Regarding iOS development and how the conversation has evolved over the past decade, we have seen support from Apple’s side to help developers overcome all sorts of problems and improve extensively.
The development cycle can be a long and tedious process. Still, despite everything, developers are lined up to learn how the Apple framework functions and how they can help create digital products for Apple devices.
It comes to the usage of Swift and Objective-C. Both languages have helped develop the Apple ecosystem drastically – the growth has been exponential and consistent. With each iOS update, we can see how far Apple has progressed in software.
If we look at the discourse between Swift and Objective-C, there is no doubt that Swift wins over and is the default choice for most developers in Miami. However, we cannot overlook the impact Objective-C has made over the past few decades – it has been the foundation stone.
In this blog, we will look at both programming languages in detail. Take a quick glimpse and observe what makes each special. The goal is to ignite a culture where iOS developers should be well aware of the history of the language.
Objective-C
Objective-C went a long way back to the 1980s and was created as an extension of C to be better. An object-oriented language that enables projects to flow through a seamless linear progression line, Objective-C is a general-based solution for developers.
In the 1980s and 90s – basically during the inception of Apple devices, Objective-C played a significant role in creating a dynamic runtime environment and objective-oriented frameworks. All of this happened when Apple was in the process of acquiring NeXT and developers were keen on working with Objective-C.
Swift
As the name suggests, Swift was Apple’s attempt at changing the game for developers and the entire Apple ecosystem by launching a fully-fledged robust, and intuitive programming language that meets high-quality standards.
Swift has always had the upper hand in an open-source alternative to Objective-C, crediting the Apple-backed support. Throughout its tenure, since 2014, Swift has gone through massive updates and is now more stable than ever before. Better libraries and updated compiler settings enable more room for developers to explore.
Swift is modern, adaptable, safe to use, and includes an immersive experience for the developer. A simple syntax with complex functionality makes Swift fun and easy to use.
Comparison: Swift and Objective-C
It might seem surprising how Objective-C and Swift are still not wholly separable from each other, and developers prefer to work on Swift while overseeing previous libraries and ideations from Objective-C. While keeping project requirements in mind, the best tech stack is one that utilizes both languages to a certain degree.
It is better if we go through a detailed comparison where individual features and functions are looked at. The goal is to see how they rank on different factors and help you sort out the differences.
IDE
For a developer, this is one of the most critical and defining factors in choosing a language. The right integrated development environment (IDE) will create a seamless and productive experience for the developer – boosting the product launch cycle and enabling a better ecosystem altogether.
With Objective-C, the default IDE is Xcode IDE, and it has been a classic name throughout its run. Xcode includes the basics like frameworks, APIs, a robust compiler, and additional tools to help ease the journey for developers. With a built-in interface editor and live updates on syntax errors, coding is relatively more straightforward with Xcode.
Now, with Swift, Xcode is integrated with Cocoa over here. With Swift Playgrounds included, it is a fun experience where even those with little to no coding experience can see what a Swift development environment looks like.
Performance and Speed
Developers on different forums have stated that initiating a project on Swift leaves them with 30% code ideations. The same code with Objective-C will cover 70% more space and require more lines. The compiler speed increases and debugging issues could pop up.
And in terms of performance, Apple stated that Swift is 2.6x faster than its predecessor, but figures show that Swift might be far better than that.
Code written with Swift includes type checking with reduced compile time. Swift included a better memory management system with ARC (Automatic Reference Counting), and dynamic libraries are a part of boosting the development process.
Community and Insights
Now, overlooking the drawbacks of Objective-C, there is no denying that the community support and conversations around the language have been around since the 1980s. Objective-C has a rich history, and although millennials prefer Swift over it – to look at libraries, source code, and seeking help basically – it has always won over.
But at the same time, Swift communities are innovation-driven, and there are interesting conversations around how the language is evolving and how each stakeholder – developers, project managers, business strategists, and everyone else can play a role in creating better Apple products.
What does the Future Looks Like?
Speaking of the future, Swift is the way forward, while Objective-C will be wholly reduced to a reference tool. And this is a good thing.
Objective-C is still very much included in the conversation and will act as a helping hand to Swift. All stakeholders should consider both languages when working on an Apple product while focusing on Swift.
- Swift is at a level with C++
- Swift is easy to adapt and learn
- A better interactive approach (compilers and unified files)
- Better memory alignments
- Apple powers Swift
Final Thoughts
Again, look around and see what different businesses are doing. A mobile app game development company will look at Swift differently than another company. Sort your project goals and see how you would make the most out of them.
Before initiating any development process, it is vital to consider the ideation stage and see what kind of native language would work – a rough blueprint of the sort.
