Martin Odersky (born 1958) is a German computer scientist known for creating Scala and contributing to Java. His work bridges academic programming language theory and practical language design.
Academic Background
Odersky studied under Niklaus Wirth at ETH Zurich and was influenced by functional programming research. He later worked on Pizza, a language that added generics to Java, which led to his contribution to Java’s generic types.
Contributing to Java
Before Scala, Odersky’s work on Pizza led to Java’s generics implementation. He wrote the javac compiler that introduced generics to Java 5, affecting millions of Java developers worldwide.
Creating Scala
Odersky designed Scala to answer the question: what if we could design a language from scratch that unified functional and object-oriented programming? He released Scala in 2004 while professor at ETH Zurich.
Design Philosophy
Odersky’s approach to Scala emphasizes:
- Every value is an object (including functions)
- Powerful type system that enables libraries to extend the language
- Compatibility with Java ecosystem
- Gradual adoption of advanced features
Continued Evolution
Odersky continues leading Scala’s development, with Scala 3 introducing a simplified syntax and improved type system. He founded Lightbend (formerly Typesafe) to support Scala commercially.