Developers need modern and intuitive programming languages to develop apps on iOS. After all, there’s an insatiable hunger for apps on Apple platforms, with the mobile app market size expected to grow to $1.1 trillion by 2034. Overly complex languages created for other platforms did the job for many years, but a customized platform, specifically one that’s been built for the operating system the code will run on, creates a more natural and efficient way to program. This is why many businesses turn to a Swift app development company that specializes in Apple’s native language to maximize performance and user experience.
Apple’s powerful programming language, released in 2014 to replace Objective-C, was designed specifically for creating apps on Apple’s proprietary platforms, namely iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Apple introduced Swift as a way to help programmers easily develop and code safe and secure apps with top performance.
Indeed, Swift has enjoyed great success. As the Swift community grows and the demand for apps continues, what do software engineers, mobile developers, and programming enthusiasts need to know about writing Swift code and undertaking Swift projects?
In this guide, we’ll highlight the advantages of using Swift and explaining its features. We’ll also share why the Swift language is so significant when it comes to developing on Apple’s platforms. If you want to explore a specific area, here’s what we cover:
- Why Apple Introduced Swift
- Swift’s Core Features & Capabilities
- Who Choose Swift For Your Organization or Education?
- Quick Look at Real-World Applications
- The Future of Swift
From Objective-C to Swift: The TLDR on Why Apple Introduced Swift
Long before Swift, Apple had a long history with Objective-C, a general-purpose programming language that was created in the early 1980s as a more flexible alternative to C. When Steve Jobs left Apple in 1985, he founded NeXT, which used Objective-C as the foundation of its operating system. NeXT was acquired by Apple in 1996 and became the primary language used to develop apps for and by Apple.
Although Objective-C code served Apple well for decades, it was a fairly complex language that lacked clean syntax. Apple built Swift as an alternative and released it in 2014, hoping that it would make it easier for programmers to write code while also offering improved safety and performance. To make the jump to Swift, Apple used type interference, options, and closures to reduce runtime crashes and make the code clearer. These efforts would reduce the chance that programmers would encounter errors while reducing compile time.
ft. Organizations that want to expand their reach and offer more value to their customers need to understand Swift when it comes time to improve or develop apps—even if they hire external programmers to complete the job.
Faster and More Efficient Development
Developers using Swift can develop fast, and luckily, this speed does not come at a cost. Swift allows for clean, maintainable code and helps minimize bugs and other issues. For example, companies like Slack have adopted Swift to refactor and modernize portions of their iOS applications. This transition has not only shortened development time but also reduced maintenance costs, as cleaner code is easier to update and less prone to errors.
Reduction in Costs
When development is complex, it takes a long time to create and iterate. Swift helps organizations reduce technical debt so they can spend time on other business objectives rather than on long development cycles and constant troubleshooting. As a technical leader who understands Swift, you can bring a large amount of value to an organization by helping to reduce costs.
A Growing Ecosystem and Future-Proofing
Swift’s status as an open-source language puts it at the forefront of technical advancement, as its community constantly contributes to improving it. This evolving ecosystem not only supports various use cases but also future-proofs Swift to adapt as new business needs and platforms emerge. If you, as a developer or technical leader, use Swift, you’ll also be future-proofing your career.
Real-World Applications and Success Stories
Many of the largest, most profitable, and well known companies use Swift. That’s because Swift not only helps tailor their iOS applications to users but also performs extremely well. After all, no company wants an iOS app that constantly crashes.
Here are a few examples of real applications and success stories to give you a sense of how modern teams have used Swift to successfully build and maintain iOS apps:
Embrace Swift for the Future
It’s clear that Swift is an essential part of developing on iOS. These days, embracing Swift programming is fundamental. After all, Swift’s modern syntax, robust safety features, and seamless integration with legacy systems have made it easy for developers to build, maintain, and scale applications.
Swift isn’t going anywhere. Apple continues to invest in the language with things like Swift Concurrency and SwiftUI, which simplify asynchronous programming and create even more responsive interfaces. As mentioned above, Swift’s open-source model has created an active community of developers that are easy to bring Swift into the future. Whether you’re interested in using Swift for your organization or see the language as part of your personal career path, Swift is clearly a choice that will bring you into the future.
Adopting Swift is a smart investment for creating innovative, high-performance digital products. Those who use Swift’s modern features will be better prepared to meet digital demands and adapt to future challenges.
