Blog post on Scala 3

Author: odersky

blog/_posts/2018-04-11-scala-3.md

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+---
+layout: blog-page
+title: From Dotty to Scala 3
+author: Martin Odersky
+authorImg: /images/martin.jpg
+date: 2018-04-11
+---
+
+Now that Scala 2.13 is around the corner, it's time to consider the
+roadmap beyond it. It's been no secret that the work on Dotty that my
+group at EPFL over the last 5 1/2 years was intended to explore what a
+new Scala could look like. We are thankful for the help we got doing this
+from Lightbend, Scala Center, and outside contributors. We are now at
+a stage where we can commit: Dotty will become Scala 3.0. Here are
+some answers to further questions you might have:
+
+_When will it come out?_
+
+  Probably shortly after Scala 2.14. At the current release schedule, that means towards the end of 2019, or possibly early 2020.
+
+_What is Scala 2.14 for?_
+
+  Scala 2.14's main focus will be on smoothing the migration to Scala 3. It will do this by defining migration tools, shim libraries, and targeted deprecations, among others.
+
+_What's new in Scala 3?_
+
+   The currently implemented language changes are listed in the [Reference section on the Dotty website](http://dotty.epfl.ch/docs/).
+
+_What further changes are expected?_
+
+  You can follow the current status on the issue tracker and pull requests of the [dotty](https://github.com/lampepfl/dotty) project on GitHub. Around the corner are opaque types ([SIP 35](https://docs.scala-lang.org/sips/opaque-types.html)), which are ready to be [merged](https://github.com/lampepfl/dotty/pull/4028). We are working on replacing implicit classes with a more natural and intuitive [extension mechanism](https://github.com/lampepfl/dotty/pull/4114). We also expect some important additions in the areas of meta programming, generic programming, and, possibly, effect typing.
+
+_What's the next big step_?
+
+  For the moment, we are still held back by the requirement to cross-compile. To build the `dotc` compiler, we first run it through `scalac` and then let it compile itself. Hence, we cannot use yet any Scala 3 constructs in the `dotc` codebase itself. This situation will change once we bootstrap from a stable Dotty version. Besides letting us "eat our own dog food" this will also make it easier to merge some additions such as support for generic tuples ("HLists").
+
+_When can I try it out_?
+
+  You can start working with Dotty now. See the [getting started guide](http://dotty.epfl.ch/#getting-started). Dotty releases are published every 6 weeks. We expect to have developer previews for Scala 3.0 in the first half of 2019.
+
+_What about macros_?
+
+  Stay tuned! We are about to release another blog post specifically about that issue.
+
+_How can I help_?
+
+  Scala 3 is developed completely in the open at [https://github.com/lampepfl/dotty]. Get involved there by fixing and opening issues, making pull requests, and participating in the discussions.
+