check it out and so I I went to some presentations and then went to some presentations and then started writing some Scala code with started writing some Scala code with play framework 10 back when that was play framework 10 back when that was around and really enjoyed the experience around and really enjoyed the experience but it was also a pretty hard learning but it was also a pretty hard learning curve for me I had to really switch my curve for me I had to really switch my brain from this object-oriented way of brain from this object-oriented way of thinking into a functional way of thinking into a functional way of thinking and I wasn't really used to thinking and I wasn't really used to that and so so it was a challenge that and so so it was a challenge there's definitely a big learning curve there's definitely a big learning curve but now i'm loving scala and and so glad but now i'm loving scala and and so glad that I took the time to learn it so I that I took the time to learn it so I get to work with with some really fun get to work with with some really fun technology at Salesforce and I would say technology at Salesforce and I would say that that quite a bit of it is my ideal that that quite a bit of it is my ideal stack so it's my ideal stack and my stack so it's my ideal stack and my actual stack so I use Salesforce for my actual stack so I use Salesforce for my back office data obviously it work at back office data obviously it work at Salesforce so but it really does work Salesforce so but it really does work really well for back office types of really well for back office types of applications and managing that data I applications and managing that data I use Heroku for my front end application use Heroku for my front end application so anything that's customer facing I run so anything that's customer facing I run on Heroku and then of course run Scala on Heroku and then of course run Scala they're using play framework for the web they're using play framework for the web framework and then database wise there's framework and then database wise there's a really cool technology called haruka a really cool technology called haruka connect that synchronizes data between connect that synchronizes data between Salesforce and Heroku so it makes it Salesforce and Heroku so it makes it really easy to share data across that really easy to share data across that that boundary so so I love that part of that boundary so so I love that part of the stack and then just beginning to add the stack and then just beginning to add in in new things into that stack like new things into that stack like prediction I 0 for machine learning and prediction I 0 for machine learning and Kafka for doing like etl is and stream Kafka for doing like etl is and stream processing that kind of stuff so so yeah processing that kind of stuff so so yeah I mean I have my ideal stack it's I mean I have my ideal stack it's working really well and and excited working really well and and excited about building more on that and and about building more on that and and adding more things in like spark and adding more things in like spark and Cassandra and those sorts of things over Cassandra and those sorts of things over time so I think that's kind of some of time so I think that's kind of some of my missing pieces right now is is more my missing pieces right now is is more on the the data analytics side and on on the the data analytics side and on the big data storage side of the two the big data storage side of the two pieces that I'm still hoping that i can pieces that I'm still hoping that i can add into my stack yeah so there is a guy add into my stack yeah so there is a guy here named Gilbert who created play here named Gilbert who created play framework and really looking forward to framework and really looking forward to not only catching up with him but also not only catching up with him but also here in his talk because he always just here in his talk because he always just blows my mind and expands it and so this blows my mind and expands it and so this time he's doing a talk on doing assembly time he's doing a talk on doing assembly programming inside a scala and i have no programming inside a scala and i have no idea what that's going to look like but idea what that's going to look like but really interested to see him gonna blow really interested to see him gonna blow my mind again so yep yeah really looking my mind again so yep yeah really looking forward to guillaume boards talk you