Swift vs. Objective-C comparison of technologies for macOS and iOS

Objective-C and Swift have both undergone transformations in recent years. This post brings together the pros and cons of applying these programming languages to macOS and iOS development. 

But first, let us clarify what Swift and Objective-C are and how they have gained popularity. 

Objective-C and Swift: A Brief Introduction

Objective-C was initially a part of the NEXTSTEP operating system, which became the basis for iOS apps in 1996. Objective-C has a superset of the C language with dynamic runtime and object-oriented features. 

For its part, Swift was introduced by the Apple team in 2014. Compared to Objective-C, it comes with a few advantages, such as safe programming patterns and a modern feature set. Swift claims to be the language of revolutionising the Apple software creation with the support of Cocoa and Cocoa Touch frameworks. 

Both languages shine in different circumstances, depending on the peculiarities of usage and the task you aim to handle. So, further, we will touch upon primary criteria to help you choose between Objective-C and Swift. 

Outlining criteria for selecting the right programming language

• Language Support and Documentation

Objective-C, as an older language, has an extensive number of resources: tutorials, books, and sample code. Additionally, a multitude of third-party libraries are written in this programming language, including program logic (multithreading, networking, data analysis, databases) and UI. Even though Swift cannot boast such a wide variety of libraries so far, it is being actively promoted by Apple. Currently, Swift 3 works in tandem with Xcode 8, which fosters fixing issues and other enhancements. 

• Language runtime

In this regard, Objective-C has a competitive advantage: if you need to conduct a project that implies in-depth introspection of objects and types, it is better to opt for Objective-C. This programming language is mainly utilised for SDK (software development kit). If the robust runtime is not your current focus, feel free to use Swift. 

• Code stability 

Here, Swift is ahead of Objective - the Swift code is stable thanks to the strong typing system. By following idiomatic Swift, programmers can write clear code. However, some risks related to a memory leak from a retain cycle remain acute in both Objective-C and Swift. 

• Foundation APIs

Objective-C would be a better choice if you need to develop an app with foundation APIs. That is because the API itself is based on the C programming language. While Swift certainly has lower compatibility with APIs, it nonetheless provides instruments for operating with APIs. For instance, Swift wrappers that serve as memory management tools. 

Examples of comparison in code

Simply comparing the codes with "Hello World" phrase shows us that Odjective-C syntax is more complicated

How to realise the arrays:

And how to realise conditional statements. Simply to say, Swift syntax makes code cleaner and safer. The punctuation marks are limited. Therefore, the coding process is less likely to be burdened with errors caused by skipping characters.

Other factors worth considering while choosing between Swift and Objective-C

• Your knowledge and experience

When it comes to writing production apps, it is better to proceed to the task using programming languages you are experienced in (if your team does not require otherwise). This decision will prevent you from unimplemented functionality and a larger number of bugs. Conversely, creating prototypes using a less familiar language can bring multiple benefits: learning to develop and improve features without risking production phases. 

• Your Scheduling constraints and project scale

Utilising new programming languages may lead to increased development time. So, naturally, a more mastered language will work better within the fixed timeline. However, if you are equally unfamiliar with Swift and Objective-C, choose the former to develop the solution faster. PNN Soft experts also advise using Objective-C for large projects due to its stable work, while Swift is claimed to be more convenient for smaller projects.

For consultations on Swift and Objective-C or to discuss future collaboration, feel free to contact the PNN Soft team.