While creating Object, setting values to methods or variable without using def or val keyword - scala

Question

I come from a Java background and as expected, am having problem understanding some patterns used in Scala (see below). Every time I feel that I have a good understanding of Scala patterns or programming methodology, something pops up that is beyond my programming understanding and puts me back in learning mode. I guess that's a beauty of scala that always inspires me to keep learning :)
Anyway I trying to do some sample programming in scala swing.............
val frame = new MainFrame {
title = "Electronic Classroom"
contents = new BorderPanel {
layout += new GridPanel(1, 2) {
contents += new ScrollPane(semesterList)
contents += new ScrollPane(courseList)
} -> West
}
menuBar = new MenuBar {
contents += new Menu("File") {
contents += new MenuItem("Login") {
action = Action("Login"){
login
user match{
case Some(inst:Instructor) => instructorMenu.enabled = true
enabled = false
case Some(_) => instructorMenu.enabled = false
enabled = false
case _ =>
}
}
}
contents += new Separator
contents += new MenuItem(Action("Exit")(sys.exit(0)))
}
}
contents += instructorMenu
}
size = new Dimension(1000, 600)
centerOnScreen
}
Here we are setting values to def and val without using def or val keyword while defining them (like title, size, contents etc) and it's now looking more like a body script which is different that the way we do in java where all the assignments etc takes place in a method body.. I guess I am missing a big design pattern here
Can someone help, abd explain to me the Scala design pattern??

Answer 1

This is actually not very different from Java—instead of creating an instance and then customising it, you are creating anonymous sub classes. E.g.
val frame = new MainFrame {
title = "Electronic Classroom"
}
instead of
val frame = new MainFrame
frame.title = "Electronic Classroom"
The difference to Java is that since Scala doesn't have dedicated constructor methods but treats all expressions within the body of a class part of the constructor, your anonymous sub class kind of "overrides" the constructor.
To compare directly with Java, lets say it wasn't anonymous:
class MyMainFrame extends MainFrame {
title = "Electronic Classroom"
}
In Java, this would be roughly equivalent to:
public class MyMainFrame extends JFrame {
public MyMainFrame() {
super();
setTitle("Electronic Classroom");
}
}
(I hope this is valid Java syntax, I'm a bit rusty)
This is the same case for MenuBar, Menu, MenuItem. Only Action { ... } is not subclassing but calling method apply on the Action companion object, making the syntax a bit more succinct (this way you won't have "constructor" statements, e.g. you couldn't write accelerator = None and so forth).

Answer 2

I subscribe to 0__'s explanation, just wanting to add that if I recall correctly you can do the same in java with
JFrame frame = new JFrame {{
title = "Electronic Classroom";
}};
This should create an anonymous subclass with the additional code appended to the constructor