Swift Programming Tutorial for Windows CLI

Swift is a powerful, modern, and intuitive programming language developed by Apple for building apps across all Apple platforms. However, Swift isn’t just limited to macOS or iOS—thanks to official Windows support, you can now learn and run Swift directly from your Windows machine using command-line tools. This tutorial series is designed for absolute beginners who want to explore Swift programming without needing Xcode or macOS. Whether you’re a student, developer, or enthusiast looking to build logic, tools, or prototypes using Swift’s elegant syntax, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know—step by step. Starting from installing Swift on Windows, we’ll cover variables, data types, control flow, functions, collections, and more. You’ll also learn about advanced features like closures, optionals, structs, and error handling. Finally, we’ll build real-world CLI projects and even explore SQLite database integration with Swift. With hands-on examples and clear explanations, this syllabus will help you build a strong foundation in Swift programming using only your Windows terminal. Let’s dive in and start writing your first Swift program today—no Apple hardware required!

Learn Swift step-by-step using Windows terminal with official Swift binaries. No Xcode required. Perfect for CLI projects and logic development.

Module 1: Introduction to Swift & Setup

• What is Swift?
• Installing Swift on Windows
• Setting up environment variables
• Running Swift programs using CLI
• Writing your first Swift script (hello.swift)

Module 2: Swift Basics

• Variables and Constants (var, let)
• Data Types: Int, Double, String, Bool
• Type Inference and Type Safety
• String Interpolation
• Comments

Module 3: Operators & Expressions

• Arithmetic operators
• Comparison operators
• Logical operators
• Assignment operators
• Ternary conditional operator

Module 4: Control Flow

• if, else if, else
• switch statements
• for-in, while, repeat-while
• break, continue, and fallthrough

Module 5: Functions

• Defining and calling functions
• Function parameters and return types
• External and internal parameter names
• Default and variadic parameters
• Returning tuples

Module 6: Collections

• Arrays
• Dictionaries
• Sets
• Looping over collections

Module 7: Optionals

• What are Optionals?
• if let and guard let unwrapping
• Optional chaining
• Nil coalescing operator
• Implicitly unwrapped optionals

Module 8: Structs and Classes

• Properties and methods
• init initializers
• mutating methods in structs
• Value vs. reference types

Module 9: Enums and Tuples

• Basic enum syntax
• Associated and raw values
• Tuple syntax and usage
• Pattern matching

Module 10: Error Handling

• do-try-catch block
• try?, try! usage
• Throwing functions

Module 11: Closures

• Syntax and types of closures
• Using closures as function parameters
• Trailing closures
• Capturing values

Module 12: Advanced Swift (CLI)

• Protocols
• Extensions
• Generics
• map, filter, reduce
• Working with CommandLine.arguments

Module 13: Mini CLI Projects

• Simple Calculator
• To-Do List App
• Student Marksheet Generator
• Contact Book

Module 14: SQLite Database with Swift

• Installing SQLite on Windows
• Using SQLite C APIs in Swift
• Connecting and querying SQLite database
• Building a notes app or CLI blog engine

Bonus: Swift Package Manager & Compilation

• Using SPM to organize code
• Building Swift executables with swiftc
• Creating reusable CLI tools