When developers start developing an app, there are many decisions ahead of them. One of the first and most crucial decisions is which programming language they’ll use to build the iOS app from the ground up. In this article, you will know about The Pros and Cons of iOS Development On Swift and Objective-C.
According to Statista, in 2019, Swift and Objective-C were both fairly widely used programming languages, with 6.6% of developers opting for Swift and 4.8% leaning towards Objective-C.
While both programming languages, Objective-C and Swift both have their unique strengths and weaknesses. Each holds its merits and drawbacks. When deciding between these two, it’s crucial to compare the differences and consider which disadvantages don’t severely impact a company’s development process and which advantages will benefit the project significantly. The comparison will help developers to make the right choice for their project.
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Developer’s Comparison of Swift vs. Objective-C
Swift Is Newer Than Objective-C
Objective-C came out well before Swift hit the market. While this makes Swift more novel, it has given Objective-C additional time to build support and a community. This gives Objective-C a wider net for developers to rely on when they need help using the language for iOS development services.
Objective-C Is Well-Developed and Mature
As just mentioned, Objective-C has been around for quite a while. While periodic updates do occur to keep the programming language modern, it doesn’t see the constant changes that Swift does and that have its advantages.
When developers have to worry about switching to newer versions of a programming language frequently, they’re putting their time and money at risk. Besides, these frequent updates may come with learning curves that slow down the process while developers re-learn how to use the language to its fullest capabilities.
Swift Opts for Simpler Programming Language
While it’s often more familiar to developers, Objective-C has the distinct disadvantage of sometimes being complicated. Swift has an advantage here because it is purposely designed to operate. As the name suggests, it’s meant to act as an option that developers can use “swiftly” by cutting out complex components of programming languages that preceded it. Using Swift cuts down on the time that it takes to program an app compared to the use of Objective-C.
Objective-C Is Less Secure
When it comes to choosing a programming language, security is a huge factor. Because of the volume and nature of the information that users invest in today’s apps, cybersecurity is becoming increasingly crucial and it’s one of the most important concepts for developers to consider and protect.
Since Objective-C is an older programming language, that means that malicious parties are just as familiar with it as developers. In other words, apps based on Objective-C are more vulnerable to hacking attempts by third parties since more hacking tools for this language exist than for Swift.
Swift Is More Scalable
Since Swift is simple to use, it’s much easier to make later changes to scale up the app after the initial development phase. For instance, it takes less work with Swift than Objective-C to add features and functionalities to an app. It also makes it easy to add team members to a project since the language has high readability.
Conclusion
When developers are getting ready to start working on a new app, they have a choice between several different programming languages, including Swift and Objective-C. From the simplicity they offer to the security they provide, these languages vary widely, and it’s essential to consider these features while making the best choice for your project.
