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> I like your answer but want to clarify what I meant with aging well: programming languages such as Rust and Zig are taking the place of C and C++ and ObjC is

by lapcat 2y ago

> I like your answer but want to clarify what I meant with aging well: programming languages such as Rust and Zig are taking the place of C and C++ and ObjC is not growing This is a false dichotomy, because the primary alternative to Objective-C is Swift if you're writing apps for Apple platforms. And if you're not writing apps for Apple platforms, you wouldn't use ObjC or Swift, which are mostly Apple-specific and Apple-controlled.

wslh 2y ago
Your comment seems off-topic. If you review the entire thread, the discussion is focused on the programming language itself, not platform dichotomies. While it’s clear that Swift is the alternative to Objective-C, the discussion here centers on Objective-C as a viable option compared to C/C++, etc, independent of platform considerations.
- lapcat 2y ago
  > If you review the entire thread, the discussion is focused on the programming language itself, not platform dichotomies. This is not true. The OP said, "Around 2010, I started learning Objective-C to be part of the whole native mobile development movement." In other words, the OP learned Objective-C in order to write iPhone apps. As far as I'm aware, there's no ObjC toolchain for Android. > Objective-C as a viable option compared to C/C++, etc, independent of platform considerations. It doesn't make sense to consider ObjC independent of platform considerations.
  - wslh 2y ago
    > It doesn't make sense to consider ObjC independent of platform considerations. It's worth noting that others may view this differently (no Apple pun intended). For example, there are GNU implementations and other alternatives that demonstrate Objective-C implementations beyond Apple’s ecosystem.
  - spacedcowboy 2y ago
    > It doesn't make sense to consider ObjC independent of platform considerations. I don't think that's true. You can code in ObjC on Windows and Linux - it's just nowhere near mainstream on those platforms. Clang is all you need, and the GNUstep project provides the runtime. I have an SDL app up and running in Visual Studio which is written in ObjC - SDL is just doing the rendering. ObjC is not an Apple-created technology, it was invented by Brad Cox and used by NextStep so it became the de-facto language of choice for Apple's frameworks when Next did the reverse-takeover of Apple.
    - lapcat 2y ago
      > it's just nowhere near mainstream on those platforms. That's an understatement. > I have an SDL app up and running in Visual Studio which is written in ObjC What's your background, though? When did you learn ObjC, and why? > ObjC is not an Apple-created technology I know that, but nonetheless its usage outside of Apple development is close to nil.
      - spacedcowboy 2y ago
        I'm not claiming it's popular outside of MacOS. I just think your statement is too strong. It doesn't matter what my background is. It is possible (supported, even, by Microsoft) to create ObjC binaries. They even had (until recently, project seems to be abandoned) a port of Cocoa derived from The Cocotron to make it easier to bring Apple apps over to Windows.
        lapcat 2y ago
        My point is that every extant implementation of Objective-C outside of Apple's own developer tools is inspired by and used by current or former Apple platform developers. Nobody today who was never an Apple platform developer has any interest in Objective-C. And that's why my statement is not too strong. Objective-C developers are a dying breed even within the Apple developer community. I continue to use Objective-C exclusively myself, but I'm a minority.

by lapcat 2y ago

wslh 2y ago

Your comment seems off-topic. If you review the entire thread, the discussion is focused on the programming language itself, not platform dichotomies. While it’s clear that Swift is the alternative to Objective-C, the discussion here centers on Objective-C as a viable option compared to C/C++, etc, independent of platform considerations.

lapcat 2y ago
> If you review the entire thread, the discussion is focused on the programming language itself, not platform dichotomies. This is not true. The OP said, "Around 2010, I started learning Objective-C to be part of the whole native mobile development movement." In other words, the OP learned Objective-C in order to write iPhone apps. As far as I'm aware, there's no ObjC toolchain for Android. > Objective-C as a viable option compared to C/C++, etc, independent of platform considerations. It doesn't make sense to consider ObjC independent of platform considerations.
- wslh 2y ago
  > It doesn't make sense to consider ObjC independent of platform considerations. It's worth noting that others may view this differently (no Apple pun intended). For example, there are GNU implementations and other alternatives that demonstrate Objective-C implementations beyond Apple’s ecosystem.
- spacedcowboy 2y ago
  > It doesn't make sense to consider ObjC independent of platform considerations. I don't think that's true. You can code in ObjC on Windows and Linux - it's just nowhere near mainstream on those platforms. Clang is all you need, and the GNUstep project provides the runtime. I have an SDL app up and running in Visual Studio which is written in ObjC - SDL is just doing the rendering. ObjC is not an Apple-created technology, it was invented by Brad Cox and used by NextStep so it became the de-facto language of choice for Apple's frameworks when Next did the reverse-takeover of Apple.
  - lapcat 2y ago
    > it's just nowhere near mainstream on those platforms. That's an understatement. > I have an SDL app up and running in Visual Studio which is written in ObjC What's your background, though? When did you learn ObjC, and why? > ObjC is not an Apple-created technology I know that, but nonetheless its usage outside of Apple development is close to nil.
    - spacedcowboy 2y ago
      I'm not claiming it's popular outside of MacOS. I just think your statement is too strong. It doesn't matter what my background is. It is possible (supported, even, by Microsoft) to create ObjC binaries. They even had (until recently, project seems to be abandoned) a port of Cocoa derived from The Cocotron to make it easier to bring Apple apps over to Windows.
      - lapcat 2y ago
        My point is that every extant implementation of Objective-C outside of Apple's own developer tools is inspired by and used by current or former Apple platform developers. Nobody today who was never an Apple platform developer has any interest in Objective-C. And that's why my statement is not too strong. Objective-C developers are a dying breed even within the Apple developer community. I continue to use Objective-C exclusively myself, but I'm a minority.