Apple unleashes Swift Playgrounds to help new developers learn to code

Apple ended the 2016 WWDC with an inspiring boost directed toward those looking to becoming coders by introducing Swift Playgrounds, a free tool designed to make it easier for people to learn code using Apple's Swift developer language.

Demonstrated on stage by Jean MacDonald, the founder of App Camp for Girls, the app is designed to be used on the iPad and offers what is probably the fastest on-ramp to learning Swift.

The primary way it teaches users to code is by providing fun onscreen characters and various challenges and puzzles that subtly push the user forward toward learning to build apps that can later be shared with friends.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

"Swift Playgrounds is the only app of its kind that is both easy enough for students and beginners, yet powerful enough to write real code," said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, in a statement released by Apple. "It’s an innovative way to bring real coding concepts to life and empower the next generation with the skills they need to express their creativity."

The Swift Playgrounds presentation was capped off with an incredibly inspirational video titled "New Beginnings" showing a few stories of budding coders learning to develop apps using Swift.

Aside from all the new products announced, the app-powered nod to newbie developers was a particularly powerful note to end on, especially considering the fact that this is, after all, a developer's conference, despite all the consumer products announced. 

The app will be available today for members of the Apple Developer Program via the iOS 10 developer preview and it will also be available in the iOS 10 public beta next month. A final version of the app will be available in the app store for free this fall.  

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