Apple wants to make it easier for children and adults alike to learn the basics of coding after launching its iPad-exclusive app Swift Playgrounds on Mac.
The app is part of the company’s Catalyst app initiative, which aims to give a mix of tools to developers and the general public to help them create a single app for a range of Apple devices.
Swift Playgrounds, an app that first debuted on iPad back in 2016, focuses specifically on the powerful and intuitive Swift programming language used for apps on iOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS and iPadOS.
In addition to making coding more intuitive, the launch of Swift Playgrounds on Mac will also streamline the process of publishing Swift apps as iPads don’t currently support the Xcode development environment needed for Apple software.
In the app description, Apple says that the code written in Swift Playgrounds now syncs between iPad and Mac.
It adds: “Swift Playgrounds requires no coding knowledge, so it’s perfect for students just starting out, from twelve to one-hundred-and-twelve.”
The app makes coding simple by using drag-and-drop functionality and short snippets of commonly used code.
For several years now, Apple has been working on new ways to empower everyone from experienced developers to novices to design and engineer apps capable of running on Mac, iPhone and iPad.
It officially launched Project Catalyst at the WWDC event last year and plans to release updates for the Catalyst SDK for at least the next 18 months.
Apple also recently made the move to bring iOS and macOS apps together through a universal purchase option, which is set to go live sometime in March.
Developers can now build apps from the ground up for both iOS and macOS, with experts believing that the change should give a much-needed boost to macOS development in general.