News
Introducing Server-Side Swift with IBM
IBM has just launched a Udacity course to help you learn all about Server-Side Swift development using Kitura. The course looks very well structured, and most importantly it's free!
What's new in Xcode 9
There's more to Xcode 9 than the refactoring tools. This is one of the largest Xcode releases since Xcode 4 to my memory. It brings speed and reliability to the IDE and integration with GitHub! Apple has already put up an updated page for it on the developer's website. Check it out!
Swift
guard & defer
This article is a bit old, and many of us got already accustomed to using guard instead of if-statements in many occasions where it makes for a better semantic choice. However, I feel there's still some mystery around what defer is and how it works, or when it should be used.
JavaScript
Tips on Getting Started with React
Building your app's backend in Swift is a lot of fun, and being able to create dynamic web pages using templates like Moustache or Leaf is nice, but if you want to build serious front-end web applications you'll need to use JavaScript. The most popular front-end framework today is React and getting started with it couldn't be any easier. React doesn't force you to go all-in to adopt it. You can start with a simple page and move from there. Check this guide out to get started with it! If you're well intended, I'd also highly recommend React for Beginners by Wes Bos.
Code
Time traveling in Swift unit tests
Working with dates can be tricky, especially when writing unit tests. John Sundell shows how to it properly!
API Endpoint Testing with Postman
When you're building an app, be it for the web or not, a good effort should go towards testing. Automated tests, such unit tests, and CI integration is what you should aim for from the start. However, there are times when simpler tools will do, especially early in the development process. Jonathan Guthrie shows how you can test your endpoints using Postman, a fantastic cross-platform desktop application.
Design Patterns for Humans
We use Design Patterns every time we code. Sometimes without even realizing it. Mastering them, however, can be a daunting task. This document explains them in simple terms and with practical examples.
Video / Podcasts / Books
A Neatly Typed Message: Improving Code Readability
Krzysztof Siejkowski dives into the readability of Swift code, treating it not as a definite goal to achieve, but as a spectrum that you need to decide where to land on. Looking at the variations of familiar Cocoa patterns and Swift language constructs, he identifies their readability tradeoffs and chances for improvement.
Finally...
“Why did you give up development and turn to a life of crime?”
This has vastly improved last year, but it's still a pain point for some of us.
After years of prayers, finally, Xcode has got the update I've always wished for: proper refactoring tools! And we'll be able to extend them too! So far, extracting methods and functions, extracting variables, renaming classes and methods seems to be incredibly fast and reliable. I've already tried using it in a small project, and it's working smoothly.
This year I got almost everything I wished for Xcode: the only missing note on my list is better HTML/CSS/JavaScript support or extensible grammar. Perhaps next year? 🤞
That said, this year's keynote was jam-packed with news, so much that most of the people on stage struggled to keep up with the speedy pace! I'm excited about all the updates. Like many, my favorite ones are iOS 11 on iPad - by far the most exciting update in years - and Apple Pay.
Finally, the keynote opening video. Oh, my! It was the best opening ever! I cannot stop smiling and singing the soundtrack! 😃🎶
Gianluca Tranchedone