Swift Playgrounds alternative?

You've missed the opportunity to use Playgrounds with macOS Monterey, as the current version of Playgrounds requires Ventura.

Your alternatives here include Xcode—the app store Xcode currently supports Monterey macOS 12.5 and newer including Ventura, but I expect Xcode will soon require Ventura—or finding another IDE (and I'm not aware of any options here), or using the command line to develop Swift code. Which is workable, but not at all developer-friendly.

There's no good option here, short of a newer or new Mac. And if you choose Xcode, Xcode is going to be a pretty big app to run on a typical MacBook Air configuration. Xcode is substantially larger and more complex than Playgrounds, too.

etresoft wrote:

Always use a real device. Ignore playgrounds. Ignore the simulator. Ignore previews. Those will all just waste your time.

Playgrounds works fine on iPadOS and on macOS, can create native apps for both iPad and macOS, and can submit those apps to the app store.

I find Playgrounds useful for learning new Swift syntax, and for testing Swift code, too.

Testing on a mix of real hardware is necessary, yes. The simulators aren't always accurate. And different devices can diverge differently.

I use Playgrounds on Ventura to get the syntax errors out, and then further develop SwiftUI or Swift source in a programmer's editor and deal with any further grumblings in the Terminal. Brute force approach.😉

MrHoffman wrote:

Playgrounds works fine on iPadOS and on macOS, can create native apps for both iPad and macOS, and can submit those apps to the app store.

I find Playgrounds useful for learning new Swift syntax, and for testing Swift code, too.

It seems like they would be useful, doesn't it? But I find them just glacially slow, even on a modern M1 machine with a ton of RAM. Just slow, slow, slow. And what's with that button? Is it already running, but just horribly slow? Or do you really have to click it three or four times in order to get something to run?

Every time I've tried the playground I've regretted it. It is much easier to write a unit test or something.

etresoft wrote:

MrHoffman wrote:

...

It seems like they would be useful, doesn't it? But I find them just glacially slow, even on a modern M1 machine with a ton of RAM. Just slow, slow, slow. And what's with that button? Is it already running, but just horribly slow? Or do you really have to click it three or four times in order to get something to run?

Every time I've tried the playground I've regretted it. It is much easier to write a unit test or something.

So don't use Playgrounds.

I've never thought of Playgrounds as particularly slow, and no more buggy than Xcode can be.

One of the Macs I'm commonly using with Playgrounds app is an iMac i5 16 GB SSD configuration. An iMac that was definitely not configured for programming. But which runs Playgrounds and Xcode adequately well.

The iPad Playgrounds app runs well too, but the primary iPad used for that is a higher-end model.

Will Playgrounds run all that well on a lower-end MacBook Air configuration such as the OP is seeking to use here? Probably not. Many of the Intel-era MacBook Air models are under-configured for development, and I wouldn't suggest Xcode or Playgrounds with less than 16 GB whether Intel or Apple silicon, and preferably substantially more. Storage tends to be very tight on MacBook Air, too.

But again for the OP, there's no option for Playgrounds on macOS Monterey at present, given the most recent version of that app requires Ventura.

MrHoffman wrote:

But again for the OP, there's no option for Playgrounds on macOS Monterey at present, given the most recent version of that app requires Ventura.

I see the problem. The OP is talking about the app "Swift Playgrounds - Learn real coding the fun way"

Users should avoid any kind of "learn coding fun" apps. They aren't "real coding" in any way. Writing apps for a major platform is not fun. Beginners should never attempt it.

Beginners need to start with more realistic tasks and less complicated environments. They should focus on learning and staying motivated. For example, a Raspberry Pi runs Linux and isn't that far from macOS. A much better option would be Arduino.

The best way to gain experience is in a learning environment tailored to challenge, but not overwhelm. A computer science program at a local college or university is the ideal.

Always use a real device. Ignore playgrounds. Ignore the simulator. Ignore previews. Those will all just waste your time.