Server side Swift

Server-side Swift is a growing area of interest in the Swift community. Experts highlight that Swift is not limited to client-side applications on macOS and iOS but also extends to server-side development. Technologies like Vapor and Hummingbird facilitate this by providing frameworks for server-side Swift development. Vapor is likened to Rails in its approach, offering a more comprehensive framework, while Hummingbird is lighter, focusing on handling HTTP requests efficiently. A key advantage of using Swift on the server is the ability to share code between the client and server, which can improve development efficiency and consistency 1 .

Ben Cohen and Jared Henderson discuss the evolutionary path of Swift, including the introduction of Embedded Swift, which enables the creation of tiny, statically linked binaries suitable for resource-constrained environments. This development showcases Swift's versatility and efficiency, especially in scenarios where both performance and resource usage are critical 2 3 .

Further, Swift's interoperability with C-based languages, availability on Windows and Linux, and emphasis on API stability and type safety are crucial differentiators. These attributes make it a robust choice for developers seeking a high-performance, approachable language for both client and server applications 2 4 .