6 ms·

Swift is coming to PaintCode

48 points by melancton 12y ago

Void_ 12y ago
Hm, PaintCode is nice, but I think I'd prefer a library that would let me import SVG files.
- CodeWithCoffee 12y ago
  Furthermore, Apple did bring up a slide during the Platform State of the Uniform (slide 56 in the PDF) saying source compatibility wouldn't be guaranteed (but that converters would be provided) because the language will evolve. I can't imagine that they'll introduce dramatic changes that will break code generated by PaintCode, but it would be a pain if you have to completely regenerate your all rendering code with each update to Xcode/Swift.
  - Someone 12y ago
    I haven't listened to that presentation or read the PDF, but from what I read about it I would bet that 'evolve' refers more to the time until the official release than to the time after that. Of course the language will evolve, but it will be slower and shouldn't do so in incompatible ways. Until official release, though, Apple may make huge breaking changes (change keywords, tweak the grammar, maybe drop a feature or two. For example, do we really need trap on overflow for integers in what, in the end, is a compiled language?)
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
prezjordan 12y ago
So, how on earth did they get this out that quickly?
- mantrax5 12y ago
  Let's say that this thing in their pocket was indeed them being happy to see an Objective-C replacement. On a more serious note, Apple has a practice of cooperating with a small selection of developers (who sign a bunch of scary NDA's) when testing new technologies.
  - brandonbloom 12y ago
    It's certainly the case that some folks get early access, I don't really think that was necessary to make this happen so quickly. I'm not saying they didn't have early access, just that they... 1) already had a code generator for Objective-C 2) already had infrastructure for alternate code generators (they also support C#) 3) Swift and Objective-C share the same libraries and have similar semantics where it counts 4) Writing code generators isn't really all that difficult It's perfectly believable that they banged out enough of a first-cut at this to make an announcement within a day or two of the Swift release.
    - mantrax5 12y ago
      Of course. You know Swift is just so natural to both Objective-C, Java, Scala, C# etc. devs already, and so much simpler than Objective-C, I have the feeling we'll see the fastest adoption of a brand new language in the history of computing here.
- pavlov 12y ago
  The code generator for PaintCode is probably fairly small -- all the complexity of the app is in the beautiful UI. The graphics code they generate is mostly just using these CGContext APIs: https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/GraphicsImaging/Reference/CGContext/Reference/reference.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP30000950 https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/Graphi... Mapping to the Swift counterparts should be straightforward.
Meai 12y ago
Is there any info on whether Swift can be used on Linux / be embedded?
- Jtsummers 12y ago
  At present the only known implementation is paired with Xcode 6 and runs on OS X only. We'll have to see if Apple open sources their front end implementation (that runs atop LLVM). If they do then it'd probably be reasonably straightforward to retarget it for other operating systems where LLVM is supported, if there's a run time to pair it with (like GnuStep).
- bnycum 12y ago
  Looks like Swift will be open source from a few tweets. I imagined as much with Apple's work on LLVM. Though the big issue is like Objective-C, it's near worthless without Cocoa and all the stuff Apple keeps closed. https://twitter.com/mxweas/status/474581160454942721 https://twitter.com/mxweas/status/474581160454942721
endergen 12y ago
I wonder if the generated code will be visualized when using Playgrounds. Anyone know? I haven't tried rendering code yet in Playgrounds. I emailed Paintcode asking this same question. Will post if I get a response.
- MaxGabriel 12y ago
  The Platforms State of the Union at WWDC did bezier path drawing, so I'd say yes.
kodablah 12y ago
Considering that Apple basically requires an xcode/objc project to deploy iOS apps, I believe Swift will become a popular cross-compiler target especially for GC'd languages. I wouldn't be surprised to hear similar news from RoboVM, MonoTouch, RubyMotion, etc in the coming months.
- pjmlp 12y ago
  Why bother? They already produce machine code.

48 points by melancton 12y ago

Void_ 12y ago

Hm, PaintCode is nice, but I think I'd prefer a library that would let me import SVG files.

CodeWithCoffee 12y ago
Furthermore, Apple did bring up a slide during the Platform State of the Uniform (slide 56 in the PDF) saying source compatibility wouldn't be guaranteed (but that converters would be provided) because the language will evolve. I can't imagine that they'll introduce dramatic changes that will break code generated by PaintCode, but it would be a pain if you have to completely regenerate your all rendering code with each update to Xcode/Swift.
- Someone 12y ago
  I haven't listened to that presentation or read the PDF, but from what I read about it I would bet that 'evolve' refers more to the time until the official release than to the time after that. Of course the language will evolve, but it will be slower and shouldn't do so in incompatible ways. Until official release, though, Apple may make huge breaking changes (change keywords, tweak the grammar, maybe drop a feature or two. For example, do we really need trap on overflow for integers in what, in the end, is a compiled language?)
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]

prezjordan 12y ago

So, how on earth did they get this out that quickly?

mantrax5 12y ago
Let's say that this thing in their pocket was indeed them being happy to see an Objective-C replacement. On a more serious note, Apple has a practice of cooperating with a small selection of developers (who sign a bunch of scary NDA's) when testing new technologies.
- brandonbloom 12y ago
  It's certainly the case that some folks get early access, I don't really think that was necessary to make this happen so quickly. I'm not saying they didn't have early access, just that they... 1) already had a code generator for Objective-C 2) already had infrastructure for alternate code generators (they also support C#) 3) Swift and Objective-C share the same libraries and have similar semantics where it counts 4) Writing code generators isn't really all that difficult It's perfectly believable that they banged out enough of a first-cut at this to make an announcement within a day or two of the Swift release.
  - mantrax5 12y ago
    Of course. You know Swift is just so natural to both Objective-C, Java, Scala, C# etc. devs already, and so much simpler than Objective-C, I have the feeling we'll see the fastest adoption of a brand new language in the history of computing here.
pavlov 12y ago
The code generator for PaintCode is probably fairly small -- all the complexity of the app is in the beautiful UI. The graphics code they generate is mostly just using these CGContext APIs: https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/GraphicsImaging/Reference/CGContext/Reference/reference.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP30000950 https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/Graphi... Mapping to the Swift counterparts should be straightforward.

Meai 12y ago

Is there any info on whether Swift can be used on Linux / be embedded?

Jtsummers 12y ago
At present the only known implementation is paired with Xcode 6 and runs on OS X only. We'll have to see if Apple open sources their front end implementation (that runs atop LLVM). If they do then it'd probably be reasonably straightforward to retarget it for other operating systems where LLVM is supported, if there's a run time to pair it with (like GnuStep).
bnycum 12y ago
Looks like Swift will be open source from a few tweets. I imagined as much with Apple's work on LLVM. Though the big issue is like Objective-C, it's near worthless without Cocoa and all the stuff Apple keeps closed. https://twitter.com/mxweas/status/474581160454942721 https://twitter.com/mxweas/status/474581160454942721

endergen 12y ago

I wonder if the generated code will be visualized when using Playgrounds. Anyone know? I haven't tried rendering code yet in Playgrounds. I emailed Paintcode asking this same question. Will post if I get a response.

MaxGabriel 12y ago
The Platforms State of the Union at WWDC did bezier path drawing, so I'd say yes.

kodablah 12y ago

Considering that Apple basically requires an xcode/objc project to deploy iOS apps, I believe Swift will become a popular cross-compiler target especially for GC'd languages. I wouldn't be surprised to hear similar news from RoboVM, MonoTouch, RubyMotion, etc in the coming months.

pjmlp 12y ago
Why bother? They already produce machine code.