Swift programming language

Swift is a powerful yet easy-to-use programming language, a powerful compiled, general-purpose, multi-paradigm created by Apple. The language was developed in 2014 as a replacement for Objective-C, which lacked modern features. Though Swift has new feature capabilities, its design still interoperates with the existing Apple’s Objective-C code. 

Currently, there are over 40 versions of Swift. The first release (Swift 1.0) was released on September 9, 2014. This version was for macOS. Swift 5.2.5, the latest version, was released on August 5, 2020, and packs lots of powerful features. 

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Over the years, the development of Swift is a product of in-depth research and experience gained while building Apple platforms. With Swift, you can create interactive codes with a concise yet expressive syntax. Additionally, the code has a safe design, and the general software runs extremely fast. Parameters within Swift are in clean syntax, making APIs much easier to read and maintain. Better still, typing semicolons is no longer a requirement. 

The modules provide namespaces and eliminate headers while the inferred types construct clean codes. Swift supports international languages because the strings are Unicode-correct. Besides, they use a UTF-8 based encoding for performance optimizations. These properties also support the use of emojis. 

Safety: there is variable initialization before use, automatic memory management, checking for overflow in integers and arrays, and exclusive access to memory enforcement to cushion against common programming mistakes. 

First Language: besides being easy to learn, Swift provides the Swift playground that offers an interactive and fun platform for Swift Code beginners. 

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Fast & Powerful: Swift uses the high-performance LLVM compiler technology, which transforms Swift code into optimized native code that gets the most out of modern hardware. Additionally, its library and syntax have been tuned to an obvious way of writing codes, regardless of the platform. 

Backend development with Swift

Swift is an up-and-coming general-purpose scripting language, and it’s one of the best languages you can utilize for backend programming. Swift was created for Apple devices, and creating App for Apple devices is quite sophisticated. So, in developing an agile Swift application, developers need a robust and functional backend. 

Swift is continually evolving, and that adds stability to this language. The additional features catapult the server-side projects. In 2015, Swift became available for Linux (open source). It was buggy and lacked the majority of languages currently available. 

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Swift 5 came with a lot of stability to build a reliable backend server. Ideally, Swift 5.0 lets you develop an app in the binary without including the entire standard library and runtime. The release of Swift 5.1 6 months later came with module stability. 

Swift Package Manager (SPM)

Though not completely thorough, Swift Package Manager with the XCode 11 allows complete integration; thus, developers can integrate 3rd party dependencies with iOS applications. The idea behind Swift was to boost open-source swift packages, tools, and libraries to the server-side., a very successful approach. 

What are the limitations of SPM? You cannot refresh a single package in XCode; instead, you must refresh the whole dependency tree. Undoubtedly, working with the entire dependency tree takes a little longer, especially when it’s big. Again, building and distributing dynamic libraries can be a little challenging.  

Backend developers’ Swift packages include SwiftNIO, AsyncHTTPClient, AWS SDK Swift, Swift AWS Lambda Runtime, and the Swift Service Lifecycle. These packages provide lots of options for developers to create a backend app. However, the most popular Swift framework is the Vapor & Feather. Other common frameworks to help you build a functional backend are Backtrace, Metrics, Crypto, and Log.

Swift is ideal for the backend because it is safe and faster. Besides, Swift can run on multiple platforms and has a less steep learning curve. 

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Swift vs. C++

Swift and C++ are some of the best languages around. Bot languages boast of demon speeds and clear codes. But what do they stand for?

C++ is object-oriented, imperative, and has generic scripting features. At the same time, it provides enough facilities to handle low-level memory manipulation. With C++, you can compile the native code, making it one of the fastest languages when adequately optimized. 

On the other hand, Swift is a relatively new innovative programming language for Cocoa and Cocoa Touch. Swift offers a fun and interactive way to write codes with a concise and expressive syntax. Whether you want to create a new iOS or OS X project or manipulate your current project, Swift gives you an easy allowance since its code can work with Objective-C side-by-side. 

When comparing these two languages, consider their characteristics:

• Code comments – both languages have similar code commends but a small tweak. The Swift multiline, you can comment and nest while the C++ allows comment but cannot nest. 
• Constants and variables – both languages are strictly typed but can utilize type inference. 
• Strings – double-quoted literals are treated as string types by Swift. However, C++ treats them as zero-terminated const char[]. However, C++ lacks a standard string type. Both languages support Unicode, with Swift providing the String type while C++ std::u16string.
• Arrays – C++ features std::vector while Swift supports dynamically-growable arrays. Both features offer similar functionality.
• Dictionaries – Swift comes with inbuilt support for dictionaries, while C++ features std::unordered map and std::map. Additionally, both languages allow the developer to check for the existence of keys. 
• Switch statements – the two languages have different default behaviors; Swift has an automatic break at the end of case statements while C++ falls through to the next case. To fall through a Swift case, use the keyword fall through, but in C++, removing the break results in a fallthrough.  

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Disadvantages of Swift

By 2019, 22.1 % of all devices had an iOS installation, making it the second popular mobile platform. For iOS developers, the most viable decision is selecting the right tech stack. Native app development can be a little specific; so, deciding on the language is essential. Swift being a compiled language and being specific for iOS, macOS, tvOS, watchOS, and Linux applications can make it easier for Apple app developers. 

The advantages of using Swift include:

Rapid app Development Process

Swift is an expressive and clean language; it’s straightforward to write and read, thanks to the simplified grammar and syntax. Ideally, there is less code performing compared to programming languages like Objective-C. 

What’s impressive is that the App’s memory usage is managed by Automatic Reference Counting, saving the developer’s time. 

Applications Scalability:

You can quickly grow your projects in Swift depending on the needs. This makes a future proof development tool. Typically, Swift allows you to extend its functionalities and the team working on it. And the process is faster of onboarding is faster because of the concise and straightforward codebase. Remember, the Swifts code is near English; therefore, new members can easily read it.

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Apple has more support for Swift than Objective-C. 

Better Performance and Safety

Swift has better performance and speed, which has shown to outperform previous languages. Swift is 40% speedier than Objective-C. Besides, Swift has better error handling capabilities, strong typing, and it’s safe. Therefore, there is less likelihood of having errors and code crashes since developers can spot errors easily and fix them on the go. 

Can Integrate with Objective-C easily.

Most developers’ observation is that Objective-C and Swift coexist perfectly. You can use Swift to add new features to existing Objective-C. Similarly, you can add Objective-C elements in the new swift project. So, you can use the two languages interchangeably within a similar project. 

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Swift tutorial

Learning Swift is a bit straightforward compared to other programming languages considering it’s near English. Therefore, you can quickly begin making iOS apps. Essential things to learn include Constants, data types, math operators, the IF statement, and the Switch statement. 

But first, you’ll need to download XCode from the Mac App Store. This program (XCode) is the IDE – integrated development environment, i.e., a program providing the tools to write software. Besides, it lets you run and test codes on the computer.

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So, download, install and launch XCode. It comes with essential elements for your coding. They include:

1. Code editor: this is the platform to type the swift code 
2. Line numbers: critical in helping you refer to different code lines 

Sometimes you may lack the line numbers; enable them by clicking XCode, then Preferences, Text Editing, and Line Numbers. Here, you can turn them on or off. Now, when you move the mouse over the lines, it displays a blue play icon. When you click on the icon, it executes the highlighted code on the left.

But if you place the mouse over line 5 and run it, XCode runs all the codes from the first to the 5th code. 

1. Status bar: it informs of the latest status of the Playground. A ready status indicates that XCode is ready to accept and run a code. 
2. Show/Hide Debug: lets you show/hide the debug/console area, i.e., the area for testing the code. 
3. Execute Playground: runs all codes. When you hold down the play button, you get two options, i.e., Manually Run or Automatically Run. 

While coding, you’ll be giving the computer instructions to process data. 

Variables help to track data within an app. To declare a variable, type the keyword (var) followed by variable name but with space between them. Add equal sign followed by the data to specify, e.g., var firstName = “Tom.”

Swift for beginners

Being a beginner on a programming language platform can be frustrating. However, there are lots of user-friendly materials to get you started on Swift. Various platforms offer introductory courses to newer coders to help them build iOS applications. 

Basically, new coders start with fundamentals then build up to more complex aspects. This learning follows a structured arrangement so that potential coders do not miss essential aspects. 

The first step is learning how to install the XCode and build a playground. Here, you’ll need to understand the different Apple Operating system and their applications:

• iOS -for iPhones and iPads
• macOS – for desktop 
• watchOS – runs native apps in appl watches. 
• tvOS – for Apple TV 

Additionally, you need a basic understanding of Swift and different versions of Swift to select the right version to develop app development.  

The second is learning variables and constants. This lesson tacks the building block of Swift, i.e., variables and constants. Ideally, variable allows developers to store data to be used to mold the behavior of an app. On the other hand, a constant stores data that you cant change later—separating constants and variables XCode to notice mistakes and prompts developers. Besides, Constant allows XCode to make decisions. 

Third, learning Strings – representing a character sequence. Strings are essential for both backend and frontend processing. They are vital for labels, texts on the user interface, and buttons. 

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Fourth, the If Statements, which teaches you how to control how to execute swift code. Besides, you’ll get knowledge about the ‘else statement,’ which is counter to the ‘if statement. This lesson is vital in helping you execute a code based on a defined logic. 

Lastly, the Swift Functions. Functions allow developers to organize and reuse the codes. Any iOS developer must understand functions to develop stellar applications. 

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Other important things to learn along the way include extensions, string interpolations, operators, data types, dictionaries, and conditional statements. 

Swift vs. Java

Java and Swift are two crucial programming languages with different operations and functionalities. They are both easy to learn.

Java is a product of Sun Microsystems and was released in 199. It’s a powerful, class-based, distributed, and object-oriented language. Java can run on hardware and software, making it platform-independent. It has excellent applications in gaming, app development, and website building. 

On the other hand, Swift is a language that offers a method of writing software. Its application is desktops, phones, and servers. Apart from being a fast language, Swift is a product of best thinking from Apple’s engineering culture. Its compiler is honed performance. 

Developed in 2014 by Apple Inc, Swift is developer-friendly, making it easy to code. Remember, Swift is only for Apple products. However, it can run other code languages like Objective C and C++ language code.

Features of Swift

• Open-source community: it supports all platforms since the community of experts offer a solution for different issues and share knowledge 
• EasyCode/readability: the language is easy to both learn and use. Swift requires fewer line codes to complete a task than C language. Besides, it supports C and C++ languages. 
• Supported multiple devices: Though made by Apple, Swift supports a wide range of devices.
• Fast and robust: Swift allows faster typing and is optimized for performance and efficiency. 

Feature of Java programming 

• Platform-independent: codes are normally changed into bytecodes, an intermediate form that can be executed on any machine provided there is an interpreter – Java Virtual Machine(JVM).
• Object-oriented: the program is in various objects, making it more straightforward. The objects can act as bridges to flow data between functions. Besides, it makes it easy to translate data and functions. 
• Can create applets, i.e., programs that operate within web browsers.
• Doesn’t require a pre-processor: when creating Java applications, header files are not necessary. 
• Distributed language: java supports many applications 
• Powerful language: java features automatic garbage collection, making it robust and strong 

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Objective-C

Objective-C programming language was a superset of C. Developed in 1984; this object-oriented language can compile with any valid C program. The entire non-object-oriented syntax of Objective-C is from C, while the object-oriented syntax is from Smalltalk. 

Simply put, it gets its syntax, flow control statements, and primitive types from C. However, it adds the syntax for defining methods and classes, language-level support for object graph management, and object literals.

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Objective-C comes with a dynamic runtime and dynamic typing and binding. Objective-C history is much deeper, though many people know it as a primary language used to develop programs and apps for OS X and iOS. 

The best part of objective-C is that you can swap method innovation at runtime via Swizzling, thanks to its message sending paradigm. This way, objects can send messages to other objects at runtime to determine the method’s invocation.

What does it mean? This means that you have high adaptability at runtime. Thus, mocking objects at run time or accessing private APIs is highly possible. If you plan to carry out unit testing, this can be very useful. Furthermore, the entire process can be much easier with libraries such as OCMock. Besides, this library makes it easier to carry out elaborate testing. Remember, decent unit tests make an app more stable and, thus, reliable. 

iOS or OS X or iOS are built from objects, which are instances of Objective-C classes. The origin of some is Cocoa or Cocoa Touch, but you’ll have to write others. 

Writing your classes in objective-c means beginning by providing a detailed description of the class’s instances’ public interface. The interface features public properties encapsulating essential data and a list of methods. 

Method declarations show the messages that an object can receive. Still, it includes the information concerning parameters needed when the method is called. 

Conclusion 

Beyond being a general-purpose programming language, Swift is compiled and multi-paradigm. The language is specifically designed for Apple devices – macOS, tvOS, iOS, Linux, and watchOS.

The development of Swift began in 2010 – Chris Lattner, alongside other Apple Inc programmers, was in charge. However, in 2014, Apple released a Swift written app, which was available for registered Apple developers. Accompanying that release was a 500-page manual named The Swift Programming Language. The manual was to guide the developers on how to use the App. 

In September of 2014, Apple released the ever first version of Swift – Swift 1.0. Besides, the developer also released Gold Master of XCode 6.0 for iOS. After the initial release, a release of releases followed, each with an improvement from the previous versions. In January 2021, Swift released its latest version, Swift 5.3.3, with the most robust features. 

Swift programming language heavily borrows from other programming languages, including Python, Rust, Ruby, Objective-C, Haskell, C#, and CLU. Now, you can consider Swift as a Full-stack programming language, thanks to its flexibility and a range of powerful features. 

The most notable feature is Swift is its safety. There are no crashes, and the whole class of errors is eliminated. The optionals in Swift show you beforehand if an object is a nil, prompting you to handle it fully. 

Additionally, Swift offers a remarkable working environment. Its playgrounds are friendly; thus, experimenting with the Swift code becomes incredibly easy. Best of all, you can experiment with the code either on the server or an app. The advantage of this is that it lets you view your code while typing. Seeing adjustments helps correct errors quickly.   

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