I want to start this post with a great line said by Paul Solt in InfoWorld, Programming languages don't die easily, but development shops that cling to fading paradigms do. That line clears a lot of things for us. In the dynamic realm of coding and programming, sticking to one language will only bring pain and anguish to your business.
Hold On For A Second!!!
iPhones are popular to highlight class. The use of iPhone is pretty common nowadays. It makes one thing quite clear. When a business is developing a mobile app, they need to consider the iOS platform as many of their customers will be available there.
When we talk about iOS app development for a business, Objective-C is the language which is well-known and frequently practised as well. After WWDC 2014, we all experience a paradigm shift when the developer community of Apple introduced an object-oriented language Swift.
This is where a confusion surfaced gradually as people weren't sure which language they should use to develop iOS applications. By the means of this post, we will spare you of the confusion which clouded most of the business owners. Which programming language to use, Objective-C or Swift?
Without further ado, let's get you started,
A Brief Introduction of Swift
The reason always fascinated me for whom Apple introduced Swift for their programs and applications. Apple may not clear all its goals yet but with the release of Xcode6, Swift, and Playgrounds together indicates that they have intent to make the app development simple and attractive.
Introduction of Objective-C
Objective-C is from that period of time when they acquire the ground from the Windows. It was designed by Brad Cox and Tom Love in 1983. Since then, it was serving the developers a sacred ground to develop software for iOS. After Apple introduce Swift in Word Wide Developers Councils 2014, the paradigm shift.
Difference between Swift & Objective-C
In this section of the post, we will discuss the major points where both of these programming languages are different from each other and how to choose correctly for your mobile app development. So, let's get you started,
The Core Structure
Objective-C is a completely class-based object-oriented language while Swift is an object-oriented language with block structure. Swift is authoritative yet functional in characteristic. Utilizing Objective-C and Swift simultaneously can be helpful in judging which one is better. If you look at the Objective-C structuring, it is quite complicated which hinders the testing and optimization processes. In case of Swift, optimization and testing procedure is quite easy which gives Swift an edge over Objective-C.
The Difference of Features
You know that both the languages are released by Apple Inc. Let's see what they have to say about these two programming languages.
Objective-C is the primary programming language you use when writing software for OS X and iOS. It's a superset of the C programming language and provides object-oriented capabilities and a dynamic runtime. Objective-C inherits the syntax, primitive types, and flow control statements of C and adds syntax for defining classes and methods. It also adds language-level support for object graph management and objects literals while providing dynamic typing and binding, deferring many responsibilities until runtime.
Swift is a powerful and intuitive programming language for macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Writing Swift code is interactive and fun, the syntax is concise yet expressive, and Swift includes modern features developers love. Swift code is safe by design, yet also produces software that runs lightning-fast.
I didn't state any of the two statements. These are described by Apple Inc. This gives ample of ideas what difference these two languages can make.
As per the above statements, Swift is comparatively easy and syntax based programming language with modern features. Allow me to jot down some of the features of both programming languages to clear the gap between them.
Features of Objective-C
In Objective-C classes is the object.
You can use dynamic typing.
You can also opt for static typing which is optional in Objective-C.
Messaging syntax is quite impressive and expressive.
It is simple and introspective as well.
With Objective-C, Apple technologies are accessible.
Features of Swift
Swift is designed for Safety by Apple Inc.
It is deemed to be very fast and powerful.
It consists of multiple interferences which make this programming language interactive as well.
You can add Namespaces.
There are multiple return types.
The syntax is improved and well advanced than Objective-C.
Swift is Objective-C interoperable.
Major Differences in Coding
The major reason to introduce Swift was to cater a proficient and simple way of programming. It makes Swift a far more flexible programming language than Objective-C. The coding of Objective-C is always considered to be difficult since its arrival in the developer's community. The Apple Inc. developed the Swift with the features such as easy maintenance. Also, the code length of Swift is significantly small than that of Objective-C.
Some major coding differences between Swift & Objective-C are,
Objective-C | Swift |
Requires Semicolon every time | Closures Required |
The header files | Codes are generic that makes them simple to comprehend |
Type needs to be declared | There are multiple return types |
KVO & custom setters | You can use namespace |
The Alloc & Init | Liberty to use type interference |
Which of the Programming Language is better for you?
With the above comments, I would like to state that it really depends on the nature of your business. However, if you believe the inputs of developers community, Swift is by far the most modern and advanced programming language than that of Objective-C.
It is once said by one great marketer that, always opt for something that is easily comprehensible. Easy comprehension and features are always the keys when we talk about selecting a programming language in mobile app development.
I know that in the realm of two programming language which is developed by Apple Inc. it is always difficult to choose the right side. But as per the modern technology, choosing a flexible solution is always preferable.
Seasia Infotech is equipped with a team of Swift programmers who can help you in your iOS mobile app development. If you want a quality iOS mobile application, you can opt for Seasia developers and let them handle the procedure for you.
Rest depends on you. I hope that by now you must have understood how you can easily choose Swift over Objective-C. Flexibility and features are the keys in the realm of developers and those who chose them right is the knight here.
Ciao and have a great day. If you feel any confusion then leave a comment and I will get back to you.
