Comment by zapnuk
6 years ago
I 100% agree that lacking windows support is a dealbreaker for many.
I actually cared a lot about the ideas of swift and wanted to (try to) contribute in some way. But without any Windows support AND lacking tools for linux+WSL it's really hard to stay motivated.
Here is what Chris Lattner said in mid 2018:
> I think that first class support for Windows is a critical thing, and I doubt anyone in the Swift community would object to it. The problem is that we need to find someone who wants it badly enough and has the resources/know-how to make it happen.
I think the root of the problem. First class windows support is a too complex task for the community and should have been initiated by Apple/Microsoft.
This is what I admire Golang and Rust. They focused on developer support early on and as a result they are (currently) more usable.
My initial reaction is that neither Apple or Microsoft have incentive to get Swift going well on Windows. It will open Windows developers to the language used to build apps on a competing platform, which could steer them towards Apple. And vice versa, it would allow Apple developers to start thinking more about writing Windows app, and possibly steer them away from the Apple platform, or at least dilute their time on it.