The Julia Environment

In this chapter, we will explore all you need to get started on Julia. Julia is a high-level, high-performance, dynamic programming language that focuses mainly on technical computing. Its primary feature is that, although it’s a scripting language, the code is compiled using low-level virtual machine (LLVM). This compilation creates code that corresponds to the underlying hardware/operating system and runs at similar speeds to other compiled languages, such as C/C++ and Fortran.

The chapter will cover the following main topics:

• Acquiring and installing Julia
• The philosophy behind Julia and comparison with other programming languages
• Developing code using the REPL, code editors, and IDEs
• Use of the package management system
• Some simple coding in Julia
• A quick look at some graphics

By the end of this chapter, you should have a grasp of the basics of Julia. All the topics introduced are covered in more detail in the later...