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In Scala, a higher-order function refers to a function that can accept other functions as parameters and/or return a function as a result. Higher-order functions are an important concept in functional programming. They allow functions to be passed and manipulated like other values, making the code more flexible, concise and reusable.
When we talk about higher-order functions, there are three types involved: higher-order functions that accept functions as arguments, higher-order functions that return functions, and higher-order functions that use function literals. Let’s take a closer look at each type:
1. Higher-order functions that accept functions as parameters
A higher-order function that accepts a function as a parameter is a function whose parameter list contains one or more parameters of function type. Such higher-order functions can implement complex functionality by applying passed functions to other values.
Example:
def processList(list: List[