Lesson 9: Swift setup and first program: Architecture checkpoint

Concept Explanation

"Swift setup and first program: Architecture checkpoint" is a standalone Beginner Swift lesson designed to help you pause and evaluate how a small solution is structured. You will work through a practical coding task, compare possible implementations, and think about how organization affects clarity, maintainability, and future changes. The lesson focuses on the Beginner Swift skill of architecture checkpoint in Swift setup and first program. Throughout the exercise, you will use Swift patterns that commonly appear in iOS and macOS development while reinforcing safe optionals, clear APIs, and maintainable app architecture. Lesson fingerprint: swift:Swift Beginner:Swift setup and first program:beginner-swift-setup-and-first-program-9:9.

Where to Put the Code

1. Define color and position variables at the top.
2. Create shape drawing or placement logic in the middle.
3. Render output (print, canvas, SVG, or styled block) at the end.

Command Reference

• Relate the code in this lesson to the core architecture checkpoint skill.
• Identify where this pattern appears in realistic development work.
• Modify the baseline implementation once and compare the result.
• Create a quick test input set for lesson unit 9.

Step-by-step Guide

1. Finish with a short checklist for correctness and clarity.
2. Compare two implementations and choose one with a clear justification.
3. Make one focused change to the baseline implementation and compare the result.
4. Summarize the target outcome in one sentence.
5. Type the starter code yourself and run it without changes.

Practice Exercises

• Rewrite the logic in a cleaner style without changing the result.
• Extend the solution so it fits a more realistic workflow.
• Build a new Swift solution for "Swift setup and first program: Architecture checkpoint" with different inputs.

Coding Challenges

• Scale the solution to a larger input set and review how it behaves.
• Implement two versions and compare their maintainability and complexity.

Mini Practice Tasks

• Rename variables or functions to make their purpose clearer.
• Add one meaningful improvement and run the checks again.
• Summarize in one line what the code is meant to solve.