Swift as a programming language is now available on Linux, and that means we as developers can use it on servers in data centers and on the cloud.

For developers interested in creating applications that span both client- and server-side, we at IBM created an app called "IBM Cloud Tools for Swift" — in short, ICT.

ICT is a Mac App that allows us to group our client and server-side components written in Swift, deploy the server-side code to Bluemix (IBM's cloud platform), and then monitor and manage your projects from within the application.

We offer three options for creating projects. If you are interested in learning more about how to develop Swift on the Server, we suggest you start with the BluePic sample app option. If you already have an understanding of Swift on the Server, you can create a Kitura project. Kitura is an open source lightweight web framework for writing Swift on the Server. You can learn more about IBM's Swift-related initiatives by clicking here.

It was an honor to present this great tool to a wider audience through a 15-minute lightning talk at IBM Developer connect on June 17th in Bangalore, India.

Lightning Demo Details: 

Title: Bringing Swift to the Cloud to Simplify End-to-End Development of Apps

Speaker: Vidyasagar S. Machupalli

Abstract: Swift continues to grow in popularity and is now one of the most used programming languages for mobile. Since the introduction of open source Swift for Linux, IBM has been enabling the language on the cloud. This session shows how the new models of client and server interaction for application development enable us to rapidly build an app with client and simplify back-end integration of services — all written in Swift. Come, join this session to hear more about what is next for Swift at IBM.

A Closer Look

IBM Cloud Tools for Swift – A Closer Look from Vidyasagar MSC on Vimeo.