Swift is a general-purpose programming language widely adopted to create products for all Apple platforms (e.g., iOS or MacOS), all while prioritizing speed, stability, and security. It’s a foundation behind the success of numerous applications on your iPhone. So what is it, exactly? Let’s discover its definition, long history, and more.
What is Swift Language?
Swift is a powerful programming language that is also easy to learn. It works with iOS, OS X, tvOS, and watchOS and has the best parts of both C and Objective-C. This programming language shows how useful it is by letting us get rid of the limits that C compatibility puts on us.
Made by Apple, it’s compatible with the Cocoa and Cocoa Touch frameworks as well as Objective-C codes for Apple products. Swift is meant to be less affected by mistakes in the code than its predecessor, Objective-C. This makes Swift “safer”. Further, this programming language is easier to understand. It’s also built with the LLVM compiler framework, which is included in Xcode 6 and later versions.
History
Chris Lattner started working on the Swift programming language in July 2010, and many other Apple programmers eventually helped him. Swift took ideas “from Objective-C,Rust, Haskell, Ruby, Python, C#, CLU, and far too many others to list”. On June 2, 2014, the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) app became the first Swift app that anyone could use.
The language hit version 1.0 on September 9, 2014, when Xcode 6.0 for iOS came out as a “Gold Master”. Swift 1.1 and Xcode 6.1 both came out on October 22, 2014, while Swift 1.2 and Xcode 6.3 came out on April 8, 2015. Swift 2.0 was shown off at WWDC 2015, and on September 21, 2015, it was added to the App Store. On December 3, 2015, a Swift 3.0 roadmap was put up on the Swift blog. Before that, an interim version of Swift 2.2 with more syntax and features was released.
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Swift has grown a lot since Apple decided to make it an open-source language in 2015. In the first week after the Swift project’s announcement, more than 60,000 people took a copy of it. As of June 2024, the latest version, Swift 5.10.1, was released and available with Xcode 15.3.
Implementations
Since the source code for the programming language is open to the public, it can be ported to the web. Some web frameworks are already out there, like Kitura, Perfect, and Vapor, which were all made by IBM. Apple has also started a formal “Server APIs” work group, in which Swift developers play a key role.
As part of RemObjects Software’s Elements Compiler, there is a second free implementation of Swift that works with Cocoa, Microsoft’s Common Language Infrastructure (.NET), Java, and the Android platform. This version of Swift is compatible with all of these platforms.
In addition, by putting together the toolchains from LLVM and Macintosh Programmer’s Workshop, one can run a very small part of the Swift language on Mac OS 9.
Top 5 Features of Swift
Swift has become one of the top tools that software developers use most. According to PYPL GitHub, Swift is ranked as the 9th most popular programming language in 2024, accounting for 2.76% of market share. In this section, we’ll talk about some of Swift’s design features that make it an interesting programming language to learn.
1. Readability
Swift is not based on C. Therefore, it’s able to remove the multiple @ symbols that were placed in front of every Objective-C type and object-related keyword. This allows Swift to unify all of the keywords.
Swift eschews the traditions of previous languages. As a result, you won’t need to use semicolons to terminate lines or parentheses to enclose conditional expressions within if/else statements anymore. Another significant improvement is that method calls will no longer be nested within each other, which eliminates the bracket hell that previously existed.
Swift calls to methods and functions make use of the comma-separated list of arguments that is an industry standard and are enclosed in parentheses. The end result is a language that is clearer, more expressive.
In addition, Swift code is designed to more closely mimic natural English. Because of Swift’s superior readability, it is now much simpler for programmers coming from other languages. They include JavaScript, Java, Python, C#, and C++.
2. Safety
Swift gets rid of whole categories of unsafe code. Here’s how:
- Variables are always set to their default values before usage.
- Arrays and integers are checked for overflow, memory is managed automatically, and exclusive access to memory prevents many programming mistakes.
- Syntax is set up to make it easy to say what you mean. For example, a variable (var) or constant (const) can be defined by a simple three-character keyword ( let ).
- Swift uses value types a lot, especially for types like Arrays and Dictionaries that are used a lot. This means that if you copy something of that type, you can be sure it won’t be changed anywhere else.
By default, Swift objects can never be nil. This is another safety measure. In fact, the Swift compiler will give you a compile-time error if you try to make or use a nil object. This makes writing code much cleaner and safer, and it keeps your apps from crashing. But there are times when nil is a valid and correct answer.
For these kinds of situations, Swift has a cool feature called “optionals” that can be used. An optional may contain nil, but Swift forces you to handle it safely by using the? syntax to show the compiler that you know how it works and will handle it safely.
3. Speed
Apple says that the Swift language’s search algorithms can finish up to 2.6 times faster than those written in Objective-C. Compared to Python 2/7, it is 8.4 times faster. The framework for Swift’s compiler is called LLVM. It’s in charge of turning assembly language into machine code and optimizing that code.
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This means you use less code than you would if you were working in Objective-C, which speeds up the development process. For example, using Swift for both the back end and the front end of an app makes it easy to share and reuse a lot of code. This speeds up the process of making the app and reduces the amount of work that developers need to complete for app building.
4. Beginner-Friendly
With a commanding market share of 28.5%, iOS is a dominant force in the mobile world. This popularity naturally fuels interest in Swift, the language that powers these devices. Further, Swift’s user-friendly design makes it an excellent choice for beginners, empowering anyone – from students to career changers – to embark on their programming journey.
Apple has also made a free set of lessons that teachers can use to teach Swift in the classroom or on their own time. A great place to start is by downloading Swift Playgrounds, an app for the iPad that makes learning to code in Swift more interactive and fun for new programmers.
People who want to learn how to make apps can take free classes that teach them how to use Xcode to make their first apps. Also, Apple Stores all over the world host events called “Today at Apple Coding & Apps” that give people a chance to learn Swift programming in person.
5. Memory Management
Swift uses a method called Automatic Reference Counting (ARC). This method helps add a garbage collector to iOS, which didn’t have one before. In programming languages like Java, C#, and Go, garbage collectors are used to get rid of class instances that are no longer being used. They help cut down on the amount of RAM needed, but they can take up to 20% longer to process.
Before ARC, iOS developers had to manage memory by hand and keep an eye on and change the retention counts of each class on a regular basis. In Swift, the Activity Repository Collector (ARC) can find out which instances are no longer being used and get rid of them for you. It lets you speed up your program without hurting either the memory or the CPU.
What Languages is Swift Similar to?
Swift is a successor to both the C and Objective-C languages. It has things like operators, flow control, and types, which are low-level building blocks. It also has object-oriented features like classes, protocols, and generics. This gives developers who work with Cocoa and Cocoa Touch the power and speed they need.
On the other hand, Swift has more in common with languages like Ruby and Python than with Objective-C. In the programming language Swift, for example, you don’t have to use a semicolon to end a statement like you do in Python. Swift is a language that you would like if you enjoy Ruby and Python.
Rust is another name that is conceptually pretty similar to Swift, and with similar uses. Swift, in general, borrows from a lot of different places, so most people should be able to get a good start on learning it.
How to Learn Swift?
iOS dominates the global of mobile market share of 28.5% and when iOS becomes more popular, Swift more popular. Apple wants as many people as possible to learn its own programming language for reasons that are easy to understand. To help reach this goal, the company offers a variety of learning tools.
You can learn to program in Swift with the help of a number of free and easy-to-use tools in just a few short months. The Swift Mentorship Program and the Swift Playground app are two examples of these kinds of tools. This language is also an open-source language, which is helpful for people who are just starting out with it.
For those who already know a lot about computer programming, there are e-books and other official Apple materials, as well as a large number of online courses.
Working with Swift
The easiest way to start building apps with Swift once you know the language is to download the latest version of Xcode, Apple’s integrated development environment (IDE) for macOS.
This comes with a full version of Swift as well as all of the runtimes you need to start making apps. It also has all the most important tools, like a code editor, debugger, testing environments, and more. Popular iOS apps like Lyft, Firefox, LinkedIn, Twitter, and WhatsApp… use Swift.
According to data from Glassdoor, the average base salary for a Swift software engineer in the United States is about $140,000 per year. The annual base income can be anywhere from $110,000 to $158,000, depending on a number of factors.
As a Swift programmer or developer, your base annual salary may depend on things like how many years of experience you have, where you live, and how good you are. But when you look at Swift programming as a whole, you can see that it is a very lucrative field to get into.
How Swift is Adopted at Designveloper
As a software development company in Vietnam, Designveloper’s teams have lots of experience working with Swift. Let’s take a look at how our development teams leverage this programming language and overcome challenges related to Swift:
Question 1: What is the most unique functionality we developed in our Swift app, and how does it benefit our users?
We developed a robust data encryption feature in the Domestic Payment SDK to significantly improve mobile transaction security. Besides, this feature also uses the industry-standard RSA-1204 algorithm to safeguard sensitive data transmitted between the user’s app and the server.
Data encryption includes two layers:
Layer 1: Encryption and Decryption
The app encrypts data using the server’s public key. This ensures only the server can decrypt data with the corresponding private key. For this reason, we can prevent unauthorized access to sensitive financial information during transmission.
Layer 2: Signing and Verification
The app signs data with its private key, acting like a digital signature. The server then verifies this signature using the user’s public key, guaranteeing data authenticity and preventing fraudulent transactions. This ensures transactions originate only from registered partner apps.
By implementing this two-layer security approach, we strengthened mobile payment security. Further, this ensures the data payload and response are protected from unauthorized reading, even if leaked.
Question 2: What tools or tech stacks are we using to optimize user experience in Swift apps?
In our Swift projects, protecting user data is always a top priority. Therefore, we leverage the SwiftyRSA library, a reputable and long-standing RSA encryption solution for Swift, to ensure the safety of payment transactions. SwiftRSA provides fast encryption, decryption, signing, and verification. This gives end-users a smooth and secure experience. Besides, SwiftyRSA also supports multiple iOS versions, which simplifies app development and maintenance across different devices.
To manage user data, we use Realm-Swift as a powerful NoSQL database. Compared to other traditional databases like SQLite, Realm-Swift offers more outstanding advantages. Typically, it supports various flexible data models, meeting the diverse storage needs of complex applications.
Question 3: What are the challenges of developing Swift apps, and how can we solve them?
We encounter a lots of challenges during the Swift app development process. They include:
Compatibility Between iOS Updates
The iOS ecosystem is always changing with new updates. This leads to incompatibility with older versions.
For example, WebRTC, a technology crucial for video calling, isn’t supported by WKWebView on versions of iOS below 14.3. This can prevent video calls from working on older iPhones and iPads.
Further, Apollo GraphQL Swift v1 only supports iOS 12 and above, forcing developers to choose between the outdated (and potentially insecure) v0.x version and excluding users with older devices.
Inappropriate Model Choices
Some developers who participate in the Swift project the first time initially opted for the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture for source code due to its simplicity. However, as the project evolved, limitations of MVC became more apparent. Particularly, maintaining and scaling the codebase became increasingly challenging.
To address this issue, we collaboratively shifted to the Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) pattern. MVVM making the codebase more maintainable and scalable, which is crucial for long-term project success.
Crash
Many new Swift developers struggle with crashes due to unhandled nil values. Swift’s emphasis on null safety can be a challenge for those newly developing with this language. However, the project team’s guidance on null-handling techniques (e.g., if let, guard let, or optional chaining) proves invaluable. By applying these techniques, we significantly reduce crashes in our Swift apps.
Conclusion
Even though the first version of Swift didn’t come out until 2014, the popularity of the programming language grew quickly. There’s no doubt that the number of people using Swift to make apps is growing. Swift will continue to have a bright future because it is easy to use, takes less time to code, improves performance, manages memory automatically, and with support by Apple and IBM.
If you are the Chief Technology Officer of a company and you want to use Swift for development, you will need the help of experienced app developers. Designveloper can be one of them; we can give you both great consulting services and assistance from a team of experienced software engineers. Also, our price packages are attractive and can help you plan your financial strategy better.
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