When Apple first released SwiftUI in 2019 as a new method of interface-building, many people were hesitant. Being discerning about new approaches is important, because it helps ensure a standard of quality in the way we build and upgrade products.
Fast forward to 2022, and SwiftUI for iOS has more than proven itself as a rapid, reputable, and highly accurate development method. As Apple continues to release new updates to SwiftUI—with no mention of UIKit (Apple’s original UI toolkit)—it’s clear that the latter programming language has reached its end of life.
So what if your iOS app is already built on Objective-C and UIKit?
What if you still have hesitations about upgrading?
Our mobile architect, Wendell Thompson, lent his insights on why migrating to SwiftUI matters now, and how to make the migration seamless.
If you’re considering migrating to SwiftUI, here’s a look at the major business benefits you could experience from making the switch:
1. Swift and SwiftUI offer a much faster development language, meaning you can create more in a shorter amount of time.
2. The speed of SwiftUI doesn’t come at the expense of accuracy, however. Swift as a programming language is actually less error prone, which means a lower rate of bugs and a higher rate of maintenance time and production level support.
3. Swift allows people to reskin their products. The same visual update or rebrand that might take months in UIKit only takes a few weeks (or less) in Swift, offering a major cost benefit as your brand or product grows and evolves.
4. UIKit and Objective-C are still compatible with Swift, so you won’t have to start from scratch. Swift can support portions of your current codebase.
Many product leaders are uncertain about how a lengthy migration would impact their current app and its users. Would their current app go offline? Would the functionality be impacted?
These are all important questions, and at Crux, we take great care to make sure current products built on UIKit aren’t affected in the process of migrating to SwiftUI.
In fact, we have a specific strategy that helps maintain the current app at all times while migration happens simultaneously—so your app never misses a beat.
As iOS continues to advance and progress, people still relying on UIKit and Objective-C won’t be able to take advantage of the new features available to Swift users.
Remember: Apple is no longer making updates to UiKit. So the longer you remain with UIKit, the further you fall behind any competitors using Swift.
In short: failure to update to Swift comes at the cost of innovation.
Ready to update your programming language? At Crux, we have the tools and expertise to update your product with minimal disruption and optimal speed, ensuring innovation for your company both now and in the future.
Curious how we can help? Get in touch.
