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'Swift' Programming Language in Development for Four Years, "Major Focus" Since 2013
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Well it's interesting. It also seems that all of Apple's frameworks are still written in Objective-C/C but have been made bridgeable with Swift.
I'd like to know how it performs compared to C. Since that's what most of Foundation is written in and other lower level frameworks for performance reasons.
Some things in swift are a pure delight to hear about and I look forward to actually being able to use it properly in a few months. For now I'll have to stick to Objective-C since they aren't letting Swift into the App Store yet.
I'd like to know how it performs compared to C. Since that's what most of Foundation is written in and other lower level frameworks for performance reasons.
Some things in swift are a pure delight to hear about and I look forward to actually being able to use it properly in a few months. For now I'll have to stick to Objective-C since they aren't letting Swift into the App Store yet.
I started reading and wanted to code as I read to get a good feel for it but Xcode beta is a pain in the butt. Its slow, playground isn't workign for me and all around not worth trying. So untill it gets better ill have to wait 🙁
I'd say that's a bit of a stretch, it's hardly a beginners guide to programming, but I doubt that was the intention.
kalsta
macrumors 68000
I had similar thoughts when I first saw it. It almost looks to be going down in flames—which I'm sure isn't what Apple had in mind!!
Very true!
mpainesyd
macrumors 6502a
Applescript was (is) the same. The best Applescript learning guides were written by third party authors.
The snakes and ladders code examples in the Swift iBook look useful for getting my head around arrays.
As someone that doesn't know how to program, I've been constantly told that programming teaches you a 'different way to think'. Naturally, the idea of creating Mac and iOS apps seems appealing.
I'd like to know if Swift is a good first computer language, or if it's too early to say. I've also heard Ruby (or maybe it was Ruby on Rails?) is a good first language.
But I guess what I'm asking is, would any programmers recommend this as a good starting point?
I'd like to know if Swift is a good first computer language, or if it's too early to say. I've also heard Ruby (or maybe it was Ruby on Rails?) is a good first language.
But I guess what I'm asking is, would any programmers recommend this as a good starting point?
kalsta
macrumors 68000
Agreed. For anyone completely new to programming and keen to give it a go, I can highly recommend Learn to Program by Chris Pine, which is both an introduction to programming, and a Ruby tutorial. You can buy the book, or do an older version of the tutorial online for free.
There are also interactive online tutorials which allow you to write and test your code directly in your browser:
http://tryruby.org
http://www.codecademy.com/tracks/ruby
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Oh hell you rich kids got to use dirt and string in the '80s? Us poor kids were still punching cards!
HMI
Contributor
That's exactly what I thought as well! I'm glad I'm not the only one who had that impression!
Although, this might be a great picture to use the next time wall-street or the mainstream media predicts Apple's "doom." 😛
OtherJesus
macrumors 6502
If you think Swift is great, wait till you see the new language from samsung. They started working on it one day before Apple started working on Swift.
It's gonna totally change the industry.
It's gonna totally change the industry.
kalsta
macrumors 68000
Starship77
macrumors regular
SwiftLives
macrumors 65816
achtung!
macrumors regular
I've yet to see a swift either crash or burn, so I didn't get either impression. On the other hand, if they'd called it Phoenix...
For what it's worth, I find the diving swift to be much more evocative than a climbing swift would be. Diving is when a swift is truly swift.
Choice of color? Hot colors evoke dynamism. If they'd gone for true coloration, the bird would have been gray/black, and the background sky blue. Ho hum!
And though I doubt it's at all intentional, swifts eat bugs.
There's a big book about it on iBooks. Plowing through it, and it seems straightforward enough. It's amusing to see how language design decisions map down to what/how clang/llvm does for optimization.
For those who care, it's worth watching the previous clang/llvm WWDC sessions (they're on iTunes U/dev.apple.com).
llvm and its ilk has come a long way from being a generally retargatable VM.
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Swift would be fine, especially if playgrounds actually work.
There's a lot more to programming than the language, though. There's how you hook everything together, which is totally different than actual programming.
What needs to happen, really, is someone needs to come out with a Hypercard/VB like structure/framework so you can just type swift code into stuff and it'll just work.
mrxak
macrumors 68000
Well, certainly not yet. It's possible some computer science departments around the world are scrambling to get a curriculum going, but I doubt you'll see any classes on Swift for at least a year or two. If I were you, I'd wait six months and see what books start coming out. In the meantime, you should go learn another language. The more you know, the easier it is to pick up a new one, and when you do start learning Swift you won't be so overwhelmed with everything being new.
Off course not. Because they've updated that course with the latest info every year for five years now means they will stop doing that and start teaching obsolete info. /s
Seriously, where do you get these ideas?