Apple has announced that Swift will soon become open source as part of its Swift 2.0 release.
For those unaware, Swift is Apple’s own programming language designed to create apps, launched in June last year. It’s since seen staggering uptake and met critical acclaim across the board.
Swift becoming open source means developers will have access to the code beneath the code, and can contribute to the platform.
It’s similar to how Google’s Android is open source, which allows developers and manufacturers to produce alternate versions of Android with different perks.
Speaking at Apple’s annual WWDC developer conference, VP of software Craig Federighi said: “
He continued: “We will be rolling out the compiler and the library for iOS, OS X, and Linux.”
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As Apple is effectively outsourcing Swift’s development to the entire developer community, it means the language will improve very quickly.
It also means developers have more control over the language, and aren’t strictly bound by Apple’s agenda for the language.
“We think Swift is the next big programming language,” Federighi explained, adding “We think Swift should be everywhere and used by everyone.”
As for release timeframe, Federighi said an open-source Swift 2.0 will arrive “by the end of the year.”
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
