Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple Invites Some Developers to Try Swift Playgrounds 4 Ahead of Launch

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
68,108
38,863


Apple is working on an updated version of its Swift Playgrounds app, which is an educational tool designed to teach children and adults alike how to use the Swift programming language that first launched in 2016.

swift-banner.jpg

The new version of Swift Playgrounds was first announced at the June Worldwide Developers Conference, and now Apple is allowing some developers to test it out in a beta capacity ahead of launch.

Developers who have been invited have been required to sign a non-disclosure agreement to get access, but one developer shared screenshots and details with 9to5Mac, giving us a quick inside look at the app.

swift-playgrounds-1.jpg

With Swift Playgrounds 4, developers will be able to submit their projects designed with the software directly to the App Store, allowing for app creation on the iPad. There will be a simple, easy to use interface for submitting an app to App Store Connect without the need for Xcode on Mac.

The app will allow those learning code to preview and see changes in real time as they type, as described by 9to5Mac:
Swift Playgrounds 4 also lets users preview and see changes in real time as they type. Live editing also works when the developer shares the project with someone else via iCloud Drive, so multiple people can work on the same project at the same time. Users can even test the app in full screen, explore SwiftUI controls, search across all files in a project, use quick inline code suggestions, and easily switch between Swift Playgrounds and Xcode (or vice versa).
Click to expand...
There are also quick access options for setting app parameters and getting an app up on the store with little hassle. App creators can, for example, use a ready-made icon by choosing a color and an icon, or uploading a custom icon that gets automatically sized.

swift-playgrounds-2.jpg

Right now, some of the Swift Playgrounds 4 features require iPadOS 15.2, so there's a possibility that we could see Swift Playgrounds 4 released as soon as iPadOS 15.2 launches. There's no word yet on when we can expect iPadOS 15.2, but Apple will likely debut it prior to the end of the year.

Article Link: Apple Invites Some Developers to Try Swift Playgrounds 4 Ahead of Launch
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/11/29/swift-playgrounds-4-beta-test/
  • Like
Reactions: Solomani and amartinez1660
From the Verge article
But Swift Playgrounds 4 is the first iteration of Swift Playgrounds that could function as a standalone developer tool. There are some new features that will make the process of building apps easier. Notably, you can view a live preview of the app you’re building on the side of your screen as you’re working on it, which changes when you change your code. You can run the app full-screen to test it as well. But the biggest news is: not only can you create apps in Swift Playgrounds 4, but when the update is available later this year, you’ll be able to submit them to the App Store directly from within Swift Playgrounds. This is a big deal because it allows developers to bypass the long, involved process that’s currently required to distribute software. Apps for the Apple ecosystem are not currently built in Swift Playgrounds or anything nearly as fun and colorful; they’re largely built and distributed in Xcode, a massive and complicated application that only runs on Macs. It’s famously difficult to learn.
Click to expand...

That sounds great for people wanting to develop on a iPad rather then just use Xcode via a Mac.
 
My seven year old daughter started using Swift Playgrounds the other day and really likes it so far. Looking forward to her first app! It's good to teach this at a young age because then it becomes second nature, like learning multiple foreign languages and becoming fluent in them. The mind is an incredible thing at this age.
 
  • Like
Reactions: philryan, kurai, SFjohn and 8 others
Does anyone know if playground 4 will support exporting your code as a standalone app for local use?
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: ArtOfWarfare
I don't see myself coding on an iPad much (though the implementation is really cool), but I'm hoping the apparent streamlining of the publishing process filters back down to Xcode at some point.
 
BWhaler said:
Swift playgrounds is a great app. Oddly powerful and a fantastic teacher.
Click to expand...
I agree. I took 30 years off from coding but have wanted to get back into it. I have been working my way through the SP lessons and they are fun even at my old age.

My only concern is it does not seem to help you do things the "right" way although that likely comes later as they introduce more instructions and methods.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BWhaler
I started playing around with SP a couple of years ago, but stopped for any number of not great reasons. This article reminded me of how much fun it was learning, even as a 50-something non-programmer adult. I think I’ll start back up again at night and see what I can learn.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kurai
Playgrounds has been usable for scripting for quite a while. If there was something coming along to replace AppleScript this would be my bet, although you would only be replacing one arcane, confusing language with another.
 
  • Like
Reactions: IllinoisCorn
GeoStructural said:
I do like Swift Playgrounds, but I just wish Apple would bring XCode to iPad, in particular M1 iPad Pros, they are powerful enough and expensive machines supposedly for professional use. The same with Final Cut Pro, I would love an iPad version.
Click to expand...
Yep. Been wanting Xcode on the iPad since the launch of the iPad Pro. I think we're heading that direction, or at least I hope.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kurai, BulkSlash and GeoStructural
Glad this will still come out. I looked for it when iPadOS 15 came out and when I didn't see it, I just figured Apple was going to brush it under the rug and pretend it never was mentioned at WWDC.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AdonisSMU
xkam1x said:
Does anyone know if playground 4 will support exporting your code as a standalone app for local use?
Click to expand...
If it does, this would facilitate getting iOS apps from anywhere, would it not?

We might actually see good apps on iOS without having to jailbreak for the first time. That'll be a pretty big deal.
 
GeoStructural said:
I do like Swift Playgrounds, but I just wish Apple would bring XCode to iPad, in particular M1 iPad Pros, they are powerful enough and expensive machines supposedly for professional use. The same with Final Cut Pro, I would love an iPad version.
Click to expand...
Top it up with Logic Pro and we can live happily ever after. Can you hear it? What is it? Oh no, the angry Aperture crowd with pitchforks. Run to the hiiiiiiiiiiiiills !

Disclaimer.
This comment might have been over-dramatized.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: kurai, kostthem, GeoStructural and 1 other person
ArtOfWarfare said:
If it does, this would facilitate getting iOS apps from anywhere, would it not?

We might actually see good apps on iOS without having to jailbreak for the first time. That'll be a pretty big deal.
Click to expand...
It sure will but I’m sure apple will limit its functionality at start which they should! With time this could open iPad as a coding tool. I probably won’t use it for anything serious since it is far behind Xcode.
 
GeoStructural said:
I do like Swift Playgrounds, but I just wish Apple would bring XCode to iPad, in particular M1 iPad Pros, they are powerful enough and expensive machines supposedly for professional use. The same with Final Cut Pro, I would love an iPad version.
Click to expand...
Apple is literally trying very hard to reinvent their existing wheels so that things could be forced to be “Apple way”. I won’t be surprised for apple to retire Xcode at one point and slowly but surely push people into coding in swift playground.
 
  • Like
Reactions: IllinoisCorn, GeoStructural and Samurai
So it seems that apple wants people to develop apps that are well confined within iOS environment and creep those limitations into macOS sooner than later. It is limited to iPadOS according to the article but I can’t stop to imagine the possibility for them to retire Xcode a few years later.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back