iOS First time app programmer, is swift the way to go now?

[DeezelP]

Hi guys

I'd like to build apps and was just about to learn the c languages ( of which I hv no prior knowledge ) however I see apple hv now released the language swift for this purpose..?

Am I right in thinking this is the only language I need now to learn for building apps? I hv been using mainly php, HTML and CSS for basic websites so coding is not completely new but can I just confirm that swift is the language to concentrate on now?

Thx guys

 

[mfram]

As stated in other posts with the same topic... your big problem is going to be getting tutorial-level documentation to help you. The only real documentation that has been generated about Swift so far are docs created by experienced software developers for experienced software developers.

It's going to be a while before any 'learn to program using Swift' type documentation is available. So if you want to learn to program, don't waste time. Learn C and Objective-C. There's such a large base of Obj-C code out there anyway, it won't hurt to learn it.

Once you learn how to program, you will learn this truth: learning how to program, learning object-oriented design, and learning how to break down problems is the hard part. Learning a new language is relatively easy. If you have little experience now, then by the time you are an experienced, competent developer there will be a new 'hot' language to learn anyway. Swift will be considered just as old as Obj-C is now. Or it's possible the Apple Developer Community doesn't see the value of Swift and continues using the extensive Obj-C codebase that's out there now.

 

[DeezelP]

As stated in other posts with the same topic... your big problem is going to be getting tutorial-level documentation to help you. The only real documentation that has been generated about Swift so far are docs created by experienced software developers for experienced software developers.

It's going to be a while before any 'learn to program using Swift' type documentation is available. So if you want to learn to program, don't waste time. Learn C and Objective-C. There's such a large base of Obj-C code out there anyway, it won't hurt to learn it.

Once you learn how to program, you will learn this truth: learning how to program, learning object-oriented design, and learning how to break down problems is the hard part. Learning a new language is relatively easy. If you have little experience now, then by the time you are an experienced, competent developer there will be a new 'hot' language to learn anyway. Swift will be considered just as old as Obj-C is now. Or it's possible the Apple Developer Community doesn't see the value of Swift and continues using the extensive Obj-C codebase that's out there now.

Thanks for your reply

I kind of understand the basic of programming by my familiarity with PHP. PHP, at times does seem incredibly silly but it has helped me think about things.

I understand that OB-C is a different kettle of fish but taking into account that I can figure some problems out, should I go forward with SWIFT-is that the hopefully new language for apps?

 

[Dekard]

some folks are working on tutorials for Swift, but they are under the NDA for iOS 8 as well, so they are looking to get clarification from Apple to post any tutorials, etc.. until iOS 8 comes out I am thinking it will be few and far between for noobies.

I'd still suggest learning Objective-C it's not going anywhere and is still useful for programming in iOS/MAC and the C/OBJ-C will help you with Swift and programming for apple in general. It's not going away.

 

[brianm801]

As of right now, there are only 4 examples in the iOS Developer Library using Swift.

Once you get the basics of development its not hard to move from language to language..

You won't waste anything learning Obj-C. The logic you learn can be used in Swift or any other language.