Dedicating 6 years in improving & using the Objective-C, Apple finally decided to snap another challenge to developers. Again, iOS developers will have to learn this new programming language – Swift.
In this article, we are going to look at some points of Swift compared to Objective-C. If you know Objective-C (at least the basics) then this tutorial is best suited to you and want to see what the equivalents are in Swift.
So let’s get into it!
Swift Language is Easier than the Objective-C:
~ Objective-C has been created using two languages: C and Smalltalk. hence, Objective-C has such a complex, Verbus Syntax.
~ Objective-C obtains its object syntax from Smalltalk while Syntax for the non-objective operations is similarly as C.
~ While the Swift Language is an option to the Objective-C language, the Swift Language is defined as “Objective-C without the C”.
~ Swift is a comparatively a new programming language. Apple started to work on Swift in 2010 and published it to the public in 2014. In 2015, Swift graced open source. It rejects the Smalltalk and C heritage and has all the features that modern programming languages have: generics, high-ordered functions, type interfaces, Optionals.
Swift Support Modern Programming Language Features
Swift rejects the Smalltalk and C Heritages and has all the Features that Modern Programming languages have:
Generics
Generics code allows you to write adaptable, reusable functions and types that can work with any type, subject to requirements that you specify.
Optionals
Optionals are dominant features in Swift Language which come to resolve the intricacy of non-existing value.
Type Interface
Type interface refers to the automatic detection of the data type of an expression in a Programming Languages.
High-Order Functions
High Order Functions is a function that you can pass arguments of other functions.
The Following Some High-order functions is:
✓Map
✓Filter
✓Reduce
✓FlatMap
✓Chaining
Swift is Faster than the Objective-C
~ iOS development with Swift is much faster than in Objective-C.
~ The Swift usage of generics and higher_order functions results in cleaner, more reusable code.
~ Optionals and type interface resulted in the responsibility for the code safety being transferred from the programmer to the compilation.
~ Let programmers write some lines of code with the similar effect as in Objective-C.
~ This helps to make the development process faster.
Swift is Safer
~ Because of its Features – generics, optionals, and type interference – all the apps being developed in Swift are less likely to have bugs or crash than other apps developed in Objective-C.
~ To present an anticipated behaviour Swift triggers a runtime crease if a nil optional variable is used. This crash provides consistent behaviour, which eases the bug-fixing method because it limits the programmers in fixing those issue right away.
~ The Swift runtime crash will halt on the line of code where a nil optional variable is used.
~ This indicates the bug will be fixed sooner or bypassed completely in Swift code.
Apple is focused on Swift
~ Apple continually develops these languages and providing continuous support to the Community. In every WWDC there are a bunch of amazing technical talks about Swift; the time indicating that Swift should be taken seriously.
Swift is easier to read
~ Objective-C suffers all moles you expect from a language built on C.
~ But in the Swift falls the legacy conversations. Therefore, you no longer need semicolons to end lines or punctuation to encircle conditional expressions inside if/else statements.
~ The Result is Cleaner and a more expressive language with a simplified syntax and grammar.
Easy to Maintain Codes
~ Swift code almost follows natural English, in addition to other modern programming languages.
~ And then it also very easy to understand the code and then make the necessary changes simple in Swift.
Swift requires less Code
~ Swift decreases the amount of code required for repeated statements and string manipulation. In Objective-C, working with text strings is very tedious and demands many steps to combine two pieces of information. Swift embraces modern programming language features like adding two strings together with a “+” operator, that is missing in Objective-C.
~ The type system in Swift decreases the intricacy of code statements — as the compiler can understand the types. As an example, Objective-C needs programmers to remember special string tokens (%s, %d, %@) and implement a comma-separated list of variables to replace each token.
Version History of Swift
✓ Swift 1.1
✓ Swift 1.2
✓ Swift 2.0
✓ Swift 3.0
✓ Swift 4.0
✓ Swift 4.1
✓ Swift 4.2
~ In a short span of time, Apple has invented many versions of Swift. It has features that are an easier language and provides good features for developing an iOS app.
~ The Apple is regularly updating the Swift Language and making it more easy for us to use each day.
Third Party Library
~ In day-to-day many third-party libraries are converting in Swift rather than the Objective-C.
Your popularity will increase with your developer’s team
~ According to a 2017 Stack OverFlow Developers Survey, Swift is at the forefront of the most favoured programming language, while the Objective-C is the most dreaded one.
~ Swift syntax is easier to understand for the developer’s team, they can easily understand each other’s codes.
Swift Support Dynamic Libraries
~ Powerful libraries had never been supported on iOS until the launch of Swift and iOS 8, despite powerful libraries were supported on Mac for a long time. These dynamic libraries are external to the app are executable but have been included within the app bundle downloaded from the App Store. It decreases the original size of an app as it is loaded into memory since the external code is linked only when used.
~ As a result, the executable is smaller and, because the code is loaded only when it is needed, the startup time is usually faster.
Conclusion
If you are looking for iOS development with Swift then you can get in touch with us and we will provide you with the best. You can also hire iOS developers from us for your projects. If you any queries you can also write back to us on [email protected].