Ben Cohen, Swift Team Manager at Apple, discusses various topics including Swift in native apps, server side development, Swift on Linux and Windows, and bringing Swift to new platforms. The potential reach and popularity of Swift is also explored.
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Quick takeaways
Swift is a versatile language used for native apps, server-side development, and cross-platform applications.
Statsig aims to provide sophisticated tools and workflows to engineers outside big tech companies to drive productivity and better product development.
Swift offers advantages for rewriting and migrating legacy codebases, including memory safety, interoperability, and low ceremony syntax.
Deep dives
Swift: From Apple Apps to Server-Side Development and More
This podcast episode delves into the world of Swift, covering its applications from native apps on iOS and macOS to server-side development with the Swift server workgroup. It also explores the Swift extension for VS Code, the language's role as a safe C and C++ accessor, its availability on Linux and Windows, and the efforts of the browser company Arc Browser in bringing Swift to Windows. The discussion highlights the benefits of Swift in terms of high performance, approachable language, and interoperability with other languages. The episode concludes with insights into the upcoming Swift 6 version, focusing on data race safety.
Statsig: Building a Unified Platform for Feature Flags and Experimentation
This episode features an interview with VJ Raji, CEO and founder of Statsig, a platform that helps companies ship faster and smarter by providing a unified platform for feature flags, experimentation, and analytics. VJ discusses the inception story of Statsig and the motivation behind creating a platform that enables companies to build and ship products quickly, make data-informed decisions, and invest in future improvements. The episode highlights the challenges faced by engineers outside big tech companies who lack access to the same level of sophisticated tools and workflows. Statsig aims to bring the sophistication of tools used at major tech companies to the wider community, driving productivity and better product development.
The Swift Team at Apple: Swift's Journey and Advantages
The interview with Ben Cohen, Swift team manager at Apple, explores the journey of Swift, from its inception to its current capabilities. Ben discusses the versatility of Swift, highlighting its applications in native app development, server-side Swift using frameworks like Vapor and Hummingbird, and Swift's adoption on various platforms, including Mac, Linux, and Windows. The conversation also touches on the unique features of Swift, including its memory safety, ergonomic syntax, and performance optimizations by the Swift optimizer. Additionally, Ben emphasizes the readability and productivity benefits of Swift, making it an attractive choice for developers looking for a high-level language with native performance.
Swift's Potential in Rewriting Legacy Codebases and Migration
The episode delves into the potential of Swift in rewriting and migrating legacy codebases. It highlights the challenges faced by companies using older languages like C or C++ and the need to move to safer and more productive options. The discussion emphasizes the advantages of Swift, such as its memory safety, interoperability with existing codebases, and low ceremony syntax. Swift's ability to integrate seamlessly with C and C++, as well as its support for Objective-C frameworks, provides a smooth migration path for companies seeking to modernize their codebases with reduced risk. The podcast encourages businesses to consider Swift as a viable option for rewriting and migrating legacy codebases.
The Future of Swift and its Applications
The episode concludes by discussing the future of Swift and its potential applications. It highlights the importance of data race safety and the upcoming Swift 6 version, which aims to introduce default data race safety and prevent data race issues in concurrent code. The conversation also explores how Swift can be a performant, safe, and user-friendly alternative to other languages like Rust in the context of modern coding challenges. Moreover, the episode touches upon Swift's expansion to gaming engines, such as the proposal to include Swift as a language choice for the Godot engine, showcasing the widespread adoption and versatility of Swift in various domains.
This week we’re talking about Swift with Ben Cohen, the Swift Team Manager at Apple. We caught up with Ben while at KubeCon last week. Ben takes us into the world of Swift, from Apple Native apps on iOS and macOS, to the Swift Server Workgroup for developing and deploying server side applications, to the Swift extension for VS Code, Swift as a safe C/C++ successor language, Swift on Linux and Windows, and of course what The Browser Company’s Arc browser is doing to bring Arc to Windows.
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