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Swift vs SwiftUI: What are the differences?
Key differences between Swift and SwiftUI
Swift is a programming language developed by Apple, whereas SwiftUI is a user interface toolkit also developed by Apple. Both Swift and SwiftUI are used for developing applications for Apple platforms, but they have some key differences.
Syntax: Swift is a general-purpose programming language with a C-like syntax. It uses imperative programming paradigms and has a rich set of features like optionals, generics, and pattern matching. On the other hand, SwiftUI is a declarative user interface toolkit that uses a very different syntax. It's based on a reactive programming model and uses a combination of declarative and functional programming paradigms.
User Interface: Swift is mainly focused on the logic and functionality of an application. It provides many libraries and frameworks to build the user interface, such as UIKit and AppKit. SwiftUI, on the other hand, is specifically designed for building user interfaces. It provides a unified and intuitive way to create UI elements and layouts, making it easier and more efficient to develop visually appealing apps.
Platform Compatibility: Swift is a programming language that can be used to develop applications for various Apple platforms, including iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. It can also be used for server-side development. SwiftUI, on the other hand, is a framework that is specifically designed for building user interfaces on Apple platforms, starting from iOS 13, macOS 10.15, watchOS 6, and tvOS 13. It can't be used for server-side development or with older versions of the operating systems.
Live Preview: One of the major features of SwiftUI is the live preview functionality. With SwiftUI, developers can preview their UI in real-time, making it easy to iterate and experiment with different designs and layouts. This can greatly speed up the development process compared to the traditional approach of writing code, compiling, and running the app to see the changes.
Accessibility: SwiftUI has built-in support for accessibility features. It makes it easier for developers to create apps that are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. Swift, on the other hand, doesn't have built-in support for accessibility, but it provides libraries and APIs that can be used to implement accessibility features in the user interface.
Compatibility and Migration: Swift is a mature programming language that has been around since 2014. It has a large ecosystem of libraries, frameworks, and tools that are compatible with older versions of the language. SwiftUI, being a relatively new framework, has a limited ecosystem and may require re-architecture or migration of existing apps built with older frameworks like UIKit or AppKit.
In summary, Swift is a general-purpose programming language that focuses on logic and functionality, while SwiftUI is a user interface toolkit designed specifically for building visually appealing apps. SwiftUI has a different syntax, offers a live preview functionality, provides built-in accessibility support, and requires platform compatibility and migration considerations.
Pros of Swift
- Ios259
- Elegant180
- Not Objective-C126
- Backed by apple107
- Type inference93
- Generics61
- Playgrounds54
- Semicolon free49
- OSX38
- Tuples offer compound variables36
- Clean Syntax24
- Easy to learn24
- Open Source22
- Beautiful Code21
- Functional20
- Dynamic12
- Linux12
- Protocol-oriented programming11
- Promotes safe, readable code10
- No S-l-o-w JVM9
- Explicit optionals8
- Storyboard designer7
- Optionals6
- Type safety6
- Super addicting language, great people, open, elegant5
- Best UI concept5
- Its friendly4
- Highly Readable codes4
- Fail-safe4
- Powerful4
- Faster and looks better4
- Swift is faster than Objective-C4
- Feels like a better C++4
- Easy to learn and work3
- Much more fun3
- Protocol extensions3
- Native3
- Its fun and damn fast3
- Strong Type safety3
- Easy to Maintain3
- Protocol as type2
- All Cons C# and Java Swift Already has2
- Esay2
- MacOS2
- Type Safe2
- Protocol oriented programming2
- Can interface with C easily1
- Actually don't have to own a mac1
- Free from Memory Leak1
- Swift is easier to understand for non-iOS developers.1
- Numbers with underbar1
- Optional chain1
- Great for Multi-Threaded Programming1
- Runs Python 8 times faster1
- Objec1
Pros of SwiftUI
- XCode Canvas feature2
- Live previews2
- Smaller Scalable views2
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Cons of Swift
- Must own a mac6
- Memory leaks are not uncommon2
- Very irritatingly picky about things that’s1
- Complicated process for exporting modules1
- Its classes compile to roughly 300 lines of assembly1
- Is a lot more effort than lua to make simple functions1
- Overly complex options makes it easy to create bad code0
Cons of SwiftUI
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What is Swift?
What is SwiftUI?
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What companies use Swift?
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