So let’s get into what you all thought on Apple platform growth. I’ll begin with a number of distinguished themes: SwiftUI, AI, and enhancements to Xcode.
AI is an apparent one today, however it’s clear that it means various things to completely different folks. Some wished for enhancements to Xcode 16’s AI code completion, whereas others wished for higher integration APIs so customers can entry app-specific information by way of pure language. Some even wished for enhancements to CreateML, which is a simple framework to overlook when every thing you examine is so dominated by LLM information. It’s clear that AI is on all of your minds, although.
Persons are additionally clearly wishing for continued enhancements to SwiftUI, however appeared to principally be pleased to take no matter Apple deems to bless us with on this space subsequent yr as there have been just a few particular strategies.
It was the identical for Xcode, too. Enhancements to the standard and efficiency of Xcode was in all probability the commonest “want” that I noticed within the outcomes, however once more there have been only a few specifics. I hear this yearly and it typically looks like I’m utilizing a special Xcode to everybody else. It’s not at all excellent, however my expertise with it appears nowhere close to as dangerous as different folks’s. I do want the phantom errors would go away, although. 👻
Lastly, I need to contact on a few particular feedback. First, Siamak (Ash) Ashrafi on how he has seen iOS and Android growth swap locations in the case of steerage on app structure. Apple used to firmly encourage an MVC method, however that has gone today. Whereas, Android:
Within the early days, Android builders confronted an absence of steerage on app structure. With no greatest practices offered, each developer carried out their very own method, resulting in fragmented use of languages, instruments, and design rules. This inconsistency resulted in lots of poorly designed apps on the Play Retailer, and sadly, the blame usually fell on Android itself somewhat than the person apps — customers merely stated, “Android sucks.” Fortuitously, Google now provides clear pointers and greatest practices, serving to builders create sturdy, constant, and high-quality Android apps.
He supplied a hyperlink to Google’s Information to app structure and I loved studying it. I believed I agreed with Apple’s latest stance of being fully structure agnostic, particularly in the case of SwiftUI code. It’s onerous to present generic recommendation about app structure, however this information does a fantastic job. They’ve an entire studying pathway on the topic, too.
The subject of documentation got here up a number of instances, too. Whereas there wasn’t something significantly new stated, the identical outdated factors stay. James Clarke :
Bettering API documentation for Apple APIs giving utilization examples.
It’s that final half about “examples” that comes up again and again, and I’m assured it’s why blogs that take an Apple API and add code examples of utilizing it achieve this nicely.
Additionally, from Daniel Steinberg:
Convey again the outdated Programming Guides. There are huge subjects that want these overviews and never API by API docs
I miss them too, Daniel! I perceive what Apple is attempting to do with including articles in and across the API documentation, and people articles are nice! Nonetheless, as a lot as Apple may intend them to interchange the outdated programming guides, they don’t do it nicely sufficient. I perceive that the “guide model” format will need to have been extra work to take care of than shorter articles are, however I miss the best way they guided you thru a subject.
Lastly, bless Marius Felkner for echoing my latest take by hoping for:
Opinionated stuff (Swift Format Guidelines and many others)
It was a captivating look at what you all suppose, and I hope you discovered the outcomes fascinating! Thanks for studying.
Dave Verwer
