Updated May 19, 2023
Introduction to Swift
In this section, we will see all the dependencies that our readers must know to understand Swift in a better way.
Let’s discuss some key definitions:
- General Purpose: It means no constraints (limited to one specific domain) to the language and is acceptable to various application domains.
- Multi-Paradigm: It is a way to describe languages based on their complexity level. Visual Basic is not as complex to handle complex application features as Java or .Net.
- Compiled: Swift target the compilers and not the interpreters.
- Programming Language: Like humans, even machines understand certain languages, so PL means a language understood by machines.
What is Swift?
Swift is a programming language suitable for iOS, MacOS, Linux, and z/OS platforms, capable of handling a multi-paradigm approach and one suitable to various domains.
Understanding:
Designed by – Apple Inc. The first release was in 2004. Stable release in 2019. It is designed to suit most of your development needs, whether a mobile application, desktop, or cloud. It gives an easier approach for the developers to achieve their business goals and benefits for the organizations.
- Safe: The best way to Code is Safety. Safety can have multiple implications for the customers and the development team (which means the error must be rectified sooner than the later production stage). This ultimately gives clarity to its working approach.
- Fast: Swift is said to replace specific languages like C, C++, and Objective C. It aims to be faster in approach without compromising on consistency and predictability.
- Expressive: Backed by a decade of advancement, Swift offers its users and joy of using it with modern enhancements.
How does Swift Work so Easily?
It is a complex structure in all of you see. In specific manners, it shows similarities to Haskell, Scala, and OCalm in many ways. Swift as a PL has different levels associated with it.
Let us see these differences in levels:
- Initially, a novice can start by quickly binding IB outlets and IBActions.
- Now you have to get deeper into Queue understanding and grand dispatch functionality. When you try to code using Swift, you must refresh the UI once you receive asynchronous responses from the frameworks. The scenarios become more complex as the Apple libraries are humongous; users will take sufficient time to understand these libraries and their usability better.
- Taking the complexity level even higher, we would like to tell our readers that you must understand OOPS patterns well; if not, most of the Apple documentation will look like a mystery. All you need to have an understanding of is what we are saying.
These are tough for any newbie who struggles with basic data flows and understanding data types.
What can you do with Swift?
It is not a functional programming language but rather a compiled language. It can do all the development work related to iOS and MacOS systems. But there are some crucial things to note about the behavior of Swift.
- It provided Tuple with multiple return values.
- Gives faster and more concise iteration capabilities helpful to work over a range of collections.
- Some special keywords, like do, guard, defer, and repeat, are helpful.
Advantages of Swift
Below are the advantages mentioned:
- It is a premier language preferred for building iOS applications.
- Swift developers are in huge demand, and this is an everlasting criterion.
- It has a Rapid development process.
- Easier to scale the teams’ productivity using Swift.
- Since we know how secure Apple products are, the reasons behind them are languages like Swift and Objective C.
- Automatic memory management capability.
- It has huge community support.
Required Skills
You need to be a programming freak, someone who loves coding.
Let us see some relevant skills needed to excel as a Swift programmer.
- We suggest our readers practice basic syntax, control flows, and error-handling techniques before planning their career in Swift.
- One must be comfortable thinking and having 3D; this behavior will help make relations between objects. Consider you are creating an application for iPhone, Apple Watch, or Apple TV; you must visualize the future application interaction.
- Have good practice over design guidelines.
- A good understanding of Networking.
- Git and GitHub understanding is a must to have.
Scope
Apple’s Tim Cook referred to Swift as ‘the next big PL.’ They claim it as a developer-friendly language. It is easy to maintain Xcode (IDE) in Swift. Also, being a free and open-source language has greatly benefited it.
Now lets us see the scope of this language in terms of career and salary:
- Average iOS developer salary – 3.9 lakhs INR.
- US Stats says the iOS developer’s salary is $123,067 yearly, whereas the average Swift developer’s salary is from $108,145 to $123,067 annually.
Why do we Need Swift?
- First thing first, it’s a compiled programming language.
- Since Apple creates it, one of the most influential tech giants, and also Swift is dominating the world market with its great functionalities.
- Open source is also one unmatched advantage in favor of it; it has a lot of supportive community and third-party tools.
- It’s safe and fast. It is 2.6x times faster than Objective C and 8.4x times faster than Python.
- It is in demand. Refer to the TIOBE index for 2019.
Who is the Right Audience for Learning Swift?
Someone who loves iOS Mac OS platforms and those who feel this is the right platform is the perfect individuals to go for it. Since we have portrayed all the industry details from technology to salary, we feel that the details are sufficient for newcomers to think wisely before making any career move.
Conclusion
With only a decade of presence, this language is somewhat new to the market, but its impacts on the world market are well-known. It already has some prominent and great success stories so far. Companies like LinkedIn, Coursera, Pandora, Vimeo, and Twitter have preferred to use Swift. With these details, we feel that it will stay longer, and its adoption will continue to grow.
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