[HN Gopher] Swiftly 1.0
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Swiftly 1.0
Author : todsacerdoti
Score : 75 points
Date : 2025-03-28 20:29 UTC (2 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (swift.org)
(TXT) w3m dump (swift.org)
| zero0529 wrote:
| So is this like UV for swift or what is the gain here or can I
| ditch Xcode and use this instead?
| nindalf wrote:
| It's like rustup or nvm (node version manager) for Swift.
| Swiftly installs Swift. If all you needed Xcode for was to
| install Swift then yes, you can replace Xcode with swiftly.
| jagged-chisel wrote:
| Keep in mind, however, that there seems to be an intentional
| handicap if you're on an older version of macOS: you can't
| install the latest Swift.
|
| I have an Intel-based MacBook Pro that doesn't update beyond
| macOS 13, and it runs neither Xcode 16 nor Swift 6.
| Presumably, one might be able to build Swift 6 from source.
| My workaround is containers.
| throwaway48476 wrote:
| Apple is even more egregious than windows 10 years of
| support. As computers aren't getting faster at the same
| rate as before companies are forcing obsolescence more.
| pccole wrote:
| no, its similar to pyenv, its for installing, updating,
| managing swift lang versions.
| sidkshatriya wrote:
| What happened to Swift ? I used to hear so much about it -- now
| not so much. Maybe I'm in my echo chamber ?
| pjmlp wrote:
| Mostly likely your echo chamber is outside Apple developer
| ecosystem?
|
| Swift is doing great.
| jtrueb wrote:
| ??? Swift is terrible right now. Language features
| conflicting, async story migrating, compile issues horrific
| and IDE support in its infancy.
| jmull wrote:
| I haven't noticed particular issues.
|
| I would hardly say perfect, but it's regular headaches.
| jtrueb wrote:
| How many years old is your swift codebase?
| K0nserv wrote:
| Steve Klabnik talked about how he and rest of the early Rust team
| recognised the importance of tools like this on a recent Oxide
| and Friends episode[0], it's well worth a listen.
|
| I think this is a positive sign for Swift and Apple's continued
| push to increase it's viability as a general purposes language
| outside of Apple's ecosystems. It's still early, but
| directionally it's promising.
|
| 0: https://oxide-and-friends.transistor.fm/episodes/a-happy-
| day...
| ein0p wrote:
| I know a number of people at Apple, some of them pretty high
| up. The long and short of it is, Apple doesn't really give a
| shit about the world outside its ecosystem. It will
| interoperate when it has to (e.g. wifi, bluetooth, web
| standards) but if an effort does not help with selling Apple
| hardware, that effort will not get headcount or funding. So
| whatever multiplatform efforts you are seeing happen in spite
| of, not thanks to, Apple's stance.
| K0nserv wrote:
| I don't doubt that, but someone is definitely trying.
|
| For example they moved Swift out of the Apple GitHub org and
| the announcement blog post[0] calls out Swift's use outside
| Apple's ecosystems.
|
| Their blog archives has more posts that I read as a focus on
| improving Swift outside the Apple ecosystem, some examples:
|
| * Updating the Visual Studio Code extension for Swift[1]
|
| * Introducing Oblivious HTTP support in Swift[2]
|
| * How Swift's server support powers Things Cloud[3]
|
| I can see arguments for how wider adoption of Swift outside
| of Apple, and especially in the server ecosystem, helps
| Apple. In particular, lots of apps are being written using
| React Native and Flutter and at least one hurdle there is
| that Swift lacks developer mindshare.
|
| 0: https://www.swift.org/blog/swiftlang-github/
|
| 1: https://www.swift.org/blog/the-next-chapter-in-swift-
| build-t...
|
| 2: https://www.swift.org/blog/introducing-swift-nio-
| oblivious-h...
|
| 3: https://www.swift.org/blog/how-swifts-server-support-
| powers-...
| no_wizard wrote:
| More or less this, with some able to produce a few community
| nuggets, but it will take another vendor (and IBM tried at
| some point) to push Swift into actuality as a true cross
| platform language.
|
| In another world, maybe instead of Java / Kotlin Google would
| have pivoted onto Swift as a language for mobile, closing the
| gap between the platforms a bit.
| kamil55555 wrote:
| I wish using Swift for development outside Apple world would be
| feasible.
| danpalmer wrote:
| I've been using it for a hobby project targeting a Linux server
| deployment. It's good, and I don't think the Apple ties are
| what's holding it back now, I think it's a relative lack of
| good frameworks and libraries. What's there is often excellent
| quality, but it's still a bit hit and miss even for common
| library use cases.
|
| I often think about what my day-1 stack would be for a new
| company. Swift would be on the table as an option.
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