Abe White and Marc Prud'hommeaux, co-founders of Skip, share their expertise in bridging the iOS and Android ecosystems. They discuss their innovative transpiler that converts Swift to Kotlin, making multi-platform development seamless. Key challenges, like API integration and serialization across platforms, are examined. The duo emphasizes enhancing developer experience by improving tooling support, especially for those transitioning from Xcode to Android Studio. They also touch on the complexities of state management in modern UI frameworks.
Skip Tools provides an innovative solution for iOS developers to efficiently translate Swift code into Kotlin for Android applications.
The founders pivoted from a server-driven UI focus to address the need for effective multi-platform app development amidst rising industry trends.
Skip Tools aims to simplify app development by allowing Swift and Kotlin code to coexist, enhancing productivity while maintaining a single codebase.
Deep dives
Introduction to Skip Tools
Skip Tools offers a novel approach to multi-platform development by allowing developers to write iOS applications using Swift and SwiftUI, which are then translated into Kotlin for Android compatibility. This method not only builds a bridge between iOS and Android development but also caters to the demand for efficiency in creating apps for both platforms without the need for extensive rework. The founders, having experience on both iOS and Android sides, identified a gap and sought to streamline the process of maintaining separate codebases for each platform. This innovative solution aims to enhance developer productivity by offering a cohesive approach to mobile app creation.
Pivot in Product Development
Originally, the Skip Tools team began with the concept of server-driven UI, intending to send down SwiftUI components from the server to mobile apps. However, upon exploring the Android landscape and realizing the potential of leveraging Swift for Android, they pivoted towards creating a product focused on transpiling Swift code into Kotlin. They recognized that the demand for effective multi-platform solutions was rising, and thus prioritized building functionality that would allow for quicker, more efficient, and maintainable app development. This shift also reflects broader industry trends towards cross-platform compatibility and the desire for unified coding practices across iOS and Android.
Target Audience and Market Position
Skip Tools is primarily targeted towards iOS developers who already have experience with Swift and wish to expand their applications to the Android platform efficiently. While the initial user base may lean towards professionals familiar with iOS, the tools are designed to be accessible to all developers aiming to reach both major mobile markets. The product is positioned as a cost-effective solution compared to traditional methods of developing for both platforms independently, which often require additional resources and time. As a newcomer in the multi-platform landscape alongside established tools like Kotlin Multiplatform and React Native, Skip aims to capture interest by providing a user-friendly integration of iOS functionalities into Kotlin.
Integration and Compatibility
Skip Tools integrates seamlessly with existing development environments, translating Swift code and testing frameworks into their Kotlin equivalents. It enables a streamlined workflow where Swift developers can leverage their existing skills to generate Android applications without needing extensive Kotlin knowledge. This method allows for both Swift and Kotlin code to coexist, making it easier to manage a shared codebase while taking advantage of the specific strengths of each language. Through the use of a robust transpiler, developers can maintain a single source of truth, simplifying parallel development for iOS and Android applications.
Future Developments and Community Contribution
With the impending release of the 1.0 version, Skip Tools is focusing on enhancing its framework support and inviting community contributions to tailor the functionalities to the developers' needs. The team plans to continue evolving their offerings by integrating various essential iOS frameworks and soliciting user feedback for improvements. By encouraging external developers to contribute, Skip Tools fosters a collaborative environment aimed at refining the stability and usability of the tools provided. Future updates will likely emphasize expanding library support and enhancing the overall integration with both iOS and Android development ecosystems.
In a slightly unconventional episode, Sebastian and Márton talk to the founders of Skip, an iOS-to-Android, Swift-to-Kotlin transpiler solution. Marc and Abe have a background working on both Apple platforms and the JVM, and their latest project is a bridge across these two ecosystems.
(0:00) Weather (2:02) Introductions (3:10) Elevator pitch (3:45) The initial idea (6:14) Pivot around the server-side (8:35) Skip(.tools) (8:56) The target audience (9:58) What about Android devs? (12:11) The current state (14:57) Pricing and components (16:43) Contributing to SkipUI (18:55) Reimplementing everything (23:07) The Skip stack (26:17) Wrapping JVM types (28:27) Writing Kotlin in Swift?! (29:56) Tooling support (32:02) There’s a Gradle project! (34:39) iOS API coverage (38:24) Platform differences (40:10) Data storage (44:31) Building on JVM libraries (46:42) JSON problems (48:00) Testing the Skip stack (51:42) SwiftUI to Compose (58:21) IDE experiences (1:03:35) Conclusion
Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
Save insights instantly, chat with episodes, and build lasting knowledge - all powered by AI.
