Developer tools don’t make much noise unless it is a game-changer. Apple’s SwiftUI certainly is. SwiftUI is already changing the quality of apps available across all Apple platforms.
“Better apps. Less code.” – claims Apple. No wonder that developers are paying this much attention to the SwiftUI updates.
Let’s check what’s new and what’s in there for you.
What’s SwiftUI?
Five years ago, with a vision to simplify the development process, Apple launched Swift – its own programming language. Last year, Apple expanded its vision even more with the launch of a new user interface – SwiftUI.
Apple built it from the ground up intending to make it an “innovative, exceptionally simple way to build user interfaces across all Apple platforms with the power of Swift.” And they did.
By using only one set of tools and APIs, developers can build full-featured iOS interfaces.
Swift itself has a declarative syntax, very easy to work with. The SwiftUI is compatible with the Xcode design tool, it has automatic support for Dynamic Type, localization, Dark Mode, etc.
For developers, this means they can make smooth animations, well-designed apps that have fewer bugs. Now that’s a time-saver!
Yup, SwiftUI is a developer’s dream-come-true, isn’t it?
Designing Made Easy
Why is SwiftUI praised by that many developers? The declarative syntax is probably the main reason. State what you want your user interface to do and let the magic happen!
“For example, you can write that you want a list of items consisting of text fields, then describe alignment, font, and color for each field. “- claim from Apple.
Besides, SwiftUI’s declarative code can be applied to animations, as well.
SwiftUI makes coding simpler and much easier to read. Iterations and additional edits are much faster.
Xcode 11: Fresh Design Tools
The updated SwiftUI comes alongside Xcode 11, intuitive new design tools. We, at OSM, can confirm that creating interfaces with this combo makes it easy as dragging and dropping.
“As you work in the design canvas, everything you edit is completely in sync with the code in the adjoining editor.”
There’s always a preview option, so you can instantly view the changes that you’ve made in your code before they go live. When you are satisfied with the code, Xcode will insert all the edits you’ve made into a running version of your app. Of course, the code is editable at all times.
Let’s recap. Here’s what’s new:
Drag and drop:
Just by dragging (and dropping) components on the canvas, you can arrange them however you want. Visual editors are available within the code editor, but there’s also an option to simply use an inspector. Furthermore, it is possible to drag&drop controls from your library to the canvas.
Dynamic replacement feature:
The app you work on is constantly being built on and running smoothly since the Xcode can swap edited code directly in your live app. This, so-called, “dynamic replacement”, is a brand new feature in Swift.
Live preview:
Configure and edit almost anything in the code, but get a preview before it goes live. Whether you want to change the font size, enable Dark Mode, configure localizations, etc. you’ll be able to get a preview on any device.
Native across All Apple Platforms:
SwiftUI is completely native on all Apple platforms! Apple is well.-known for its intuitive interfaces and with SwiftUI you’ll bring that experience to your app, no matter the device. The framework fully supports building Watch apps with all needed features: carousel sliding, swipe to delete, animations, etc. that was previously an issue.
Conclusion
SwiftUI brought big changes this year and there’s a lot more to look forward to. It is really a game-changer as stated in the beginning: It makes building apps much faster and easier and promotes high-quality.
We, at OSM, are already leveraging all that this framework has to offer. If you are seeking to improve or build an app for your business – you’re at the right place. Send us a FREE, no obligations quote and we’ll reply with a collaboration suggestion. Let’s make your app OSM.
