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Swift looks fine, the only thing I don't like its that is for Apple only products... that kinda defeats the purpose of having a programming language.

unfamiliar 12y ago
You can write code for non-apple products, its just that the libraries are lacking. I don't see how this defeats "the purpose of a programming language".
mnem 12y ago
Good luck compiling Objective-C on Windows :)
- mdellabitta 12y ago
  Pretty sure you can compile Objective-C on Windows, since gcc supports it, and OpenStep worked on Windows. It's Apple's libraries you don't get on Windows.
- matthewmacleod 12y ago
  Here you go: http://www.gnustep.org/experience/Windows.html http://www.gnustep.org/experience/Windows.html
  - mnem 12y ago
    Ye-es, except: "Apple has recently added new functionality to their runtime, including built-in exception handling, etc. Hopefully these will be ported to the GNU runtime in the future." My general point is that programming languages don't have to be cross platform to be useful. Certainly handy from a developer's point of view, but just a convenience.
craigching 12y ago
> Swift looks fine, the only thing I don't like its that is for Apple only products... that kinda defeats the purpose of having a programming language. Tell that to Microsoft ;)
- prakashk 12y ago
  Apple is the new Microsoft.
chipotle_coyote 12y ago
There are many programming languages that in practice tend to be locked to one platform or another. C# isn't only on Windows and Objective-C isn't only on iOS, but very few people learn either of those languages with the expectation of "write once, run anywhere." (I've found that generally people who use C# on other platforms do so because they already know C# and don't want to learn something else.) On principle I'd like to see Apple put Swift under a free software license of some kind and ideally make a cross-platform reference implementation, but realistically, even if they do that it's unlikely to ever get wide use anywhere but Apple products.
hellbreakslose 12y ago
apple fanboys keep downvoting!

unfamiliar 12y ago

You can write code for non-apple products, its just that the libraries are lacking. I don't see how this defeats "the purpose of a programming language".

mnem 12y ago

Good luck compiling Objective-C on Windows :)

mdellabitta 12y ago
Pretty sure you can compile Objective-C on Windows, since gcc supports it, and OpenStep worked on Windows. It's Apple's libraries you don't get on Windows.
matthewmacleod 12y ago
Here you go: http://www.gnustep.org/experience/Windows.html http://www.gnustep.org/experience/Windows.html
- mnem 12y ago
  Ye-es, except: "Apple has recently added new functionality to their runtime, including built-in exception handling, etc. Hopefully these will be ported to the GNU runtime in the future." My general point is that programming languages don't have to be cross platform to be useful. Certainly handy from a developer's point of view, but just a convenience.

craigching 12y ago

> Swift looks fine, the only thing I don't like its that is for Apple only products... that kinda defeats the purpose of having a programming language. Tell that to Microsoft ;)

prakashk 12y ago
Apple is the new Microsoft.

chipotle_coyote 12y ago

There are many programming languages that in practice tend to be locked to one platform or another. C# isn't only on Windows and Objective-C isn't only on iOS, but very few people learn either of those languages with the expectation of "write once, run anywhere." (I've found that generally people who use C# on other platforms do so because they already know C# and don't want to learn something else.) On principle I'd like to see Apple put Swift under a free software license of some kind and ideally make a cross-platform reference implementation, but realistically, even if they do that it's unlikely to ever get wide use anywhere but Apple products.

hellbreakslose 12y ago

apple fanboys keep downvoting!