Now swift is going through the same phase where Java was in early days. 

There was a time when Java was going through regular updates for getting develop into a language offering performance and stability in the Android domain. Swift, nowadays is going through constant changes for getting updated into a robust language where highly functional, complex applications can be built. After having four massive version updates, Swift has launched two versions: Swift 5.0 and Swift 5.1 in 2020. 

Both the versions have some notable features to further strengthen the language, so let’s have a deep look into what both the versions have to offer and how these updates will make it ideal companion of any leading mobile app development company in Dubai

What is Swift 5 Update?

Swift 5 update is perhaps one of the biggest milestones contributing to the evolution of advancements. Along with progressive ABI stability, the Swift runtime is been added in every Apple platform’s OS versions: iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS.  It's now equipped with a plethora of new functionalities which acted like building blocks of Apple’s vision and give a new direction to the advantage of swift programming language.

Stable ABI and Binary Compatibility 

ABI has been considered stable for Swift 5 app development and Swift libraries have been integrated with every iOS, tvOS, watchOS, and macOS. It earlier was a problematic element when engineers require developing iOS apps. The applications will be easier to develop with smaller size since they will not include any libraries. 

Library Updates 

The standard library of Swift 5’s will come with following new features:

• String now re-implemented with the UTF-8 encoding for prompt coding.
• Improved support for raw texts in the string literals.
• The Result types and SIMD vector have been added.
• Performance enhancers in set and directory.
• Advanced string implementation for flexibility in constructing text from data.

New Compiler and Language Updates 

Swift 5 app development provides unshared memory access for debugging as well as releasing builds. Also it supports dynamic call types for improving interoperability with dynamic languages like JavaScript, Python, and Ruby.  Swift 5 now implements these language proposals:

• Literal initialization by coercion
• Handling future enum cases
• Introduce user-defined dynamic “callable” types
• Identity key path
• The ‘less than’ operator supported in compilation
• Flatten nested optional emerging from ‘try?’

Package Manager Updates

The Swift Package Manager has been added with a series of new features including dependency mirroring, target-specific build settings, customized deployment targets and the ability of generating code coverage data. Now swift runs command including a capability to import libraries in read-eval-print loop with building an executable.  Swift 5 also implement some Package Manager proposals from Swift evolution process:

• Dependency Mirroring
• Platform deployment settings
• Target specific build settings

What is Swift 5.1 update? 

Swift 5.1 is dependent on Swift 5 for growth with features like module stability, extending ability of language and standard libraries like: opaque result types, property wrappers, new APIs for String, diffing for appropriate collection types, etc.  Keeping all these together, Swift 5.1 makes APIs designing easy and lowers the common boilerplate code. 

Some other features of Swift 5.1 are:

Module Stability 

Now it’s possible to create binary frameworks sharable to leverage the language’s support for module stability. It will make it speedy and convenient for developers to develop apps for iOS. Also a new text based module interface file describing binary framework API has been defined to get it complied with codes through different compiler versions.

Library Updates 

The Swift 5.1 library is equipped with following new features, making it easy to make apps with Swift 5:

• Higher flexibility for initialization of an array
• Support updating and handling diffs on the collection of appropriate types
• APIs for working with Strings – developing and handling contiguous strings, compatible of working with Unicode text, and general initializes for Range and String.index.
• Language Server Protocol
• Identifiable protocol for extending reductions, vector swizzles, and vectors.
• The Swift 5.1 OSS toolchain packages for Ubuntu and macOS contain binaries for the SourceKit-LSP (an implementation of LSP for C based languages and Swift)

Swift Syntax Updates 

It’s been re-architectured with separate focus on improving performance by using parser from Swift compiler. Also performance of the syntax tree visitation and its related operations have been improved through re-architecturing of internal data structures. 

Additional Language and Compiler Updates 

Swift 5.1 also comes with some new language features:

• Property wrappers for consistent context to define the custom access patterns for property values – delayed initializes, thread specific storage, atomic operations, etc.
• A return keyword is required for a single expression getters or functions.
• Self can be utilized for value types and classes.
• The compiler incorporates values for the properties with default initializers.

The ABI stability

Earlier Apple couldn’t include Swift programming language support in iOS, because an app coded in Swift 2 couldn’t run on Swift 3 simply because, it wouldn’t work with language support binaries of Swift 3. Until previous times, available solution for developers was including the Swift libraries in app bundle which would be downloaded from App store. This increased the size and the storage requirement of the application hereby becoming the biggest disadvantages of swift programming language.

But with ABI getting stable, industry has now a permanent solution for user side issues. It also enables developers to run the application in every new coming Swift version and make it a preferred language for both Enterprises and Startups. This move is one that would bring language several strides ahead in the Swift vs Objective-C comparison. 

Some other benefits include: 

• Smaller app size
• Faster Launch
• Greater Performance

Conclusion

The selection of Swift 5 or Swift 5.1 for developing your iOS apps means not just making the process efficient but also creating a captivating user experience for customers.  Every iOS app developer and entrepreneur across the globe have been increasingly using Swift for achieving excellence. With huge flexibility and scope for creativity, Swift 5 is one of the best app development platforms out there.