What are immutable data structures in Scala?

What are immutable data structures in Scala?

Immutable data structures in Scala are collections that cannot be modified after they are created. This means any operation that would modify the collection instead returns a new collection.

Can you give me an example of an immutable list?

Sure! In Scala, you can create an immutable list like this: val myList = List(1, 2, 3). If you want to add an element, you would do val newList = myList :+ 4, which creates a new list without modifying myList.

What are the benefits of using immutable data structures?

The benefits include easier reasoning about code, thread safety, and avoiding side effects, which can lead to fewer bugs.

Are there any performance drawbacks?

Yes, there can be performance drawbacks, especially with large data structures, as creating new copies can be more resource-intensive than modifying existing ones.