Julia as a Second Language: General purpose programming with a taste of data science

Book Synopsis: Learn the awesome Julia programming language by building fun projects like a rocket launcher, a password keeper, and a battle simulator. Julia as a Second Language covers:

• Data types like numbers, strings, arrays, and dictionaries
• Immediate feedback with Julia’s read-evaluate-print-loop (REPL)
• Simplify code interactions with multiple dispatch
• Sharing code using modules and packages
• Object-oriented and functional programming styles

Julia as a Second Language introduces Julia to readers with a beginning-level knowledge of another language like Python or JavaScript. You’ll learn by coding engaging hands-on projects that encourage you to apply what you’re learning immediately. Don’t be put off by Julia’s reputation as a scientific programming language—there’s no data science or numerical computing knowledge required. You can get started with what you learned in high school math classes.

Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats from Manning Publications.

About the Technology: Originally designed for high-performance data science, Julia has become an awesome general-purpose programming language. It offers developer-friendly features like garbage collection, dynamic typing, and a flexible approach to concurrency and distributed computing. It is the perfect mix of simplicity, flexibility, and performance.

About the Book: Julia as a Second Language introduces Julia by building on your existing programming knowledge. You’ll see Julia in action as you create a series of interesting projects that guide you from Julia’s basic syntax through its advanced features. Master types and data structures as you model a rocket launch. Use dictionaries to interpret Roman numerals. Use Julia’s unique multiple dispatch feature to send knights and archers into a simulated battle. Along the way, you’ll even compare the object-oriented and functional programming styles—Julia supports both!

What’s Inside:

• Data types like numbers, strings, arrays, and dictionaries
• Immediate feedback with Julia’s read-evaluate-print-loop (REPL)
• Simplify code interactions with multiple dispatch
• Share code using modules and packages

About the Reader: For readers comfortable with another programming language like Python, JavaScript, or C#.

About the Author: Erik Engheim is a writer, conference speaker, video course author, and software developer.

Table of Contents:

PART 1 - BASICS

1. Why Julia?
2. Julia as a calculator
3. Control flow
4. Julia as a spreadsheet
5. Working with text
6. Storing data in dictionaries

PART 2 - TYPES

1. Understanding types
2. Building a rocket
3. Conversion and promotion
4. Representing unknown values

PART 3 - COLLECTIONS

1. Working with strings
2. Understanding Julia collections
3. Working with sets
4. Working with vectors and matrices

PART 4 - SOFTWARE ENGINEERING

1. Functional programming in Julia
2. Organizing and modularizing your code

PART 5 - GOING IN DEPTH

1. Input and output
2. Defining parametric types