Swift launches Swift SDK in preview, allowing developers to build Android apps.
In June of this year, Swift launched an Android working group, adding Android as an officially supported platform within the Swift language. This week, Swift released the first preview version of the Swift SDK (Software Development Kit), which allows developers to build Android apps in Swift using official tools. Moreover, this makes it easier to share code between iOS and Android.
Swift on Android
The SDK is now available to developers on Linux, macOS, or via a bundle in the Windows installer. This allows them to build native Android apps with Swift, the programming language project originally launched by Apple. Swift is already used today for applications on Windows, microcontrollers, and in the cloud, among others.
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To help developers get started, a guide is available, along with sample projects. These demonstrate complete workflows of Swift apps on Android. According to the initiators, more than a quarter of the Swift packages in the Swift Package Index are already compatible with Android.
Collaboration between Swift and Java
The SDK supports interoperability between Swift and Java via the swift-java project. This tool automatically generates bindings between the two languages and should enable secure and efficient integration. This allows developers to reuse existing business logic in Android applications without completely rewriting code.
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The Android working group continues to build on the project. A vision document will be created outlining priorities and next steps for Swift on Android. Progress is being tracked publicly via a project board and official CI (continuous integration).