Swift: Programming Language for iOS and Apple macOS

Apple has always been a very special company, and it wants that theirs is only theirs. macOS, iOS and other operating systems are very closed systems that work perfectly within their own ecosystem but that outside it do not get along very well with their rivals. So closed is its ecosystem that it even has its own programming language, Objective-C , which has been used for years to create its own programs. Times change, and although Apple does not open, it has wanted to facilitate and speed up the creation of new apps for its computers and devices, and this is how the Swift programming language was born .

Swift is a programming language , created by Apple, that was presented at WWDC 2014. This programming language was born as a much simpler, intuitive and powerful alternative to Objetive-C. This language is characterized by being clear and concise, thus reducing errors in programs and helping to have a much more precise syntax.

Objective-C or Swift? Advantages and disadvantages

Objetive-C is a very old programming language and, although it is one of the most powerful and versatile, its learning is very complicated. If we do not have experience as programmers, this programming language may even seem cryptic to us, a language where it is very easy to make a mistake and make all the code fall apart.

Since programming is generating more and more interest among all kinds of users, Apple wanted to facilitate the creation of programs within its own ecosystem, thus creating Swift. This programming language is somewhat more limited than Objective-C, but it has a much simpler and more direct syntax.

Both Swift and Objetive-C are looking to interact with the Apple API : Cocoa and Cocoa Touch , both macOS and iOS APIs. In a more or less complicated way, what is sought with both programming languages is to take advantage of this API so that the necessary interfaces or interactions can be created for its correct operation.

Swift has a number of advantages over its rival, such as:

Much more modern language with a great future ahead.
Clearer, concise, clean and simple code.
More powerful data types.
Automatic memory management.
Better performance on iOS and macOS.
Much more complete, simple and intuitive debugging.
Up to 2.6 times faster than Objective-C, and up to 8.4 times faster than Python.

On the other hand, Objetive-C also has a number of advantages that we must take into account:

Support for protocols.
More selectors and categories.
Advanced blocks.
First responders.

Which is better?

So which one should I use? Is it necessary to change from one to the other? If we are good programmers and we want to always be up to date, or we want to start from scratch, it is best to do it directly with Swift. This programming language has several advantages that, without a doubt, make it worth dedicating yourself to it. However, it is not mandatory. If we are experienced users of Objetive-C, we will be able to continue using this language without problems.

Now, if we have already worked with Objetive-C and we want to go to Swift, we will not have problems. Although they are different languages, they have many similarities between them to quickly learn to defend ourselves with the new one.

Learn to program

If we are thinking of learning to program in Swift, there are several totally free resources that we can turn to. For example, Apple gives us a book entitled ” The Swift Programming Language ” that allows us to take the first steps within this programming language. Apple also invites us to access its developer portal from where we can access a large number of resources such as guides, videos and sample code to always be up to date.

Furthermore, to program in this language, we must use the IDE Xcode, a programming environment and compiler exclusive to macOS. If we have already programmed Objective-C before, we will be familiar with it.

Finally, Apple has a most interesting project to help users learn to program in this programming language: Swift Playgrounds . This app is a mix between programming IDE and iPad game that teaches programming with Swift in an easy and fun way. It is perfect for students who want to start learning this language, since it starts with the concepts, and even for children, since it allows them to have a first contact with programming in a fun way.

This app teaches us all the basics about this programming language, such as: