Swift Tutorial (original) (raw)

Last Updated : 19 Jun, 2024

Swift is a powerful general-purpose programming language developed by Apple to create iOS applications such as for iOS, macOS, watchOS, and so on. Swift code is easier to understand and write. Swift is open Source, fast, Powerful and Interoperability(Code of Swift can be used along with existing Objective-C projects). Swift is also used in server applications which provides security and high performance. It has a similar syntax to Objective-C or C.

This Swift tutorial cover all the important topics of Swift programming, such as **Environment Setup, **First Swift Program, **Syntax, **Datatypes, **Variables, **Constants & Literals, **Operators, **Control Statements, **Loops, **Strings, **Functions, **Collection etc. Swift Programming Language.

In this **Swift tutorial, you will learn the basics of Swift which include Keywords, datatypes, functions, Swift OOPs, and collections. You will also learn how to build and publish apps using Swift language and get the 6 best iOS project ideas using Swift language.

Prerequisites to Learn Swift

Before diving into Swift programming, it's helpful to have a few foundational skills and knowledge. Here’s what you should know:

Table of Content

Swift Introduction

In this section, you’ll learn the basics of Swift, from essential concepts and syntax to foundational skills that will help you build robust and efficient applications. Get ready to unleash your creativity and start developing amazing apps for the entire Apple ecosystem!

Swift Data Types

In this section, you will learn all about Swift data types, which are fundamental to writing efficient and effective code. Swift offers a wide range of data types that cater to various programming needs, ensuring your code is both robust and flexible. From basic types like Int for integers and Double for floating-point numbers to more complex types like Array, Dictionary, and Set, Swift provides the tools you need to manage data effectively.

Swift Control Flow

Explore this section to learn about Swift's control flow, a crucial aspect of making decisions and executing different paths in your code. Swift provides several control flow statements, including if, else, switch, for-in, while, and repeat-while, each designed to handle specific scenarios effectively. These tools allow you to manage the execution of your code based on conditions and iterate over collections efficiently.

Swift Functions

Here you will learn all about Swift functions, one of the most fundamental building blocks of Swift programming. Functions allow you to encapsulate reusable pieces of code, making your programs more modular and easier to maintain. We'll start with the basics of defining and calling functions, then move on to more advanced concepts like parameter passing, return types, and closures.

Swift Collections

In this section, you will learn about Swift Collections, which are essential building blocks for managing groups of data in your applications. Swift offers a variety of powerful collection types, including arrays, sets, and dictionaries, each with unique capabilities and performance characteristics.

Swift OOPs

Here you'll explore how to define classes, create and initialize objects, and use properties and methods to interact with them. Additionally, we'll cover advanced topics like polymorphism and protocol-oriented programming, which extends the power of OOP in Swift.

Swift Additional Topics

In this section, you will learn about the advanced aspects of Swift that will take your coding skills to the next level. We'll dive into powerful features like generics, which allow you to write flexible and reusable code, and explore protocols and extensions to enhance your app's architecture.

Swift 4

Swift 4 is the latest version of Swift developed by Apple for iOS and OS X development. It inbuilt the features of Swift 3 and improve its robustness and stability. Swift 4 has enhanced the library, includes features like smart key paths and serialization, shortened build times and size of app binaries.

Swift 4 introduced a playground feature in which programmers can write their code with live preview. Swift 4 unifies the procedural and object-oriented portions of the language.

Swift 4 follows a modern programming practice to deal with programming errors:

What is Swift?

Swift is a powerful general-purpose programming language developed by Apple Inc and also used in server applications which provides security and high performance. It is a powerful and intuitive language. Swift code is safe, precise and fast and Swift follows an Objective-C runtime library that allows C, Objective-C, C++ and Swift code to run within a single program. Swift is built with an open-source LLVM compiler and included in Xcode since version 6. 5

Swift is a multi-paradigm compiled language created by Apple. It was first introduced in 2014 at the worldwide developer's Conference and was designed as a modern successor to Objective-C. It is famous for building applications that grow inside Apple's walled garden. The original Apple platform language had been used since the 1980s. Swift interop with objective-C but provides a shorter and more readable syntax. It also provides features like memory safety and type inference to improve developers' productivity.

Today **Swift is used for building mobile apps on iOS, desktop apps on MacOS, and wearable apps for watch OS. It is also open source which means it can be used to build software outside of the Apple platform. It's compiled into native machine code. It's built on top of the **LLVM toolchain like many other modern languages. Swift supports **REPL(Readable print loop) which allows you to experiment with the code in a playground without recompiling it and this makes Swift a greater language for beginners to learn and develop by using it.

Why Learn Swift?

**Applications of Swift

Some of the most common applications of the Swift language are:

According to Statcounter iOS holds 27.83% of mobile OS market and here in this section we have listed 10 popular apps that built using Swift programming language.

Conclusion

Swift is a powerful and expressive programming language that is used for building various applications for Apple's platforms such as iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Swift has several features like modern syntax, memory safety, high performance, and more readable syntax which helps beginners to learn easily. It is a flexible and robust language. It has a vibrant and active community of developers, which contributes to its popularity. This community is continuously adding new functions, libraries, tools, and frameworks to make Swift development more comfortable and more productive to use. Overall, Swift is an exciting programming language to learn, and it has great potential in building robust and efficient applications for Apple's platform.