Vratislav Holub From time to time, the question arises on the discussion forums, whether the operating system macOS or Windows is better for programming. Quite often a rather extensive discussion opens up around this question. If you would like to start learning to program and are wondering whether you should use Windows, Mac or Linux for these purposes, then this article is for you. We will briefly summarize the benefits of these platforms here.
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Adam Kos The best system for programming
Right from the beginning, let's answer the main question, or whether macOS is the best operating system for programming. In part, we can say yes. But there is a huge BUT. If you would like to learn to program in Swift and develop applications for apple platforms, then it is definitely best to have an apple device. Although there are alternatives for developing from other platforms, using Swift and the Xcode environment is the easiest and in many ways the most efficient in this case. But in the end, everything depends on the focus of a particular programmer.
Nowadays, the so-called cross-platform applications, which go beyond the previous limits, enjoy enormous popularity. It is enough to write a single code, which is then fully functional both on Windows and macOS, as well as in the case of mobile systems. In such a case, however, we return to the fact that everything depends on the preferences of the programmer himself, who can thus work with the system that suits him best. However, many people still recommend using Linux or macOS instead. The fact that it is built on UNIX is most often highlighted for the Apple operating system, which makes it stable, reliable and very similar to Linux.
Development within macOS
The fact that Macs are quite popular in the world of programming is also clearly shown by the latest questionnaire of the Stack Overflow platform, which functions as the largest forum for programmers, who can share their knowledge, insights, or find answers to various problems here. Although macOS has roughly 15% market share (Windows just under 76% and Linux 2,6%), according to research results Stack Overflow almost a third of programmers use it professionally. However, the system is still behind Linux and Windows.
How to choose a system
Even before choosing a device, i.e. an operating system, it is necessary to realize what you want to focus on in the world of programming. If you want to develop on and for Windows, you'll have a wide range of different technologies at your disposal, based on the overall prevalence of this platform. At the same time, you can easily distribute your software and get it to more people. In the case of macOS, you will certainly appreciate the simplicity of the Swift programming language, the great community of developers and the stability of the system itself. In short, each platform has its pros and cons.
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Just as it is impossible to say whether Windows or macOS is better in general, it is impossible to determine the unequivocally best system for programming. As we mentioned above, in the end it depends on the preferences of the developer himself and on the technologies he wants to use in his work. In addition, some developers consider Linux, or its selected distributions, to be the most universal choice. But in the final, the choice is up to everyone.
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