Objective-C and Swift are programming languages that are used to code the Apple software products under macOS, iOS, tvOS, watchOS, CarPlay, and Linux (only for Swift) operating systems. These languages have the corresponding app programming interfaces (APIs) and frameworks (Cocoa, Cocoa Touch). Objective-C was created in the late 80s and impacted Smalltalk (for object-oriented syntax) and C (for non-object) programming languages. The newer language, Swift, is not based on the C language. Instead, it no longer has any inheritance and is just compilable with C libraries and frameworks. Swift offers more powerful tools and modern coding solutions for simpler, but expressive coding, app safety, and performance. As well, the language is intuitive, and thus easier to learn for new programmers.
The following table gives the general technical characteristics for Swift vs Objective- C.
Advantages of Objective-C over Swift in 2018
1. Objective-C is an approved, well-tested language
2. Objective-C is more stable
3. Easier usage of private APIs
4. Objective-C is easily compatible with C++
Downsides of Objective-C in 2018
1. Harder to learn
2. Less qualified Objective-C developers
When To Use Objective-C
1. If an app has already been written in Objective-C and has a huge code base (100,000+ code lines)
2. If you are developing a framework use Objective-C
3. If C or C++ third-party frameworks are used extensively
Benefits of Using Swift
- Swift is faster
2. Swift is safer
3. Swift is more readable
4. Swift has less code
5. Swift is less error-prone
6. Swift integrates with memory management
7. Swift is an open-source language
8. Swift has interactive coding
9. Swift is closer to other platforms
10. Swift is Apple’s ongoing focus
Downsides to Using Swift
1. Slower compilation speed
2. No ABI stability
3. Absence of C++ import
Swift Use Cases
Objective-C or Swift?
To sum it up, Objective-C, when compared to Swift, is a more outdated language and lacks modern tools and properties. Swift has many updates and ongoing growth plans, and the language receives great support from Apple. It is an easy-to-learn, secure, modern, and interactive programming language. Swift has simplified coding patterns as well as coding interface vs Objective-C.
Swift to code, swift to execute!
We highly advise that you choose Swift for your next startup project. Drop us a line here, so we can make recommendations for you with regard to your development approach or help you build the next, great product on iOS.
This is a brief summary of an article published on MLSDev blog. If you would like to receive more detailed information about both programming languages, read the full article.
