It was for fairly a very long time that Apple working techniques for cell phones, tablets, and computer systems have been primarily developed with Goal-C.
The 12 months 2014 flipped the whole lot round with the presentation of Swift – a contemporary, sooner, and simpler-to-implement programming language. It’s been greater than 10 years because the Swift 1.0 launch, and now, iOS builders predict the Swift 6.0 launch to convey much more highly effective options.
Swift has proved to be a viable different to Goal-C for a lot of tasks, and now, many firms are constructing their iOS apps with Swift tech stack. On this article, we’ll dive into Swift’s particulars and discover out when to make use of this programming language and if current Goal-C continues to be related.
What Is Swift?
Swift is a programming language developed by Apple Inc. and used for constructing native apps that run on the Apple and Linux working techniques.
Whereas Linux is a stand-alone platform, Apple working techniques embrace an entire line of options like iOS for cell phones, macOS for computer systems, iPadOS for tablets, watchOS for smartwatches, and tvOS for Apple TV. Due to this fact, there’s a variety of software program functions that may be developed with Swift.
The Swift language first appeared in 2014 as a substitute answer to Goal-C, which was omnipresent on all of Apple’s platforms. Since its introduction, Swift has shortly gained reputation, and in 2015, it turned open supply. Many builders admit that this programming language is far less complicated to code and simpler to learn.
As we speak, Swift has reached the highest place within the worldwide charts of programming languages. For instance, the TIOBE Index for April 2025 has ranked Swift twenty sixth among the many high 50 programming languages.
Whereas within the PYPL PopularitY of Programming Language Index, Swift charted at quantity 11, and the Stack Overflow Developer survey talked about Swift because the sixteenth most liked improvement language.
Within the survey of 2019, software program developer Andrew Madsen examined the highest 110 apps within the App Retailer with a Python script for leveraging Swift of their supply code. The developer discovered that 42% of the highest 110 apps are developed with the Swift programming language to a larger or lesser extent.
The apps with the most important proportion of Swift-based code seemed to be Walmart for iOS, with 80% of Swift, Microsoft Outlook, and Postmates utilizing 67% of the language, Tinder has 47% of it, and Starbucks consists of 35%.
Actually, a a lot bigger variety of world-known manufacturers construct their apps with Swift, and it’s anticipated to proceed rising in reputation within the close to future.
Benefits of App Improvement with Swift
As with every language, Swift has its personal professionals and cons for. Regardless of some shortcomings, many builders nonetheless favor implementing the Swift code extra for fast and efficient iOS improvement. Let’s take a better take a look at the benefits of Swift.
Open-Supply Availability
Swift is an open-source improvement language. This implies it’s out there for everybody who needs to dive into iOS improvement.
Swift builders can contribute to language improvement, sharing their options regarding bug fixing, greatest items of code, and varied language enchancment concepts. In simply a number of years after changing into an open-source answer, Swift acquired a powerful and supportive group and an in depth variety of third-party improvement instruments.
Quick Improvement
To shortly construct functions, Swift offers software program builders with LLVM instruments, a set of modular and reusable compilers, and toolchain applied sciences. These instruments compile meeting code into machine code, leading to sooner code processing.
Furthermore, in accordance to Apple Inc., Swift is 2.6 instances sooner than Goal-C and as much as 8.4 instances sooner than Python.
Easy to Learn, Simple to Preserve
Swift makes use of easy and expressive syntax and grammar. It’s a lot simpler to learn and write than Goal-C.
Software program builders want to put in writing much less code to create the identical duties in Swift moderately than in Goal-C. This ends in sooner coding, speedy error dealing with, and straightforward upkeep as a consequence of a fewer variety of errors within the code.
Moreover, Swift consists of an Computerized Reminiscence Counting (ARC) function. It tracks and handles the reminiscence utilization within the developed apps, excluding the need to do it manually. This fashion, Swift automates the routine processes of reminiscence administration, assuaging and accelerating the event course of many instances.
Security Options
Swift additionally helps builders shortly outline and eradicate bugs earlier than code compilation. To stop code from crashing, it initializes variables earlier than their use, checks arrays, and integers for overflow, and manages reminiscence with ARC mechanically.
Furthermore, Swift has enhancements in its nil pointer which prevents its objects from being nil by default. This ends in a cleaner and safer code that doesn’t result in any errors throughout its compilation.
Enhanced Group Scalability
With Swift, mission managers can simply scale their improvement groups and add extra builders as wanted. It’s doable as a result of simplicity, brevity, and readability of the programming language.
The specialists in Java, Python, C#, and C++ can code in Swift to some extent as a consequence of its proximity to those languages and English and shallow studying curve.
Interoperability
It’s doable to combine Swift with the Goal-C and Cocoa framework. Software program builders can interchangeably use Goal-C in Swift and Swift in Goal-C. This interoperability is particularly helpful for giant and long-lasting tasks the place software program builders can leverage the outdated and trendy options of the 2 languages in a single mission.
Common Updates
In 2024, Swift builders launched its 5.10.1 model and we are able to await one thing new quickly. Apple often invests in language improvement, making Swift a stable choice for individuals who construct iOS apps regularly.
This fashion, builders can use Swift to construct apps for varied Apple merchandise. Above all, ranging from Swift 5.0, it features a secure utility binary interface (ABI) that enables Apple to supply robust assist for the language throughout the Apple platforms.
Swift Disadvantages
As for the disadvantages, there will not be so lots of them. Nonetheless, they’re necessary to think about in an effort to create first rate iOS functions.
Instability
Swift is a younger improvement language that undergoes varied adjustments and experiments. Because of this it has few customary libraries and a few improvement frameworks.
Although the Swift group is rising quick and has many specialists, it nonetheless might not at all times be doable to seek out all of the programming options shortly compared to different programming languages.
Swift Model Compatibility Points
As Swift builders introduce many language adjustments in its newer variations, it’s liable to model compatibility points. This fashion, if a developer decides to shift to a more moderen model of Swift, they could discover some difficulties, together with the need to rewrite their app’s code.
To deal with this difficulty, Swift builders have created a Swift Migration Instrument for XCode that makes code migration from model to model a lot simpler.
Previous OS Model Compatibility Points
As Swift is a brand new improvement language, it doesn’t work with the outdated OS working techniques. It begins solely with iOS 7, macOS 10.9, and helps later variations. For legacy tasks, software program builders have to make use of a longstanding Goal-C.
Lack of C++ Help
Final however not least, earlier than selecting Swift to your subsequent mission, make sure that it doesn’t depend upon the C++ programming language, as Swift and C++ will not be interoperable.
How It All Began At SCAND
In June 2014, the SCAND cell improvement group, along with different software program improvement specialists, have been watching the annual Apple Worldwide Builders Convention (WWDC).
At that convention, Craig Federighi offered Swift for the primary time. Our group was excited concerning the new language, which generated heated discussions concerning the future and views of iOS improvement.
Though the primary model was fairly uncooked, we understood that Swift would have nice potential. Due to this fact, with the primary Swift documentation and tutorial launch, our iOS group dug into its particulars and began studying this new programming language.
We started creating prototypes primarily based on Swift 1.0 and, with time, began discovering new improvement practices, changing into an increasing number of skilled within the language.
The SCAND specialists have been studying Swift and evaluating it to the event of then current Goal-C. This helped us make an in depth research of the variations between the 2 improvement languages, their very own professionals and cons, and for what tasks it’s higher to make use of one language over one other.
Now, SCAND builders extensively use Swift for iPhone app improvement. This programming language permits the constructing of highly effective and efficient apps for varied industries, together with FinTech, m-commerce, healthcare, leisure, and others.
Furthermore, our group has studied the perfect practices for utilizing Swift along with Goal-C to contribute probably the most to the app improvement tasks.
Why Goal-C Is Nonetheless Fashionable
Swift is shortly conquering the OS improvement area, however does it imply that the time of Goal-C has handed? Though Swift is less complicated to study and, in comparison with Goal-C, has extra trendy instruments and properties, Goal-C will stick with us for longer.
The actual fact is Goal-C has a big codebase, and lots of apps nonetheless have this language at their core. It’s hardly doable to rebuild all these options and libraries developed with Goal-C only for the sake of utilizing a brand new language.
Furthermore, this programming language has existed for greater than 20 years within the improvement market and is far more secure than Swift.
Apple builders have discovered a method to unite the 2 languages. It’s to enhance compatibility between the 2. Due to this fact, Goal-C creators nonetheless replace this language to higher modify it to Swift.
There are a number of instances when Goal-C works higher than Swift for OS improvement:
- A big codebase written in Goal-C, e.g., in case your mission has greater than 100,000 code strains written on this language, it’s not value switching to Swift;
- In case you plan to construct a framework or SDK, then Goal-C is a more sensible choice as a result of lack of Swift ABI stability, which can end in poor communication between the weather within the equipment code;
- In case your tasks are constructed with C or C++ third-party frameworks, as Swift isn’t appropriate with these programming languages.
Conclusion on Swift Programming Language
Swift is a younger, shortly creating programming language constructed with efficiency in thoughts. Many software program builders favor this programming language because it’s a lot simpler to put in writing and skim, debug, and preserve, and it gives trendy improvement instruments.
In the meantime, many companies are additionally beginning to rent cell builders who work with Swift because it permits constructing highly effective and efficient iOS software program options a lot sooner and at an inexpensive value.