Objective-C is Dead

When it comes to developing an iOS app, you have may face the dilemma of choosing between Objective-C and Swift. It's pretty common now because both these scripting languages have become competitors. After tech giant Apple, launched Swift in 2014, it has caused a lot of confusion and discussion in the app developer community as most of the developers were using Objective-C for developing iOS-based apps.

Swift was created to replace the Objective-C as it was in use since 1983. Apple claims that Swift is much better than its predecessor and offers a lot more that will help developers in creating fantastic apps for the users. But is that really so? Let's find out.

Is Swift the Future of iOS App Development?

In a very short time, almost all mobile app development companies have adopted Swift. According to a recent survey, 59% of developers are building an iOS app using Swift, and still there are 39% who prefer Objective-C for this process.

The primary benefit of using Swift is that it has a pretty simple and small code which allows app developers to quickly build fully-functional apps. Yahoo Weather and LindkedIn were the first ones to come up with the Swift-based app. Moreover, iOS apps written using Swift are easier to maintain, lighter, and ready for the future.

Here are some of the major advantages of using Swift over Objective-C for building apps:

1. Swift is Faster: C++ is known as one of the fastest coding languages in the industry and Swift performance is very much similar to C++. Additionally, Apple regularly rolls out updates that are aimed to improve the speed and stability of Swift so that iPhone apps development can be done in a smooth manner. Objective-C is slower than Swift because it contains C API legacy.

2. Swift is Easier to Read: Objective-C is in use from past three decades and hence has more clunky syntax- whereas Swift, on the other hand, is quite easy to read and learn. Just like C++, C#, JavaScript, and Python, Swift codes are also flexible and simple. App developers who are familiar with the above-mentioned languages will pick up Swift.

3. Swift Playground encourages Interactive Coding: This playground is a new tool which has proven to be beneficial for amateur programmers. It offers an interactive coding environment where developers can test run their codes, without any need to create the complete project.

4. Swift requires Less Code: Swift-based apps can be developed with very fewer codes, whereas Objective-C is full of codes which make it hectic to learn especially for the newbies. Apart from that, the Objective-C uses string manipulation and Swift uses string interpolation without any use of tokens and placeholders. Less code equals better readability and high reusability.

5. Swift is Safer: Unlike Objective-C, Swift codes doesn't use any pointers. These pointers can sometimes lead to vulnerabilities in app security. Pointers can create a barrier to identifying and fixing bugs that sometimes slow down the performance of an app. With Swift, app developers feel more secure and can protect their app from unwanted errors.

6. Swift is a Full Featured Coding Language: Recently, Apple launched the second version of Swift which comes with several major changes. One of the significant changea is that now developers can use any operating system to develop iOS apps. Along with that, they can now take their Objective-C based project to the Swift without compromising on the quality.