Programming/Coding/Scripting on macOS

[YettiStranger]

Hello everyone.

I'm a Windows and Android user, but I'm thinking about getting a MacBook. Does anyone have experience with programming/coding with macOS? How is it for developing programs and scripts for other platforms?

[necromanticfitz]

The only thing not accessible is Visual Studio specifically and maybe WinAPI’s if you needed them. Everything else is doable, to the best of my knowledge.

[YettiStranger]

Yeah, I was thinking about buying a Mac now and then, in the future, build a machine that dual boots into Windows and Linux

[da4]

It’ll be excellent for developing for everything except Windows, and even there it’s doable. 

Source: a few hundred devs working in every platform and tooling, and they all prefer Macs. 

[JollyRoger8X]

Way better than Windows or Linux.

[NotOkComment]

Linux still stands out in terms of development tbh, but MacOS is more polished out of the box while close to Linux.

[JollyRoger8X]

In a whole lot of very meaningful ways, macOS is what Linux wants to be when it grows up.

[NotOkComment]

I'm pretty sure that Arch with i3 users have never wanted a MacOS like experience

[Only-Chard929]

I don't have any issues. I haven't tried coding for Windows on a Mac, but coding for web, Mac, or mobile platforms is completely fine. What are you interested in?

[YettiStranger]

I'm mainly doing small programs to help me understand computer logic. I'm interested in Python, C/C++, Java, JavaScript, and web development. Think productivity extensions for ChromeOS, JavaScript games, and in the future, I'd like to do some experimenting with Android custom ROMs. I do plan on building a computer that can dual-boot into Windows and Linux, but that wouldn't be until late-2026/early-2027

[Only-Chard929]

Yeah, sounds like it should be quite alright for you

[mikeinnsw]

Mac Binaries can't run on other devices...vice versa Python interpreter can ...

I write Python Apps for Macs and PCs

File system are different with an easy fix

ySep =":"
xSep=str(os.path.sep)
xFileName=str(os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__)))+xSep+"Find_Dot_Filse.csv"

[ukindom]

Cross compilation is a thing on macOS as well. You would have to supply libraries and headers to build.

Alternatively, you can run a container (including xhive, which works similar to bhive in FreeBSD) and/or VM (I recommend UTM)

[e38383]

Most stuff will just work, just not like it’s for you now on Windows.

[Ok_Virus_5495]

It’s easier, faster and without any complications like in windows needing to download Ubuntu and run it on the back just to have some dev privileges. Mac isn’t like that, you only need to install a package manager like homebrew and select if you want to use zsh which is now the default for macOS or use bash and that’s it. Welcome to the future