#swift_language

Programming languages keep on entering the world of technology to ease the way developers write code as well as solve critical functionalities through libraries and as a result we always have one or the other language supersede the other. We have see how Kotlin took over from Java as the official programming language for Android Mobile applications and now we will see how introduction of Swift, language developed by Google took over from Objective-C. People say swift brings out a lot of objective without the traditional “C”. We will see here in details what they mean by comparing the differences and how Swift as really made it easier for IOS appdevelopers to write code as well as maintain it.

Why did the need Arise?

So why another programming language for IOS App Development. So let’s quickly review what Objective-C kind of made developers move so easily:

1) Syntax of objective-C – for developers who have used this they will agree to the same. Objective-C’s syntax as well as use of [ ], @, *, **, is difficult if a developer is moving from another programming language to Objective-C

2) Lengthy – the code in Objective-C is lengthier than the newer programming language

3) Memory Management in objective-C

So now let’s look at how Swift does this better with and what else is good about Swift?

Swift was introduced in 2014 by Apple, and thereafter started getting popular very quickly because of its easily readable syntax as compared to objective – C and also easy of writing code. But its very important for developers to actually first learn Application development in Objective-C without moving directly to Swift. This will help them understand and upgrade faster to Swift rather than directly learning the newer language.

So lets look at the dynamic features of Swift to understand its popularity:

1) Clean Syntax – This is the biggest advantage of using Swift; the syntax is so clean and concise and it is easier to read and write code. We no longer have to use semi colons or parenthesis to work with loops. Swift works with plain English rather than complex use of punctuations which makes a developers world miserable. This functionality helps any developers having exposure with other programming languages easily migrate into Swift.

2) Fixes Code as you write: With Swift you don’t need to wait for run time compilation errors to rectify bad programming errors; you can fix it as you write code.

3) Less Lines of Code: Because of the ease of syntax and support of playing with text strings and data Swift provides lesser lines of code than Objective-C.

4) Fast Paced: With Swift we can see the commitment of Apple to improve the speed at which the Application logic is run. We have seen a lot of Application crashes under Objective-C which has been reduced considerably with Swift.

So by now, you all might be inquisitive to start working on Swift and get going. For all developers that have already implemented applications in Objective-C don’t worry; here are options that will help you easily get you on boarded with Swift. Switching to Swift from objective-C for an already implemented/executing project is doable and this activity is called bridging which is done by header files but this depends on the size of the project.

Secondly, XCode helps create the bridging file to ensure the code is compiled and executed correctly.

I hope this article was useful for users that are either curious to know about swift and/or for users that are planning to switch. TOPS Technologies provides training on latest versions of IOS with Swift with hands on practical and project exposure to make your learning easy and fast.