[swift-users] Learn Objective-C First? and Low Level Understanding of computer

[davelist at mac.com]

> On Jul 30, 2016, at 1:36 PM, smd via swift-users <swift-users at swift.org> wrote:
> 
> Hello
> 
> I’m interested in learning Swift. Is there a need or benefit to learn Objective-C first? I’ve done some C, C++, VB 6.0, and VBA / Access in the past but I’m definitely not a programmer. I want to develop programs for the Mac and to learn about low level programming in the future. Just wondering if I should learn C, C++, or Swift. I have a pc and a Mac.
> 
> I keep thinking maybe old C for Windows and Swift and / or Objective-C for the Mac? I’m a little confused.
> 
> thanks



You can certainly learn Swift without learning Objective-C first and Swift is an easier language to get started with. You might later go back and learn Objective-C if you find a need for it, but I'd start with Swift. I don't know what you mean bye "low level programming" but that might mean you eventually want to improve your C programming skills. I can't speak too much to Windows, but C# is probably the language to learn for it.

I currently teach Python in introductory undergraduate course (and later the students learn C++ and there are electives in Java and Swift/iOS programming), but if a decent Swift IDE for Windows (code completion, breakpoints, and ideally playgrounds), I'd be planning to switch to Swift for the intro course. About half my students have Macs and about half have Windows PCs so Swift is a good option without a good environment for it on Windows.

Dave