Welcome to Scala version 2.10.3 (Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM, Java 1.7.0_25). Type in expressions to have them evaluated. Type :help for more information. scala> val map0 = Map.empty[Int, Int] withDefaultValue 0 map0: scala.collection.immutable.Map[Int,Int] = Map() scala> val map1 = map0 mapValues(identity) map1: scala.collection.immutable.Map[Int,Int] = Map() scala> map1(1) java.util.NoSuchElementException: key not found: 1 at scala.collection.MapLike$class.default(MapLike.scala:228) at scala.collection.AbstractMap.default(Map.scala:58) at scala.collection.MapLike$class.apply(MapLike.scala:141) at scala.collection.AbstractMap.apply(Map.scala:58) at .(:10) at .() at .(:7) at .() at $print() at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57) at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43) at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:606) at scala.tools.nsc.interpreter.IMain$ReadEvalPrint.call(IMain.scala:734) at scala.tools.nsc.interpreter.IMain$Request.loadAndRun(IMain.scala:983) at scala.tools.nsc.interpreter.IMain.loadAndRunReq$1(IMain.scala:573) at scala.tools.nsc.interpreter.IMain.interpret(IMain.scala:604) at scala.tools.nsc.interpreter.IMain.interpret(IMain.scala:568) at scala.tools.nsc.interpreter.ILoop.reallyInterpret$1(ILoop.scala:756) at scala.tools.nsc.interpreter.ILoop.interpretStartingWith(ILoop.scala:801) at scala.tools.nsc.interpreter.ILoop.command(ILoop.scala:713) at scala.tools.nsc.interpreter.ILoop.processLine$1(ILoop.scala:577) at scala.tools.nsc.interpreter.ILoop.innerLoop$1(ILoop.scala:584) at scala.tools.nsc.interpreter.ILoop.loop(ILoop.scala:587) at scala.tools.nsc.interpreter.ILoop$$anonfun$process$1.apply$mcZ$sp(ILoop.scala:878) at scala.tools.nsc.interpreter.ILoop$$anonfun$process$1.apply(ILoop.scala:833) at scala.tools.nsc.interpreter.ILoop$$anonfun$process$1.apply(ILoop.scala:833) at scala.tools.nsc.util.ScalaClassLoader$.savingContextLoader(ScalaClassLoader.scala:135) at scala.tools.nsc.interpreter.ILoop.process(ILoop.scala:833) at scala.tools.nsc.MainGenericRunner.runTarget$1(MainGenericRunner.scala:83) at scala.tools.nsc.MainGenericRunner.process(MainGenericRunner.scala:96) at scala.tools.nsc.MainGenericRunner$.main(MainGenericRunner.scala:105) at scala.tools.nsc.MainGenericRunner.main(MainGenericRunner.scala)