Swift vs Objective-C: 15 Ways Swift Supersedes Objective-C

Mobile App Development Industry has seen the rise and fall of a number of app programming languages, ever since its inception. While there are some that took their last breath and left the industry, we saw new entrants like Kotlin in recent times.

But time over time, we have seen that only that programming language survives which makes developers’ lives easier, gives coders space to experiment, is cost-effective for businesses.

When we see the worth of a programming language from a developer’s point of view, there can be many factors that have to be chimed in, but when you measure a programming language from the viewpoint of a business, there are very to the point factors that have to be considered, with the main ones being – Cost of Development, Time it takes, and the Scope of further innovation or update.

While things are pretty straightforward with Android apps, things get a version up difficult when it comes to settling on a programming language for developing an iPhone app. As an iOS App Development Company, we regularly get queries from clients seeking help with choosing from between the two most high-end Apple Programming Languages – Swift and Objective-C.

While the debate is still doing rounds, if there is one thing that is clear from our experience in developing over 100 iPhone apps, Swift superseded Objective-C, hands down.

Now that you know how, technicality wise, Swift supersedes Objective-C, it’s time we see the benefits at some ground level.

Let us look at how you, as a company looking to launch its first or fifth iPhone app, will benefit by investing in Swift for your iOS App project.

15 Reasons Why You should Choose Swift over Objective–C

1.You will be Working with the Future

Swift is the future.

Introduced in Apple WWDC 2014 Conference, Swift is a general-purpose, multi-paradigm, compiled programming language designed by Apple Inc. for building apps for iOS, macOS, iPadOS, watchOS, tvOS, and Linux. The language was designed to work efficiently with Apple’s Cocoa and Cocoa Touch frameworks, and reuse a large fraction of existing Objective-C code written for Apple products, and has reached its latest version, Swift 5.

When we make a comparison between Swift and Objective-C, the result is that it’s faster, calls for less memory management and is much more expressive when compared to the scope of Objective-C or Python. The benefits that Swift comes with have placed the programming language in the list of the top programming languages ruling the market.

2.You will be Using the Fastest Growing Open Source Programming Language

Swift Programming Language is the fastest growing open source language

Swift was declared open-source in 2015. This opens the language up to reach its capability to be applied across a number of platforms and even for the backend infrastructure. By open-sourcing the language, Apple is now able to generate feedback from iOS App Development community for making improvements on more regular basis. The popularity of Swift cannot be attributed to the fact that it is well designed and structured, but also because the language is supported by the millions of developers, globally.

3.Your Coding Efforts will be Reduced by Manifold

With its inline support that supports manipulation of data and text strings, Swift provides easy and less error-prone code. Moreover, as the classes are not classified into two parts – the implementation and the interface, the number of files get cut in half, making it easier to handle.

Swift in the end needs lesser coding efforts while writing same statements again or producing string manipulation.

This again makes Swift win the Swift vs Objective-C battle.

4.Your App will Encounter Minimal Bugs and Issues

The feature in Swift, which makes it safe is – Type interface. By making use of the feature, coders are able to cut the coding length down. Type Interface make use of the default setting until specified by special keyword. It helps developers avoid incorrect coding because of the incorrect input values.

Swift also eliminates null pointer concept used by Objective-C.

Between Objective-C or Swift, the latter also eliminates null pointer concept used by Objective-C.

It creates compiler error every time developers use the null-pointer variables in source code and even generates feedback loop, warning developers to shun null-pointer variable.

Between Swift or Objective-C, the former wins the battle.

5.Your App will Need Less maintenance

Another factor that makes even startups prefer Swift iOS app development is low maintenance.

In the case of Objective-C programming language, developers are supposed to manage two separate files for improving the efficiency and building time of the executable application. While managing files in Objective-C can be cumbersome, Swift files need much less maintenance, they don’t need to manage two files. The LLVM and Xcode compilers of Swift mechanically determine the reliances and perform incremental build in the file. Swift combines Objective-C implementation (.m) file and header (.h) file and in one single program code file (.swift)

Developers are supposed to manage two separate files in Objective-C, for improving the efficiency and building time of the executable application. While managing files in Objective-C can be cumbersome, Swift files needs much less maintenance, they don’t need to manage two file. The LLVM and Xcode compilers of Swift mechanically determine the reliances and perform incremental build in the file. Swift combines Objective-C implementation (.m) file and header (.h) file and in one single program code file (.swift)

6.Your App will be Developed at a Much Faster Speed

Swift provides a number of speed-based advantages during the iOS app development process. A multifaceted object sort runs 3.9x faster when compared to the implementation of same algorithm in Python. The number is even better than the Objective-C, the language that is 2.8x speedier than its Python counterpart.

This factor has not only encouraged app developers and business enthusiasts to start their iOS journey with Swift but also convert existing Objective-C apps to Swift. 

7.Your App will be Highly Secure

Swift brings in an all-inclusive Security Framework that comprises of many APIs, which are used to handle certificates, authorization services, trust policies, keys, and apply cryptography encryption on the messages.

Swift helps create apps that are known for the security feature they offer in both the mobile app development process and as a part of the end product to the users.

{Read Also: Mobile Application Development Guide: Everything Worth Knowing}

8.Your App will Occupy Low Memory Space

Swift applications make use of dynamic libraries for these are directly loaded in the app memory by lowering down the original app size. This ultimately helps in improving the performance of application, while making their app smaller and lighter.

9.You will be able to Roll-out Quick Updates

Swift’s syntax rules are written in regular English. Furthermore, unlike the Objective-C programming language, where the iOS developers are required to maintain two coding file types .h (variable declaration) and .m (class definition linked with tasks), Swift manages both with one .Swift file.

The coding simplicity that Swift offers, makes it easy for iOS developers to update the current coding for keeping the app in sync with the current demands.

10.You will be Able to Launch Feature Rich Apps

Building fully-featured app calls for the involvement of wide number of functions that can be component of both – the device and the operating system and which must work together. Swift app development makes it all possible. The developers can conveniently call on various functions according to project requirements and can easily check how the functions would look and work on a device.

11.Your App will Crash Less

Like a document processor, which detects syntax errors in a phrase, the Swift programming language developers can also easily spot errors as they type in the syntax. Above all, Xcode, also comes with suggestions that make it easy to identify errors as and when they happen. It ultimately speeds up development process while helping to maintain app’s quality standard.

[As we just talked about speeding up development process, you might be curious to know how we speed up Our Mobile App Development Timeline, aren’t you?]

12.You will have the Community Support of 50,000+ Developers

By being open source, Swift has the support of a large base community of developers.

The community support makes it possible for the developers to identify bugs and crashes in the language on time. The community comes in especially handy for the iPhone mobile app developers when they get stuck on a stage or process. It is the community support that makes Swift one of the most widely used app programming languages.

13.You will be able to Develop both Complex and Easy Apps

Being multifaceted, Swift aids in development of all types of iOS apps, irrespective of how complex or how single function enabling an app is.

So, whether your app is as simple as snakes and ladders or as complex as an on-demand app, the multi-faceted nature of Swift programming language can help with all.

14.Your App will Work Perfectly on Cloud

All the above-mentioned reasons added together, make Swift an ideal partner for cloud based app development. Every expectation from a cloud based app – security, speed, multi-function friendly interface, etc. makes Swift the programming language brands can rely on, for basing their app, which works on data, on.

The finding that Swift is ideal for Cloud based app, is what makes Swift the preferred language for Enterprise App Development.

15.You will Save money on Hiring a Swift Developer

No discussion on Swift vs Objective-C can be deemed complete without a mention of the app development cost.

When we talk about iOS App Development, companies usually have two options to choose from – Objective-C developers and Swift Developers. Seeing the effort-full task involved in Objective-C based app development and Swift based app development, the cost that comes tagged with the former is much higher than that of the latter.

When it comes to saving costs, Swift is what you should opt for.

Still confused if Swift is for you? Get your doubt resolved with a Free Consultation Call from the agency that has developed and deployed over 100 iPhone Apps using Swift.

THE AUTHOR

Sudeep Srivastava

Co-Founder and Director