Preface
Programmers are an eclectic bunch. Everyone approaches programming from their perspective, depending on their training, work experiences and areas of expertise. I work in medical informatics as a medical informaticist with experience in machine learning using scripting languages such as Python and R; I currently use text editors with read-evaluate-print-loop (REPL) commands on the command line interface for my favorite workflow at present paired with Python as my "get things done language." However, Python provides its robust ecosystem, which I draw comparisons from when comparing languages like Swift, in which I describe my vision for Swift as I present my wishlist. I describe my vision compared with yours...but that is also perfectly fine.
Swift Ecosystem In 2023
I understand that Swift will exist within an ecosystem of core libraries (mainly Apple), proprietary libraries ( also Apple but others) and an online community in 2023. Let's review all these components together.
Swift, currently version 5.6, doesn't need an introduction - you likely already understand all its features, such as generics, protocols, options etc). Let me briefly mention some: Swift comes packed with functionality straight out of the box: Async wait (language level concurrency feature) was recently implemented as well; I struggle to think of any major Swift features still missing, but this knowledge would be great.
Apple provides excellent cross-platform core language capabilities on MacOS, Linux and Windows; Apple also provides support for its other products - watches, TVs, tablets, mobiles, and phones - through AppleWatches TVs, laptops, tablets, mobile phones as well as libraries that you compile yourself and run directly on Android if desired; unfortunately there's no library support so at this time no action can be taken on Android at this time. SwiftWasm provides another tool that compiles Swift code directly from browser assemblies into web assemblies and then runs directly in browser assemblies without compilation.
It includes an interactive playground-like playground, which helps make Swift more portable or accessible than C and Java; however, Swift has also become widely used across platforms over time compared with C and Java and thus becoming widely adopted over time and accessible and portable across many of those same platforms as well.
Swift in 2023 comes full circle when we look back at libraries and package managers. Libraries are at the core of any programming language; their functionality allows us to work at high abstraction levels with fewer resources dedicated to solving new issues quickly, developing finished products quickly and deploying them quickly into production environments. Swift Package Manager (SPM), integrated into build systems, makes organizing projects simple. At the same time, manifests are written entirely using Swift language, making one step towards end-to-end programming easier. We bid farewell to pods and cart files while looking forward to end-to-end programming.
What Is Missing
For an all-encompassing language to exist across platforms and domains of work, three elements are needed. These components include:
- Multiplatform tools with the capability of creating user interfaces (UI).
- Easy and comprehensive documentation are two hallmarks of good software packages available as open-source options.
- An active developer community dedicated to Swift offers education via books, blogs and tutorials. Troubleshooting issues are addressed on StackOverflow while developers from other languages find inspiration in the Swift development process.
Multiplatform Support
Let's address Apple first: Swift is an open-source language designed primarily for Darwin-based devices despite being free. While it's great that Swift runs on other platforms besides Darwin devices (Android/Windows builds, etc.), Apple seems less inclined to support Swift beyond those devices they already sell their products or range of services. They have clarified their willingness for Cross-Platform Swift; Swift users and community members needing help developing such support can rely on each other as support providers for cross-platform Swift build.
Swift was specifically created from its inception to work seamlessly with Objective-C. There will undoubtedly be further challenges faced during implementation and deployment, however. Apple created Swift as an answer to enable internal and third-party developers to continue to utilize Objective-C projects even after moving over to Swift coding languages including ourselves.
I won't pretend to know all the intricacies involved here - far from it. Apple platforms alone can run Objective-C Runtime and Foundation Libraries; all other platforms use different C core libraries (Darwin on Apple, Glibc under Unix and WinSDK on Windows, for instance) instead. Another version of Foundation features a similar API to Apple's. At first glance, it may look disorganized.
However, the Foundation of non-Apple platforms is incomplete; many key components have been covered. I hope those smarter than me can work out any kinks so we can all write cross-platform software applications without me needing to learn platform differences or write an overwhelming volume of compiler instructions myself.
An essential cross-platform Swift infrastructure piece missing is user interface development tools. As I explained before, SwiftUI code could be written and then run directly in the browser - this is precisely what we want in an extensible Swift UI Framework that works across platforms, thus leading me to consider GTK or Qt for development. However, even Swift bindings would do just fine as alternative innovative solutions.
Open-Source Software Packages That Are Easy To Use And Have Comprehensive Documentation.
Swift packages available publicly today are mostly designed for Apple device development and rarely useful elsewhere - creating an obstacle that Swift must overcome to gain popularity on other platforms. We need an efficient discovery system in place to discover these packages efficiently.
Swift Package Index, for instance, is in early development as an easy search tool for Swift packages. It currently houses metadata about more than 4,800 packages. It can provide useful project requirements information and compatibility and status details. DocC-compatible documentation hosting would make this project even better; restful APIs or command line tools that make installing or adding packages easier will soon follow suit. Fingers crossed.
Swift will take time and patience to build into an ecosystem for cross-platform use, especially since we do not yet possess a GUI Framework, which may never appear. Focusing on scripting and command-line libraries will enable us to expand in other areas more rapidly. Swift scripting is something I have been exploring recently, and one or more key areas require improvement. While Python allows me to import multiple packages and access functionality across files easily, Swift makes this more challenging.
SPM provides the easiest method of adding libraries that do not fall under Foundation. However, doing so means leaving behind scripted integration and instead having to build small packages containing executable files. Swift-sh may provide another viable alternative, but I have yet to incorporate it into my workflow.
There is an inelegant way of solving this second problem of calling code from multiple files simultaneously: concatenating Swift files using cat and pipelining them directly into Swift is possible, though not likely a permanent solution; Swift may become more viable with time due to its fast scripting; for now however I plan to remain loyal to Python as my primary scripting language.
Command line applications may seem niche to some of us, yet many find comfort in using prompts like ArgumentParser. Other packages exist that assist app development by adding formatting features or colors - however, more needs to be done here. Wouldn't it be great if Playgrounds was available as an executable command-line version? Since non-Apple systems also use Swift, we need something similar to what iPython offers as its debugger interface and REPL/LLDB offer debugging functions for code development.
If you are unfamiliar with iPython, it's a Python REPL with syntax highlighting and code completion features as well as fancy menus to help with code completion, special commands for viewing the program's input history, and many other awesome capabilities that make for an amazing user experience-truly an amazing tool.
Utility packages installed just beneath or alongside Foundation can open up new avenues of Swift adoption, as seen with web serving. As evidenced by Vapor and Kitura projects on web serving alone, Swift now successfully serves web pages and restful APIs. Interestingly, Apple also has ongoing projects that don't receive much press; notable projects I found include Atomics, Algorithms and DistributedActors on GitHub.
Swift is a language I wish were more useful for data scientists. Chris Latter started work at Google on an initiative bringing it into TensorFlow - giving me hope even though this program will end by 2021. Numerics is still being refined, while Swift has made progress on automatic differentiation. Swift's capacity for meaningful data science would provide programmers and users with significant value-add.
Apple's CreateML tool, designed to assist developers with building machine learning models using template-based approaches, only supports pre-packaged solutions. If the model you need cannot be found there, Python must first be utilized and trained before being converted back to Apple format; Swift could then run your pipeline and convert the results back into Apple format.
Also Read: Top Mobile App Development Companies that are Global Market Players
Swift Developers Can Benefit From A Vibrant Developer Community That Provides Education, Support, And Motivation To Other Devs.
The last area I want to discuss is the development community. It is like an age-old puzzle of chicken or egg: Which came first? The issue is this: If experienced developers lack the necessary infrastructure for using non-Apple platforms such as Python and Ruby, how will an active developer community be without Apple's support?
How will those building this infrastructure receive help when their community doesn't offer them any? While I find this analogy far-fetched, we need people willing to go out independently and tackle problems not addressed on Stack Overflow or elsewhere. Stack Overflow does not do this job well enough - pioneers/explorers.
What Is Cross-Platform Mobile Development?
Modern companies increasingly need mobile app development services that work across various platforms, such as Android and iOS, making cross - platform mobile development services one of the more prevalent custom software development trends. Statista reports that, during the first quarter of 2021, 2.22 million apps and 3.48 million apps were available on Google Play Store; they represented nearly 99 percent of the global mobile operating system market.
What is the optimal approach to developing mobile app developers that Android and iOS users demand? This article explains why mobile engineers increasingly prefer multiplatform or cross-platform mobile development methods.
Definition And Solutions Of Cross-Platform Mobile Application Development
Cross-platform development allows developers to develop mobile app development companies that work across different operating systems simultaneously, using shared or individual code bases if applicable. Now, developers can easily build mobile assets for both Android and iOS without coding separately for each.
Mobile App Development: Key Strategies
Four methods are available for creating apps on both Android and iOS systems.
Native Apps Are Universal
Native apps are designed for operating systems using specific languages and tools specifically for that platform, like Java or Objective-C for Android OS; Swift/Objective-C is used on iOS to develop iOS native apps.
Tools and programming languages enable developers to access an OS's capabilities and create responsive apps with intuitive user interfaces. However, to address Android and iOS users simultaneously, separate applications will have to be developed - this takes time and energy.
PWAs (Progressive Web Apps)
PWAs combine mobile application features with web-based solutions for an enhanced web-app experience that includes mobile solutions. Their creation requires the use of technologies like JavaScript, HTML, CSS, or WebAssembly by developers who specialize in these areas of development.
Online applications can be distributed and shared easily without requiring individual packaging and distribution, providing access to these programs through your browser on smartphones or tablets without being downloaded through Google Play and the App Store. Native apps tend to offer greater performance, as users cannot take full advantage of all the device features such as contacts, calendars and phones. As a result, user experiences may become severely restricted.
Apps That Run On Multiple Platforms
As discussed previously, multiplatform apps are built to function identically across various mobile platforms. Cross-platform frameworks offer developers a way to repurpose code used when developing apps across platforms. Cross-platform development for mobile devices offers both cost and time efficiency, so this approach makes sense from both sides. In the following section, we'll consider its pros and cons.
Hybrid Apps
You may have noticed people on websites and forums referring to cross-platform mobile application development companies as "hybrid Mobile Development." However, this terminology should not be applied interchangeably - and inaccuracy lies therein.
Mobile engineers can reuse code across platforms when developing cross-platform apps. In contrast, hybrid app development combines web and native technologies. You must embed web-based languages like HTML, CSS or JavaScript within native applications using frameworks like Ionic Capacitor or Apache Cordova; additional plugins enable accessing native functionality of platforms.
The Debate Over Whether To Develop Native Or Cross-Platform Apps Is A Longstanding One
The longstanding debate surrounding native or cross-platform app development remains. The technology community's opinions vary regarding which approach is superior, and each has advantages and disadvantages. Experts continue to overwhelmingly prefer native mobile solutions over multiplatform ones for several key reasons, citing improved performance and user experience as two major benefits of native apps.
Many modern business goals are trying to reduce the costs and time required to develop each Android and iOS platform while maintaining a strong presence. David Henry and Mel Yahya from Netflix recommend cross-platform frameworks like Multiplatform Mobile to accomplish this objective.
Due to the unreliability of internet connections, we chose mobile solutions with robust offline support and client-side persistence for ease of use and client persistence. Experimentation was conducted using multiplatform architecture as our deadline for product delivery approached quickly. Take it further with Multiplatform, which compiles native Universal Frameworks on iOS and Android.
Also Read: Why you must get a hybrid app now for robust, user-friendly mobile apps, easier & faster development
Is Cross-Platform Mobile Development Right For You?
Your choice regarding mobile application development methods depends upon factors like tasks, goals and requirements; cross-platform mobile app development has benefits and drawbacks that should be carefully considered before choosing the method for your business model.
Cross-Platform Development Has Many Benefits
Cross-platform development brings many advantages to businesses, so many choose this development method.
Code Reusability
Cross-platform programming enables mobile engineers to avoid writing different code for each operating system they support, saving developers time and energy when performing repetitive tasks such as API requests, data storage/serialization/analytics etc.
Our developers participated in our Multiplatform Survey conducted from Q3-2021 regarding which parts of their code they could share across platforms.
Time Savings
Cross-platform applications relying heavily on reused code require significantly less code writing to achieve successful applications, saving time and resources by not writing as many lines. With fewer lines to write and bugs less likely to appear quickly, testing and maintaining code will take much less effort.
Resource Management Is Key For Effective Resource Administration
It can be expensive and ineffective to build multiple applications independently; sharing one codebase enables more effective use of resources by both Android and iOS teams who learn together how to share code and use shared components of it in development projects.
Attractive Opportunities For Developers
Mobile technology engineers often view cross-platform technology as a valuable addition to a tech stack, particularly developers tasked with JSON processing tasks that become repetitive or dull over time. By offering mobile developers new challenges through modern tech stacks, hiring is made simpler for mobile engineering.
Expanded Audience Reach
Don't settle for choosing between platforms when expanding your reach by ensuring your app purchases works on Android devices and iOS.
Customization And Faster Time To Market
You'll have less work on your hands to launch and develop your product strategy faster if it means only creating one app across platforms; your programmers will find it much simpler if anything needs changing; plus, it means faster feedback response for users.
Cross-Platform Development Challenges
Every solution has its own set of limitations, and cross-platform programming may present unique difficulties. Some experts in the tech field claim there are still performance issues associated with multiplatform programming; project leaders may fear optimizing development could reduce user satisfaction with an application; yet cross-platform solutions have become more stable, flexible and adaptable over time thanks to technological advancements. Mobile app development Multi Platform Survey participants in Quarter 1 through Quarter 2 2021 were asked whether or not they were satisfied with their app quality after using, over 98% responding that they were pleased with its performance, binary size, and appearance.
Company provides interoperability among various platforms and devices. If you are building cross-platform apps that require accessing platform-specific APIs, expected and actual statements provide a solution. Define "expectations" of calling functions across platforms before providing actual implementations that integrate into them through interoperability features. This begs the question as to whether end users will be able to distinguish cross-platform from native applications.
Modern multi platform frameworks are becoming more advanced, giving mobile engineers access to tools that enable them to craft native development experiences for end users without them ever realizing any difference if the app has been written well. Quality will largely depend upon which tools are utilized during cross-platform app development.
Conclusion Of Article
Cross-platform solutions are rapidly progressing. As their advantages outweigh their downsides, technology solutions suited for different workflows or requirements become available - all these tools provided here offer assistance for teams considering cross-platform approaches. Finding the appropriate solution requires carefully considering your business requirements, goals and objectives.
The subtitle of this article poses an intriguing query; sorry if that title seemed click-baity. Swift holds great potential as an all-purpose language; I don't believe we have reached that stage yet. In this article, I discussed key building blocks, including frameworks to develop GUIs and improved scripting, playground equivalents on non-Apple platforms, and low-level tools across platforms that act as scaffolds to higher abstraction layers -; hopefully, one day, we can reach 100% Swift projects for development.
