Developing iOS Apps with Swift: Know the Pros and Cons

Swift is a popular programming language used for the development of various applications. Traditionally, developing apps was quite challenging and time-consuming. It was mainly because of the use of Objective-C for app development. However, app development has become pretty simple and easy with new programming languages. One such programming language is Swift. So, when you hire iOS app developers, make sure they are proficient in the Swift language. Before exploring the pros and cons of using Swift for iOS app development, let’s understand the language in-depth.

What is Swift Programming Language?

Swift is an open-source, general-purpose programming language to develop iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and iPadOS applications. It is also used for the development of Linux applications. Apple developed it in 2014. It was mainly created to enable developers to build powerful iOS apps quickly and securely. Swift is continuously evolving, and its community is growing.

Pros of Using Swift for iOS App Development

Here are some of the top benefits of choosing Swift for iOS app development.

1. Fast

One of the best benefits of using Swift for building iOS apps is that it allows faster app development. In the competitive era, developing apps faster and launching them in the market is vital to stay ahead. So, choosing the Swift programming language is ideal if you want to lead the race. In comparison to Objective-C, Swift programming language is about 2.6 times faster.

As the programming language is easy to learn, read, and write, developers can build iOS apps much faster and hassle-free. The use of fewer codes enables professional developers to create iOS applications. It not just helps save time but allows better cost savings for businesses.

2. Transparency

Transparency is another significant perk of using Swift programming language for iOS app development. The syntax of Objective-C is quite intimidating. However, the syntaxes of Swift are simple and easily readable. All the expressions of the programming language have transparent meanings. The simplicity and transparency of Swift allow even inexperienced and novice developers to use the language and build iOS applications.

3. Safety

Swift is a typed language that lets developers easily identify bugs before compilation and fix them immediately. It is built to be a memory-safe and type-safe programming language. The memory-safe attribute indicates its ability to avoid vulnerabilities associated with uninitialized pointers. Swift helps in the easy detection of code errors. This, in turn, helps eliminate the risk of low-quality codes and ensures the delivery of flawless iOS applications to the users.

4. Automatic Memory Management

To avoid potential memory leaks and ensure optimum performance of the apps, Swift leverages Automatic Reference Counting (ARC). ARC allows efficient memory management and guarantees the effective use of resources. That means developers will no longer have to invest time in managing the memory settings manually.

The automatic memory management feature of the Swift programming language helps reduce the tasks of the programmers and developers. ARC determines the different class instances that are not being used and eliminates them for the developers. So, developers do not have to spend much time on memory allocation. Instead, they get more time to work on improving the performance of the iOS applications.

5. Easy Scalability

Scaling up your iOS app development projects is easy with the Swift programming language. The transparency of the Swift code allows faster app development. This ensures easy scalability.

6. Interoperability

Interoperability is another benefit of leveraging Swift for iOS app development. It is compatible with Objective-C. That means you can either write the codes in Objective-C or Swift. It proves to be beneficial especial for big app development projects.

7. Use of Optionals

Optional refer to the programming concept that allows the developers to prevent the crashing of the apps. It can be considered as a wrapper that wraps the value inside. When this concept is used correctly, it prevents app crashes and enhances user experiences.

8. Requires Less Maintenance

After the development of the iOS app, they require maintenance to ensure smooth functioning and a better user experience. A significant benefit of an app built with Swift is that they require less maintenance. For the management of Objective-C, two separate files are used. However, Swift combines both files into a single program file.

Cons of Using Swift for iOS App Development

Just like any other programming language, Swift also has certain drawbacks. Here are some of the cons of Swift for iOS app development.

1. Swift is a New Language

Swift is still considered to be a relatively new language. That means there may not be many developers who are well-versed with this programming language. Even though it is quite easy to learn, not all developers may be willing to learn the new language. Moreover, Swift has limited libraries and tools. This is one of the reasons why developers do not want to use Swift programming language for iOS app development.

2. Swift is not Reflective

Another drawback of Swift is that it is not a reflective language like Kotlin or Java. It provides the users with the Mirror functionality. With this functionality, Swift can take an object and self-describe it. However, it is not possible to manipulate the object from within. Injecting dependencies is quite difficult to achieve when using Swift for iOS app development.

3. Small Talent Pool

The popularity of Swift as an effective programming language has been increasing recently. The community of Swift is also growing at a rapid pace. However, Swift’s talent pool is quite small compared to other programming languages. As per a survey, just 6.6% of more than 87,000 respondents said that they use Swift for app development.

Conclusion

Swift is an ideal programming language for iOS app development. Even though it is young, it can easily help develop fast and high-performing apps. Leverage the programming language and stay ahead of the competition in the market. To ensure flawless development of iOS apps, hiring professionals is vital. Make sure to avail the best iOS app development services from a reputed iOS app development company for enhanced user experiences.