Apple’s easy to code application on the iPad Swift Playgrounds is now available on the Mac. The company released the app for iPad back in 2016 as an effort to teach Swift to students and offer a more interactive and visual interface of the code. By bringing the app to Mac, it will become easier for Mac users to try out the fun elements of Swift.
Swift Playground was previously available on the Mac but it required Xcode to be installed. Xcode is a developer’s app and it requires some level of expertise. However, by spinning Swift Playground into a separate app, Apple is opening the doors to a lot of users.
iPad port using the Catalyst project
Apple has used its Catalyst technology for the Mac to port the iPad app to the desktop platform. The company is working hard to bring more apps to the Mac as part of its efforts to bring both the mobile and desktop platforms together. However, Apple has pledged (for time being) to not combine both the platforms like its competitors (Microsoft Windows).
The Catalyst technology was made to help developers to port their iPad apps to the Mac. Swift Playgrounds is made using the same, however Apple adds that the app was made keeping in mind the design of Mac apps.
Swift Playgrounds requires no coding knowledge, so it’s perfect for students just starting out, from twelve to one-hundred-and-twelve. The whole time you are learning Swift, a powerful programming language created by Apple and used by professionals to build many of today’s most popular apps. Code you write works seamlessly as you move between Mac and iPad.
The Swift Playgrounds app has Apple’s collection of lessons with an aim to teach programming using puzzles and interactive 3D content. In Apple’s own words, Swift Playgrounds allows people to “learn the same powerful Swift programming language used by the pros to create thousands of apps.”
