Using `puts` or `echo` instead of `println` in Scala

As my mind was wandering off earlier today, I started to wonder what it would take to create a Ruby puts or PHP echo statement in Scala. (For some reason my brain can never type “println,” and puts or echo are much easier to type.)

One simple way to mimic a puts or echo method is to use Scala's ability to rename things on import:

scala> import System.out.{println => echo}
import System.out.{println=>echo}

scala> import System.out.{println => puts}
import System.out.{println=>puts}

scala> echo("foo")
foo

scala> puts("foo")
foo

scala> puts(1 + 1)
2

This is a start. I've been thinking about creating my own "Al Predef" class, and if I ever do, I'll include something like this in it.

Note that this approach works because out is a static member in the Java System class, and println is a method in that static member.

What I’d really like

What I’d really like to be able to do is type something like this:

echo "foo bar"

or

puts "foo bar"

but ... I don’t know how to do that. I do know how to reverse these statements so I can write something like this:

"foo bar baz" echo

To make that happen, just extend the String class using an implicit conversion, like this:

class AlStuff(val s: String) {
  def echo { println(s) }
}

implicit def stringToString(s: String) = new AlStuff(s)

// works
"four score and seven years ago" echo

// works
"four score and" + " seven years ago" echo

// works
"Hello, %s".format("Al") echo