Issue #101

Hello everyone,

I hope you enjoyed the 100th issue last week. As we get closer to Apple (Cider) season, there’s a lot to talk about what’s going on

Server Side Swift Conference Recap

I'm thrilled to report that my talk at the Server Side Swift Conference on How Does Server Side Swift Workout in the Real World was very well received! For those who couldn't attend, you can catch the full presentation on YouTube.

The conference was a fantastic opportunity to dive deep into the world of Server Side Swift and connect with fellow developers. All the videos from the conference are published but here are some highlights from my favorite talks:

Swift and Java Interoperability

Ben Cohen and Tony Parker from Apple announced upcoming Java interoperability for Swift. This groundbreaking development will allow millions of server applications written in Java to transition to Swift, mirroring Apple's own transition from C++ and Objective-C. It reminded me of my video on Objective-C transitioning - exciting times ahead!

Structured Concurrency Patterns

Franz Busch from Apple shared invaluable insights on adopting structured concurrency, along with best practices for building composable libraries and applications using this paradigm.

Moving Things to Server Side Swift

Vojtech Rylko from Things gave a fascinating talk about their transition to using Swift on the server with AWS, providing real-world examples of Server Side Swift in action.

Hummingbird 2

Joannis Orlandos introduced the new release of Hummingbird 2, a powerful Server Side Swift framework that's pushing the boundaries of what's possible with Swift on the backend.

So You Think You Know Swift

Nick Lockwood, creator of SwiftFormat, delved into lesser-known aspects of Swift, offering insights that can help developers write more efficient and elegant code.

One of the best parts of the conference was meeting so many amazing people in real life. It was great to connect with Angelica Bato, Timirah James, Joseph Heck, Peter Friese, Steven Schmidt, and many others. The iOS and Swift community never fails to impress me with its warmth and collaborative spirit.

A huge shoutout to Tim Condon from Broken Hands for organizing such an exceptional conference. The attention to detail and the quality of the talks made for an unforgettable experience.

Lastly, I want to give a special mention to my copywriter, Andrew Monro, who happened to be in London for another conference. Andrew has been an invaluable resource, and it was great to catch up in person.

Oh speaking of Server Side Swift….

gBeat Partners with FitnessOnDemand

I'm thrilled to announce that gBeat, a BrightDigit client, has partnered with FitnessOnDemand to integrate smartwatch technology for an enhanced gym experience. This collaboration showcases the practical application of the Server Side Swift technologies we've been working on.

Key features of the integration include:

Seamless heart rate and geolocation tracking through wearable tech
Automatic workout start/stop using geofencing technology
Data sharing via Google's Health Connect and Apple's HealthKit

We were able to create a version of the workout app built entirely in Swift for iOS and server-side, demonstrating the power and flexibility of Full Stack Swift development.

This partnership comes at a crucial time in the fitness industry, with nearly 400 million gym-goers using wearable fitness trackers - a number projected to reach 525 million by 2029.

Read more here.

Recent Podcast Episodes

Swift Testing with Daniel Steinberg

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Daniel Steinberg about Swift Testing. Swift Testing simplifies the testing process compared to XCTest, with a more straightforward API using macros like @Test and #expect. Check out his recent book on Swift Testing - The Case of the Crimson Test Suite.

Transitioning from UIKit to SwiftUI with Ben Scheirman

In a two-part episode, Ben Scheirman shared his experiences and insights on migrating from UIKit to SwiftUI.

We talked about the importance of starting small when migrating, such as converting individual UI components before tackling entire screens and the challenges with supporting older iOS versions while adopting SwiftUI, and strategies for dealing with API differences.

Ben's practical advice and real-world examples provide valuable guidance for developers looking to make the transition to SwiftUI in existing projects.

Stay tuned for the next issue where I share progress on Bushel 2!

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Until next time,

Leo