> You can code on it

In castrated terminal that is walking on the edge of what is "permitted" by overlords.

Or are you talking about open thin IDE that connects to a remote machine in a browser?

So the second one.

You can’t compile on it. You can’t run software in the background (for example a terminal, where you don’t have to bring the app to the foreground every few minutes). You can’t install software on it that Apple doesn’t want you to (regardless of whether or not they’re malicious). And the software you can run is more likely than not a subscription, because the only place you can buy it is the App Store, which pushes the subscription model unto users and devs.

You also can't run servers which writes off huge parts of web development.

You can't install a random program. You need to go through the appstore for everything. There is no shared filesystem. Trying to export an image from a photo editing app takes a couple of seconds just to build the list of possible target apps. Everything is not only gratuitously complex, but reminds you you're not in control. You're a guest in Apple's world, instead of Apple being there to serve you.

Can you expand on how you code on an iPad? (the IDE, the languages and the kind of compilation you do (or lack of))