Swift programming language was released in 2014 by Apple Inc. It is a generalized, open source, and compiled programming language that evolved from Objective-C language and consisted of its runtime libraries. It is used for macOS and native iOS development, with the influence of Python language. In addition, WordPress, LinkedIn, and related apps are Swift coded.
Swift has created an iOS development job market with more than two million jobs in the US. An estimated average salary of an iOS developer is $117,000 in the US market. With the ease of learning the Swift language, the global app development job market is expected to expand.
Characteristics of Swift:
Swift language able you to:
- Write recalling functions and defining structures within a single file
- Catching runtime errors
- Building, running and testing executable Swift libraries
- Use the LLDB debugging tool for an incorporated debugger and malfunction recovery.
- Use protocols for defining behavior instead of global functions
- Maintain or manage memory through ARC or Automatic Reference Counting
- Write in a clutter-free syntax for optimization
- Use tuples for returning multiple values as a single value unit
- Use the newest library version for running the code without recompiling
Pros and Cons of Swift:
Open Source:
Swift is an open-source language licensed under Apache 2.0 and available to the public. Source code is available on a public platform, GitHub, from which it can be pulled, worked upon and injected into the project.
Fast Speed:
As the name depicts, the speed for compiling data is much faster than Objective-C. It amends arrays into structures that allow quick code functioning.
With less memory requirement, it uses structures. It is proven to have proficient memory utilization with SDK classes. An average algorithm execution is 2.5 times quicker than Objective-C.
Simplicity:
The language is easy to read/write code, with uncomplicated syntax and up-to-date programming language theory. It is user-friendly and comprehendible for beginners.
Safe:
AI coding in Swift is more straightforward yet safe, as code is thoroughly checked and unsafe code is removed. In addition, an error is generated as soon as a wrong code is written, which helps to save time taken in debugging.
Multiple support systems:
Swift is compatible with various platforms, including Linux, macOS, WatchOS, and iOS, and thus software can be coded for multiple operating systems. In addition, it is compatible with any device.
Community:
Less than five percent of the developers’ community use Swift. However, it has the potential to grow in the developer’s market as people are self-learning the language.
Most developers are uncertain about completely switching over to Swift, as they perceive it as a compiled language for Apple products rather than a technical language.
Less established language:
Experienced coders might need to learn and establish a base with extra resources.
As it is a statically-typed language, objects cannot be changed. However, they can only be self-explained.
Learning Swift Language:
As Swift is an open-source language, Apple offers many sources for potential developers to learn Swift.
iBooks documented by Apple are freely available online that can help to teach the basics of app development and their life cycle.
Udemy offers a free course in learning the iOS framework for beginners. It helps in learning XCode and the iOS toolbox.