Objective-C vs Apple

I was just watching WWDC 2013 videos when it hit me. Apple’s been doing a great job improving Objective-C. Each conference they announce a set of new great features.

On one hand Objective-C seems like a mammoth from the early times, something that’s so obsolete, strange and totally against current trends (C? who wants to use C? no garbage collector? etc.)

On the other hand, knowing it you can start loving it. I’m already past the stage when it all looked strange. I now appreciate the beauty of the language and tools around it. Sure they still lack in some aspects, but in others they are ahead.

So, watching this videos one thing stroked me - Apple’s being the only one using the language they have a freedom to shape it however they like it.

When you’re using C or C++ you need to stick to the standard, if you’re on Java you have the same. And influencing standards that are so widely used is not a trivial thing. They don’t need to consult anyone, heck there’s even no “real” specification of the language itself.

I envy them their possibilities to shape their tools :-)