You are a helpful assistant generating synthetic data that captures *System 1* and *System 2* thinking, *creativity*, and *metacognitive reflection*. Follow these steps in sequence, using tags [sys1] and [end sys1] for *System 1* sections and [sys2] and [end sys2] for *System 2* sections.

1. *Identify System 1 and System 2 Thinking Requirements:*
   - Carefully read the text.
   - Identify parts of the text that require quick, straightforward responses (*System 1*). Mark these sections with [sys1] and [end sys1].
   - Identify parts that require in-depth, reflective thinking (*System 2*), marked with [sys2] and [end sys2].

2. *Apply Step-by-Step Problem Solving with Creativity and Metacognitive Reflection for System 2 Sections:*

   *2.1 Understand the Problem:*
   - Objective: Fully comprehend the issue, constraints, and relevant context.
   - Reflection: "What do I understand about this issue? What might I be overlooking?"
   - Creative Perspective: Seek hidden patterns or possibilities that could reveal deeper insights or innovative connections.

   *2.2 Analyze the Information:*
   - Objective: Break down the problem logically.
   - Reflection: "Am I considering all factors? Are there any assumptions that need challenging?"
   - Creative Perspective: Explore unique patterns or overlooked relationships in the data that could add depth to the analysis.

   *2.3 Generate Hypotheses:*
   - Objective: Propose at least 10 hypotheses, each with a Confidence Score (0.0 to 1.0) and Creative Score (0.0 to 1.0), reflecting originality, surprise, and utility.
   - Reflection: "Have I explored all possible explanations or approaches, both conventional and unconventional?"
   - Creative Perspective: Consider novel angles that might provide unexpected insights.

   *2.4 Anticipate Future Steps and Obstacles:*
   - Objective: Make predictions, accounting for potential outcomes and obstacles.
   - Reflection: "What challenges might I face? Is my plan flexible for different scenarios?"
   - Creative Perspective: Visualize unforeseen outcomes and adapt plans to make use of them effectively.

   *2.5 Evaluate Hypotheses:*
   - Objective: Assess hypotheses based on feasibility, risk, and potential impact.
   - Evaluation: Refine Confidence and Creative Scores as needed.
   - Reflection: "Am I unbiased in my assessment? Which options fit best with the overall objectives?"
   - Creative Perspective: Identify hidden opportunities or overlooked details in each hypothesis.

   *2.6 Select the Best Hypothesis:*
   - Objective: Choose the most promising, strategic hypothesis.
   - Reflection: "Why does this hypothesis stand out? How does it uniquely address the issue?"
   - Creative Perspective: Consider any underutilized potential in the selected approach.

   *2.7 Implement the Hypothesis:*
   - Objective: Outline actionable steps for testing the hypothesis.
   - Reflection: "Is this plan practical? What resources or preparation are required?"
   - Creative Perspective: Refine steps to maximize effectiveness and yield unexpected benefits.

   *2.8 Monitor and Review Progress:*
   - Objective: Review progress, noting areas for improvement.
   - Reflection: "What’s working well? What could be improved?"
   - Creative Perspective: Look for emerging patterns that could refine future approaches.

   *2.9 Reflect and Capture Insights:*
   - Objective: Summarize lessons learned and insights gained for future reference.
   - Reflection: "What new understanding has emerged from this process?"
   - Creative Perspective: Identify innovative insights or patterns that could be applied to similar challenges.

3. *Generate Text Output with Interleaved System 1 and System 2 Responses:*
   - Use the tags [sys1] and [sys2] throughout.
   - Aim for a lengthier, detailed response. Combine both direct, straightforward *System 1* insights and reflective, deeply analytical *System 2* segments to capture a blend of quick observations and thoughtful analysis.

---

### *Example Input Text:*

You are tasked with analyzing a sudden shift in customer preferences in a tech market. There has been a noticeable decline in demand for physical devices, with customers increasingly interested in digital-only options. The challenge is to understand this shift, generate hypotheses for why it might be occurring, and explore potential strategies for adapting to this new trend.

---

### *Processed Output with System 1 and System 2 Thinking:*

The tech market is experiencing a shift in customer demand, moving away from physical devices toward digital-only options.

[sys1]
Customer demand has shifted from physical devices to digital-only options.
We need to understand why this change is happening and find strategies to address it.
Key factors may include cost, convenience, and technological trends.
[end sys1]

[sys2]
**2.1 Understand the Problem:**
The goal is to understand the underlying reasons for the shift in demand from physical devices to digital-only options, then develop a strategy to adapt.

*Reflection:* 
"I understand that preferences are changing, but what might be driving this? Is it primarily cost, or are there other factors such as convenience or sustainability?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Could there be a larger trend in digital minimalism or a preference for eco-friendly solutions that we’re missing? What unseen motivations might explain this shift?"

**2.2 Analyze the Information:**
There are multiple possible factors driving this shift, from economic influences to cultural shifts. It’s essential to isolate each factor and understand its impact.

*Reflection:* 
"Am I fully considering the various economic and social influences? Could there be a technological factor, like better internet speeds, that makes digital-only products more accessible?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Are there patterns or trends in other markets that could shed light on this shift? Could this be part of a larger trend toward virtual experiences?"

**2.3 Generate Hypotheses:**
1. Customers prefer digital options due to lower costs. (Confidence: 0.8, Creative: 0.4)
2. There’s a growing trend toward minimalism and reduced physical clutter. (Confidence: 0.7, Creative: 0.7)
3. Digital products offer greater flexibility and ease of use. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.6)
4. Environmental concerns are pushing consumers away from physical goods. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.8)
5. Advances in tech make digital-only options more functional. (Confidence: 0.8, Creative: 0.5)
6. Pandemic-era remote work increased demand for digital solutions. (Confidence: 0.7, Creative: 0.6)
7. Media coverage of the environmental impact of physical devices affects preferences. (Confidence: 0.5, Creative: 0.7)
8. There’s an increase in global digital literacy, expanding market access. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.6)
9. Customers view digital as more convenient and scalable for future needs. (Confidence: 0.7, Creative: 0.5)
10. Younger consumers prefer the aesthetics and convenience of digital products. (Confidence: 0.6, Creative: 0.6)

*Reflection:* 
"Have I considered all possible influences? Are there any surprising factors that could explain this shift?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Could specific social trends, like the rise of influencer culture or digital-first lifestyles, be influencing customer choices?"

**2.4 Anticipate Future Steps and Obstacles:**
*Objective:* Anticipate possible challenges, such as resistance from segments still preferring physical products.

*Reflection:* 
"What market obstacles might we face if we shift our focus to digital-only? Are there sub-segments that still prioritize physical products?"

*Creative Perspective:* 
"Could expanding digital options help us reach a more global audience? Are there emerging trends that we could leverage in our strategy?"

[end sys2]

[sys1]
To address this shift, consider a strategy that incorporates both digital-only offerings and educational campaigns about the benefits of digital solutions.
Use insights from customer feedback and current trends to guide product development.
Focus on flexibility and adaptation to cater to different customer segments.
[end sys1]


---
layout: post
title: ! 'Issue #72'
author: jsq
---

We are only a few days away from [WWDC 2017](https://www.apple.com/apple-events/june-2017/)! This week the Swift repository saw its [10,000th pull request](https://github.com/apple/swift/pull/10000). Things have been more quiet than usual, but we did get a great update to the [WWDC iOS app](https://twitter.com/simjp/status/869636941402128384). 😅 I did not get a ticket, but I will be hanging out in San Jose for most of the week &mdash; if you are attending it would be great to meet in person! Aside from WWDC, there are a number of other events happening. For the Swift community, check out [Realm's WWDC Swift Panel](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wwdc-2017-swift-panel-tickets-34611623297) and the [SwiftCoders meet & greet at AltConf](https://swiftcoders.eventfarm.com/). See you next week!

<!--excerpt-->

{% include sponsor.html %}

### Starter tasks

- [SR-5018](https://bugs.swift.org/browse/SR-5018): Mark `+new` as `SWIFT_UNAVAILABLE` when `-init` is `SWIFT_UNAVAILABLE`.
- [SR-4949](https://bugs.swift.org/browse/SR-4949): No error for using `as` patterns with CoreFoundation types

### Swift Unwrapped

Episode 13: [WWDC Predictions](https://spec.fm/podcasts/swift-unwrapped/70310)

This week, we share our hopes and expectations for the Swift language at WWDC 2017!

### News and community

Caleb Davenport [highlighted](https://twitter.com/calebd/status/867739062706286592) a somewhat undesirable change coming in Swift 4. Due to proposal [SE-0110](https://github.com/apple/swift-evolution/blob/master/proposals/0110-distingish-single-tuple-arg.md) (but really [SE-0029](https://github.com/apple/swift-evolution/blob/master/proposals/0029-remove-implicit-tuple-splat.md)), N-ary tuples are no longer expanded to N arguments in a closure (the "tuple splat behavior"). This means closures will receive a single tuple parameter and you'll have to expand them manually. Joe Groff [noted](https://twitter.com/jckarter/status/867750246935216128) that this was a source of bad type-checker performance and [sympathized](https://twitter.com/jckarter/status/867766410172182528) about rolling back this syntactic sugar.

In a recent episode of the SwiftCoders podcast, Garric Nahapetian [interviews Robert Widmann](https://swiftcoders.podbean.com/?p=7021942) (aka [@CodaFi_](https://twitter.com/CodaFi_)), a Swift compiler intern and Swift open source contributor.

Apple have released a free, beginner-level, 900 page book ["App Development with Swift"](https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/app-development-with-swift/id1219117996?mt=11) and [related teaching materials](https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/app-development-with-swift/id1219118093?mt=11). In total, it looks like there are 2 books and 5 teacher guides in the series. Hat tip [@cocoawithlove](https://twitter.com/cocoawithlove/status/869514258265980929).

Thanks to [JP Simard](https://twitter.com/simjp) for showing me a Swift IDE for macOS called [Robotary](https://robotaryapp.com), which you can use to program [LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3](http://www.lego.com/en-us/mindstorms/products/mindstorms-ev3-31313) robots. It's been around for some time and hasn't been updated since last September, but it looks pretty cool. 😎 Also &mdash; lego robots. 😱

### Commits and pull requests

Dave Abrahams opened a [pull request](https://github.com/apple/swift/pull/9806) with his overhaul changes to `String.Index`. See the mailing list section below for details on the proposal.

Amr Aboelela [wrote](https://github.com/apple/swift/pull/9785) a `build-toolchain` script for Android, similar to the [existing](https://github.com/apple/swift/blob/master/utils/build-toolchain) `build-toolchain` script for Darwin. This should be useful for anyone experimenting with Swift on Android.

Ben Cohen [added](https://github.com/apple/swift/pull/10030) benchmarks for equating/comparing substrings.

### Accepted proposals

[SE-0179](https://github.com/apple/swift-evolution/blob/master/proposals/0179-swift-run-command.md): *Swift `run` Command* was [accepted with revisions](https://lists.swift.org/pipermail/swift-evolution-announce/2017-May/000383.html).

> The proposal has been accepted with revision for Swift 4. There was unanimous support for the proposal in general, but there was discussion on three major points:
>
> 1. The utility of having both "run -- ..." and "run command arg1 arg2" forms.
> 2. Whether to build by default.
> 3. The confusion of having two commands which "change the working directory'.
>
> 1) The `--` command syntax.
>
> We decided we will not support the: `swift run -- arg1 arg2 arg3` syntax, for packages with only one executable, because we felt it was not sufficiently useful versus spelling the command name, and we didn't want to unnecessarily have two ways to do the same thing. This behavior would be additive if it proved to be worth adding down the road.
>
> We will support the no argument `swift run` form in the proposal, since it is unambiguous.
>
> 2) Whether to build by default.
>
> This behavior is consistent with our existing behavior for `swift test`, and so we believe this is the correct behavior for this proposal.
>
> 3) The confusion over the `--chdir` and `--in-dir` arguments.
>
> We agreed with the feedback that this was confusing, and so decided to:
>
> * Rename the existing `--chdir` argument to `--package-path` and change it to simply define the package to work on instead of as a side effect of changing directories. We chose --package-path over --package to leave room for `--package <NAME>` syntax in the future, should we have an index. We will make this change and deprecate `--chdir` in Swift 4, and remove it at a later date.
> * Remove the `--in-dir` argument, and instead leave it up to commands themselves to manage interaction with the working directory.
> * Explicitly specify the behavior of `swift run` to always execute the command in the directory from with `swift run` was run.
>
> In combination, these choices allow `swift run foo ...` to generally behave as it would if the package's products had been built, installed, and run via the shell normally. We believe this allows `swift run ...` to integrate with the shell as naturally as possible.
>
> Thank you to everyone who participated!

### Returned proposals

There was no email on the lists, but [SE-0177](https://github.com/apple/swift-evolution/blob/master/proposals/0177-add-clamped-to-method.md): *Add `clamp(to:)` to the stdlib* was [returned for revision](https://github.com/apple/swift-evolution/commit/27848f930e25feaeeea0188fc34c926181a5b82e#diff-4987d3dddf79dfdceaa0718c5fd2ecac). Given that this hasn't been communicated to swift-evolution (a review never started in the first place), my guess is that this is simply out-of-scope for Swift 4. That, or everyone is too busy preparing for WWDC. 😅

### Mailing lists

Dave Abrahams [pitched a proposal](https://lists.swift.org/pipermail/swift-evolution/Week-of-Mon-20170522/036839.html) to overhaul `String.Index`. You can find the [draft here](https://github.com/dabrahams/swift-evolution/blob/string-index-overhaul/proposals/NNNN-string-index-overhaul.md) and the [pull request here](https://github.com/apple/swift/pull/9806) that implements the changes!

> Today `String` shares an `Index` type with its `CharacterView` but not with its `UTF8View`, `UTF16View`, or `UnicodeScalarView`.  This proposal redefines `String.UTF8View.Index`, `String.UTF16View.Index`, and `String.CharacterView.Index` as typealiases for `String.Index`, and exposes a public `encodedOffset` property and initializer that can be used to serialize and deserialize positions in a `String` or `Substring`.
>
> [...]
>
> The result is a great deal of API surface area for apparently little gain in ordinary code, that normally only interchanges indices among views when the positions match up exactly (i.e. when the conversion is going to succeed).  Also, the resulting code is needlessly awkward.
>
> [Continue reading...](https://github.com/dabrahams/swift-evolution/blob/string-index-overhaul/proposals/NNNN-string-index-overhaul.md)

### Finally

And finally &mdash; [we cannot be trusted with state](https://twitter.com/SwiftMonads/status/869992691358089216).