Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Apple
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
Swift is a modern, powerful, and safe programming language that has become a primary choice for building applications in the Apple ecosystem. Knowing which company developed Swift helps learners connect languages to their platform focus and understand why certain tools are dominant on particular devices. This question tests basic general knowledge about software companies and the languages they create and support.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Swift was introduced by Apple as a replacement and companion language to Objective C. It was designed to be safer, faster, and more expressive for building applications on Apple platforms. Although other companies like Google and Microsoft have developed their own languages and frameworks, Swift is closely tied to Xcode, Apple's official integrated development environment. Therefore, the approach is to recall which company controls the platforms where Swift is the main supported language and who officially announced and maintains it.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Swift is often mentioned together with Apple platforms such as iOS and macOS.Step 2: Remember that Apple announced Swift at its Worldwide Developers Conference and provides official documentation and tools for it.Step 3: Compare this with Google, which is behind Android and languages such as Go and frameworks relying on Java and Kotlin.Step 4: Note that Microsoft is known for .NET technologies and languages such as C#, and Facebook focuses more on social networking products and open source tools rather than a full new system programming language used mainly on Apple devices.Step 5: Recognise that IBM, while a major technology company, is not the originator of Swift, although it has contributed to server side Swift in some projects.Step 6: Conclude that Apple is the company that developed and maintains Swift.
Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, think of the standard toolchain used to build a typical iPhone or iPad application. Developers install Xcode from the Apple App Store, and within Xcode they create new projects using Swift or Objective C. The official language guide and reference manuals are hosted by Apple. Additionally, Apple frequently updates Swift as part of its platform updates, and announcements about major language changes are made at Apple developer events. This strong association between Swift and Apple confirms that Apple is the correct answer.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Google did not create Swift; instead, it supports languages such as Java, Kotlin, and Go, especially for Android and backend services. Microsoft is responsible for the .NET platform and languages such as C#, Visual Basic .NET, and F#, not Swift. Facebook is mainly known for its social media platform and for open source tools like React, not for creating Swift. IBM has collaborated on some server side uses of Swift but was not the original creator. Therefore, none of these companies match the description given in the question.
Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes assume that any popular language must come from whichever company they hear about most often, such as Google or Microsoft. Another pitfall is confusing Swift with similar sounding technologies or with open source projects that have many contributors. It helps to memorise a short mapping: Java and Kotlin are commonly linked with Google and Android, C# with Microsoft and .NET, and Swift with Apple and iOS and macOS development. This mapping clarifies which company belongs with which language in exam questions.
Final Answer:
The company that developed and maintains the Swift programming language is Apple.
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