Released for iPad in 2016, Apple is bringing the Swift Playgrounds app to macOS as another platform on which to learn the Swift programming language. Swift Playgrounds. Apple created Swift. Swift Playgrounds (also referred as Playgrounds) is a development environment for Swift created by Apple Inc. The original macOS version of Playgrounds, launched as an integrated part of Xcode, was announced and released by Apple Inc. On June 2, 2014 during WWDC 2014. In September 2016, a dedicated version for iPad (Swift Playgrounds for iPad) launched, targeted at young students starting. You can share source via the usual open-source methods, since everyone just needs to get the code onto their iCloud Drive to build it. There's a huge number of moving parts to get an MVP and we mustn't cannibalize desktop and laptop sales, but it seems like an obvious part of their services push AND 'make the iPad a 'real' computer'.
Learn serious code. In a seriously fun way.
Swift Playgrounds is a revolutionary app for iPad and Mac that makes learning Swift interactive and fun. It requires no coding knowledge, so it’s perfect for students just starting out. Solve puzzles to master the basics using Swift — a powerful programming language created by Apple and used by the pros to build today’s most popular apps. Then take on a series of challenges and step up to more advanced playgrounds designed by Apple and other leading developers.
Robots and drones await your commands.
Now you can make robots do incredible things with code you write yourself. Learn to programme connected devices like the Sphero SPRK+, LEGO® MINDSTORMS® EV3 and drones by Parrot, and watch them come alive before your eyes.
Now you can make robots do incredible things with code you write yourself. Learn to programme connected devices like the Sphero SPRK+, LEGO® MINDSTORMS® EV3 and drones by Parrot, and watch them come alive before your eyes.
Real Swift code.
Real simple. Real playful.
Learning to code with Swift Playgrounds is incredibly engaging. The app comes with a complete set of Apple-designed lessons. Play your way through the basics in “Fundamentals of Swift” using real code to guide a character through a 3D world. Then move on to more advanced concepts.
What you see is what you code: Create code on the left side of your screen and instantly see the results on the right — with just a tap.
Conquer levels, puzzles and coding concepts.
Starting with the “Fundamentals of Swift” lesson, you’ll tackle goals using the same code professional developers use every day. As you move along, more advanced concepts come into play. You’ll continually build on what you’ve learnt and create even more complex code.
Fundamentals of Swift.
You’ll start out by learning the important concepts you need to understand code.
- Commands
- Functions
- Loops
- Parameters
- Conditional Code
- Variables
- Operators
- Types
- Initialisation
- Bug Fixing
Master the basics,
then step up to more challenges.
In addition to the built-in library of lessons, Swift Playgrounds includes a collection of extra challenges — with new ones added over time. Go deeper on a topic you’ve already studied or try your hand at something new. You’re not just building fun creations, you’re building your skills too.
A big world of playgrounds from a big community of developers.
Discover dozens of channels with fun new challenges created by leading developers and publishers. Subscribe to your favourites and you’ll receive their latest creations directly in the app. Now there are no bounds to your playgrounds.
A new way to create code.
On the best device for learning.
Easily drag braces around code, wrap existing code in a loop or choose from dozens of drag-and-drop snippets included in Swift Playgrounds — directly from your iPad or Mac. Take full advantage of powerful Multi-Touch, multitasking and split-screen capabilities on iPad. Also, enjoy the view from your Mac. The larger screen makes room for a new sidebar with a complete table of contents and quick access to other Swift files. Just tap, drag or type text and numbers. Then interact with what you’ve created.
QuickType and coding keyboard.
Write an entire line of code with just a tap. With QuickType for code, the Shortcut Bar automatically and intelligently suggests commands as you go. When typing is the best option, iPad has an innovative keyboard designed for coding. Simply touch a key to access multiple characters, then drag to choose the one you want. Experience similar code suggestions on Mac, which comes with even more help to complete your code.
Snippets Library.
Quickly drag commonly used pieces of code from the Snippets Library to minimise typing.
Touch to edit.
Conveniently drag the boundaries of a statement around existing code.
Help is just a tap away.
If you come across a command that’s hard to understand, simply tap it and hold. A menu of options will appear. Choose the most relevant one and get the answer you need.
Swift Playground For
Jump-start your creativity with Starting Points.
Use what you’ve learnt to create something brand new. With Starting Points, you can get a head start on more advanced coding, add multiple files to your playground at once and use iPad features such as Multi-Touch interactions, accelerometer and gyroscope. Personalise your project by adding graphics, audio and more. Then easily share with friends, family or the world. Students can also share code with classmates when teachers use Starting Points to create lessons.
Explore your creations in full screen.
Immerse yourself by using the vivid Retina displays of iPad or Mac. Simply tap the centre divider, then drag to view your code or live project on the full screen. You can also customise built-in games like Battleship and Brick Breaker, then immerse yourself by letting them take up the whole screen.
See your code crawl, roll or fly through the sky.
Watch your code spring to life by programming real robots, musical instruments and drones. The Accessories channel is filled with engaging playgrounds that let you configure and control popular educational toys like LEGO® MINDSTORMS® EV3. And that’s just the beginning.
Sphero playgrounds let you guide this spherical robot through tricky courses, accelerate over jumps and change colours.
Dash playgrounds challenge you to make it sing, dance and respond to sensor inputs to react to its environment.
MeeBot playgrounds guide you through coding Jimu Robot Meebot’s six robotic servo motors to make him move in lifelike ways. Or even dance.
Tello EDU playgrounds let you command multiple Tello drones to fly in a swarm, perform flips and other acrobatic movements, and push the limits of your creativity.
Explore robots, drones and many other connected devices that support Swift Playgrounds.
Swift Playgrounds
Swift Playgrounds is a revolutionary app for iPad and Mac that helps you learn and explore coding in Swift, the same powerful language used to create world-class apps for the App Store. Engaging lessons and challenges help students learn the core concepts of coding by writing real Swift code in an interactive environment.
Learn and Explore
In Swift Playgrounds, a single line of code can make amazing things happen. You’ll create small programs called “playgrounds” that instantly show the results of the code that you write. Interactive lessons teach key coding concepts, and additional challenges and starting points encourage you to explore code in exciting new ways to build unique creations. And third parties publish playgrounds you can use to control robots, drones, and other hardware accessories with Bluetooth. It’s easy to share your creations with friends, or record and post videos of your playgrounds in action.
Coding Concepts
Swift Playgrounds includes interactive lessons that use puzzles and experimentation to teach the following core coding concepts, and more:
- Commands
- Functions
- Parameters
- Loops
- Conditional statements
- Variables
- Operators
- Types
- Initialization
Real Swift. Real Frameworks.
The Swift programming language was designed to be approachable enough to be your very first programming language. Swift is also incredibly powerful, used by professional developers to create over half a million apps on the App Store. Using Swift Playgrounds, you’ll be coding within minutes. Even as you become more proficient, you’ll never outgrow Swift.
Swift Playgrounds gives you access to key frameworks, such as UIKit, SpriteKit, Bluetooth, and Metal. Your code can directly interact with the iPad or Mac on which it runs. For instance, on iPad your playgrounds respond to touch gestures and interact with hardware, such as the accelerometer, gyroscope, and camera.
Experiment with Code
Sometimes the best way to learn is to explore on your own, and Swift Playgrounds is a great place to let your imagination run wild. In addition to the guided Learn to Code lessons, Swift Playgrounds includes many challenges, with new ones on the horizon, so you can keep coming back to try something new. Some challenges encourage you to play with code to create interesting effects, while others include engrossing puzzles that require all of your coding skills to solve.
Additional starting points included in Swift Playgrounds help you create playgrounds from scratch. With access to thousands of APIs in the iOS and macOS SDKs, you can create amazing playgrounds that explore the web, generate 3D worlds, experiment with physics, and much more.
Many playgrounds let you edit multiple Swift source files and add your own to the included modules to create infinitely powerful programs. Most playground files can be edited, extended, remixed, or completely reinvented. Collaborate with friends or reimagine them on your own.
Built for Touch
Swift Playgrounds for iPad was designed from the ground up for touch, so you can create entire programs with only a few taps on the screen. Unique coding features include:
- QuickType for code. The Shortcut Bar intelligently presents the most likely next commands or values based on context. It’s easy to write entire lines of code without touching a keyboard.
- Coding keyboard. When the time comes for typing, enter numbers and symbols commonly used in Swift coding by dragging your finger across a key to select one of the alternate symbols.
- Touch to edit. Tap a color value to display a color picker or tap an image value to choose a photo from your library. You can even restructure your code by simply dragging a brace to wrap around the surrounding code.
Swift Playgrounds helps you write correct code by identifying mistakes as you type and offering suggestions to help correct the errors.
Powerful on Mac
Swift Playgrounds for Mac adds features that take advantage of the wide screen on Mac, and includes an always-available keyboard. Unique coding features for Mac include:
- Code suggestions with help. Code suggestions appear with brief help so you can pick exactly the correct code.
- Keyboard navigation. Press the Esc key to toggle between the editing area and the code suggestion list, so you never have take your fingers off the keyboard.
- Sidebar. Expand the sidebar to reveal the complete list of pages, and jump anywhere within the playground. In more advanced content, quickly open supporting Swift files in additional editor tabs with a click.
Code editing on Swift Playgrounds for Mac closely matches Xcode, the professional developer tool used to create apps for the App Store. And because both apps are on Mac, you can experiment with ideas in Swift Playgrounds and easily copy that code into Xcode.
Command Robots, Pilot Drones, and More
Swift Playgrounds For Mac Os X
Swift Playgrounds includes accessories playgrounds that teach you how to use Swift code to command LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 robots that you build, use iPad to guide a Sphero SPRK+ robot around the room, pilot a drone from Parrot or Tello, or even teach a MeeBot to dance. Swift Playgrounds includes guided lessons for each accessory, as well as template starting points you can use to write your own programs that control the following devices:
Swift Playground For Mac Os
- LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3
- Sphero SPRK+
- Drones by Parrot and Tello by Ryze
- MeeBot by Jimu Robots
- Dash by Wonder Workshop
- Skoog musical instrument
Because Swift Playgrounds uses real Swift code with access to the Bluetooth radio on iPad and Mac, any developer can create a playground to connect to additional robots and and devices, then share them with the world.
Author Your Own Content with Xcode
Swift Playground For Pc
If you’re an experienced developer, you can create incredible playgrounds to share with the next generation.
Apple Swift Playgrounds
Swift Playgrounds authoring templates for Xcode can help you create powerful playground book files to publish as a subscription. The interactivity of playgrounds combined with the power of the iOS SDK and Mac Catalyst lets you express your creativity and skills in an entirely new way, create lessons that teach coding concepts, and employ fun, new approaches to content.