videofile_: windows is our biggest bet yet

TL;DR

Arc is working on developing a version of their browser for Windows using Swift, which offers better performance and productivity compared to other languages like C++. They aim to create a native Windows app with a cross-platform code base.

Transcript

hello everybody um welcome uh my name is Hersh I'm the CTO and co-founder of the browser company and here it is this is what you all have been asking for uh this is arc on Windows um it's not really much to look at at the moment admittedly um but uh there's some interesting things about it uh that I would love to talk about uh and so this actually ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🏛️ Building a browser requires complex and large software development, which is challenging to achieve with traditional languages like C++.
• 🔒 Swift offers better performance and productivity for Arc's development process and provides automatic memory management, reducing the risk of security vulnerabilities.
• 💦 Making Swift work on Windows and creating a native Windows UI toolkit pose significant technical challenges that Arc is tackling incrementally.
• 👨‍💻 Taking inspiration from Facebook's approach, Arc aims to protect their product development by focusing on improving the compiler for Swift instead of rewriting their entire code base.
• 🏛️ Arc's vision is to build a browser that is performant, accessible, and feels native to each platform, including utilizing the unique design language and features of Windows.
• 😵 By successfully implementing Swift on Windows, Arc will have a cross-platform browser with shared code and a strong focus on product iteration and feature development.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why did Arc choose to use Swift instead of C++ for building their browser?

Arc chose Swift due to its better performance and productivity compared to C++. Swift's automatic memory management and ability to iterate quickly were crucial for their rapid development process.

Q: How does using Swift on Windows pose a challenge for Arc?

Swift is not natively supported on Windows, so Arc had to work with Saleem Abdul rasool to make Swift functional on the platform. They still need to address issues such as adding support for new language features and creating a development environment similar to Xcode.

Q: Why is it important for Arc to have a native Windows UI for their browser?

Arc wants their browser to have a modern, native feel on Windows. They aim to utilize the Windows UI toolkit, including features like acrylic design and native dialogues, to provide a better user experience.

Q: What is Arc's overall goal in developing Arc for Windows?

Arc's goal is to create a cross-platform browser with a performant code base that allows them to iterate quickly on feature development. They hope to set a new standard for web browsers and contribute to the Swift community.

Key Insights:

• Building a browser requires complex and large software development, which is challenging to achieve with traditional languages like C++.
• Swift offers better performance and productivity for Arc's development process and provides automatic memory management, reducing the risk of security vulnerabilities.
• Making Swift work on Windows and creating a native Windows UI toolkit pose significant technical challenges that Arc is tackling incrementally.
• Taking inspiration from Facebook's approach, Arc aims to protect their product development by focusing on improving the compiler for Swift instead of rewriting their entire code base.
• Arc's vision is to build a browser that is performant, accessible, and feels native to each platform, including utilizing the unique design language and features of Windows.
• By successfully implementing Swift on Windows, Arc will have a cross-platform browser with shared code and a strong focus on product iteration and feature development.
• The project has a 60% chance of success, and Arc is open to collaboration and insights from the Swift and browser development communities.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Arc, a browser company, is starting the development of Arc for Windows using Swift, the language they already use for their Mac version.

• They chose Swift over languages like C++ due to its performance, productivity, and automatic memory management features.

• The challenge lies in making Swift work on Windows and creating a native Windows UI toolkit for the browser.