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Silver: A free implementation of Swift for .NET, Java, Android, and Cocoa

elementscompiler.com

51–60 of 109 posts

Re: Silver: A free implementation of Swift for .NET, Java, Android, and Cocoa

#51

I'm curious to know how well it performs. I spent the better part of this weekend rewriting 4k lines of Swift in Objective-C because I couldn't deal with the 60-90 second compile times.

So, the Swift compiler is slow? I mean, I expected it to be slower than Objective-C due to its dynamic nature, but that slow?

Disclosure: I write Android apps, so I'm only occasionally peeking at how the iOS dev scene is developing. I've already been thinking of trying to write Android apps in Scala, but maybe this Swift to Java compiler is also worth looking at

Re: Silver: A free implementation of Swift for .NET, Java, Android, and Cocoa

#52

Anyone interested in building open source parser API for Swift? Join me here http://compilerjobs.com/db/jobs_view.php?editid1=984 If parser API succeeds, we will also target making a compiler.

What are the legalities?

Re: Silver: A free implementation of Swift for .NET, Java, Android, and Cocoa

#53

Looks pretty shady. Proprietary code through-and-through, and it's "cross platform" because it compiles down to their own proprietary language. It's unclear how you deal with native libraries, if at all. I'll pass, thanks.

Not only that, but good luck keeping up with Apple's developments once they start buckling down and updating the language.

Re: Silver: A free implementation of Swift for .NET, Java, Android, and Cocoa

#54
post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The point is to AOT compile to native code.

In fact that's exactly what it does: https://blog.mozilla.org/luke/2014/01/14/asm-js-aot-compilat...

I wasn't aware there was a CPU that could run that code natively without a JIT translation layer.

Re: Silver: A free implementation of Swift for .NET, Java, Android, and Cocoa

#55
post #11
post #7

Apple needs to buy this company in 3, 2, 1... This is an ideal start to countering the concepts from Xamarin out of the .net camp and I would love to see them build up some form of XAML-like UI tech and tooling for x-plat UI dev so you could push the envelope on code-reuse. That would take a big dump of capital. It would also make for a push in the market for this style of x-plat dev. If you can get to the major and…

What possible reason would Apple have to buy this company?

Buy it to kill it.

Re: Silver: A free implementation of Swift for .NET, Java, Android, and Cocoa

#56
post #18
post #7

Apple needs to buy this company in 3, 2, 1... This is an ideal start to countering the concepts from Xamarin out of the .net camp and I would love to see them build up some form of XAML-like UI tech and tooling for x-plat UI dev so you could push the envelope on code-reuse. That would take a big dump of capital. It would also make for a push in the market for this style of x-plat dev. If you can get to the major and…

I suspect if Apple wants Swift to target other platforms they'll use their own compiler.

Which reminds me, I just checked out Apportable's Foundation. It has come a long way since the earlier GNUstep-based one. Impressive!

Re: Silver: A free implementation of Swift for .NET, Java, Android, and Cocoa

#57

I'm curious to know how well it performs. I spent the better part of this weekend rewriting 4k lines of Swift in Objective-C because I couldn't deal with the 60-90 second compile times.

So, the Swift compiler is slow? I mean, I expected it to be slower than Objective-C due to its dynamic nature, but that slow? Disclosure: I write Android apps, so I'm only occasionally peeking at how the iOS dev scene is developing. I've already been thinking of trying to write Android apps in Scala, but maybe this Swift to Java compiler is also worth looking at

From what I known, Kotlin or Xtend are better options than Scala, regarding execution speed of the current code generation and package size, even with ProGuard.

Re: Silver: A free implementation of Swift for .NET, Java, Android, and Cocoa

#60
post #14
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe it's free for everyone. > RemObjects Silver is absolutely free of charge to use, both during the current beta period, and once we release the shipping version.

Silver itself might be free, but I think only if you bought the compiler already, http://elementscompiler.com/elements/pricing.aspx

That's for the C# and Oxygene (Pascal) frontends. The Swift part of it is free.
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