What Is Objective C? (Definition, Uses, vs. Swift)

In this huge world of software development, especially within Apple’s ecosystem, the language that underpins much of the innovation and creation is Objective-C. Rooted in computing history, Objective-C has been a favorite language for developers driving the intricacies of Apple’s platforms for many years. With the arrival of Swift, a modern, concise, and more efficient language than Onjective-C. Also, questions arise regarding the relevance and solid significance of Objective-C in today’s landscape.

In this article, we will have a deep look into the uses of Objective-C along with its comparison with the modern featured language Swift. Let’s get started.

What is Objective C?

Objective-C is a general-purpose, object-oriented programming language that was developed in the early 1980s by Brad Cox and Tom Love. Mainly, it is used for software development on Apple’s macOS, iOS (mobile), watchOS, and TVOS platforms. Objective-C is a superset of the C programming language, which means Objective-C extends C with its object-oriented features. It combines the features and syntax of the C programming language with Smalltalk-style messaging objects.

Objective-C uses a dynamic runtime system that allows objects to be created as well as manipulated runtime and features dynamic binding, which allows method calls to be resolved at runtime rather than compile time.

Uses of Objective-C

There are various use cases for Objective-C; some of the key uses are mentioned below:

• iOS and macOS App Development: Apple products are the most popular and widely used products across the world. For developing applications for Apple’s iOS and macOS platforms, Objective-C has been the primary programming language. It’s used to develop a wide range of software, which includes mobile applications, desktop applications, games, utilities, and more.
• Legacy Codebases: Objective-C has been used in many existing iOS and macOS applications. Plenty of major Apple projects still exist that are written in Objective-C. Therefore, developers who know Objective-C can benefit from maintaining, updating, and extending existing codebases.
• Cocoa and Cocoa Touch Frameworks: Frameworks such as Cocoa (for macOS) and Cocoa Touch have integration with Objective-C, which provides a large set of APIs that help in developing UI (user interfaces), handling events, accessing system services, and more. Developers use Objective-C to interact with these frameworks and take advantage of their capabilities.
• Open Source Projects: In various open-source projects, libraries, and tools, Objective-C is used as a programming language. For example, many popular iOS and macOS frameworks and libraries are written in Objective-C. GNUStep offers an open-source implementation of the Cocoa API that allows developers to write cross-platform Objective-C code.
• High-Level Abstractions: The support of object-oriented programming paradigms in Objective-C allows developers to create high-level abstractions with the use of classes, objects, inheritance, and polymorphism. This support of OOP paradigms makes Objective-C suitable for building a complex software system with modular and reusable components.

Objective-C vs. Swift

If we talk about Swift, it was developed by Apple Inc., Swift is a modern, general-purpose, compiled programming language. Swift was introduced in 2014 as an alternative to Objective-C, aiming to provide a more safe and efficient language for Apple platform development. Swift can be used to develop various Apple platforms, such as iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. It came up with more concise and cleaner code compared to Objective-C.

Let’s compare both languages with the below comparison matrix.

Comparison Criteria	Objective-C	Swift
Syntax	Syntax in Objective-C can appear to be verbose compared to other programming languages. It requires method calls to be enclosed in square brackets, which might feel unfamiliar to developers.	Swift code is cleaner and more concise compared to Objective-C. Method calls can be made using dot operators, the same as in most modern programming languages.
Readability	Pointers and memory management require explicit handling, which improves the code quality.	Features such as optionals, type interfaces, and closures help in enhancing code and reducing boilerplate code.
Performance	The performance here is reliable, benefiting from years of optimization and refinement. Features such as dynamic typing and message passing can result in an overhead in performance.	It’s designed to be fast and efficient, leveraging modern compilers and the latest language features. Offers improved performance over Objective-C in many cases.
Safety	Objective-C developers need to manage memory manually through the retain-release cycle, which increases memory leaks and crash occurrences. The absence of nullability enforcement by the compiler can result in a runtime crash.	It prioritizes safety and reliability by incorporating features like optionals and strong typing. The compiler performs rigorous type checks, which helps catch errors at compile time itself.
Interoperability	Code written in Objective-C can be easily integrated into Swift projects by using bridging headers, enabling incremental migration from Objective-C to Swift.	Swift can make calls to Objective-C APIs directly and vice versa, allowing easy collaboration between legacy and modern codebases.
Learning curve	Objective-C has a steep learning curve, mainly for developers who are unfamiliar with its syntax and concepts such as pointers and manual memory management.	Swift offers a more approachable learning curve, mainly for developers who are already familiar with modern programming languages. Swift has constantly gained significant adoption since its introduction.
Community and Ecosystem	Due to its longer history, Objective-C has a larger existing codebase and ecosystem, but new development is shifting rapidly towards Swift.	Benefits from a modern and enthusiastic community and continued support and updates from Apple. Also, Swift’s open-source nature has led to cross-platform adoption beyond Apple’s ecosystem.

Limitations of Using Objective-C

After looking into the uses and comparisons with Swift, let’s now have a look at the limitations of Objective-C that developers must consider before choosing Objective-C as a programming language for a project.

1. Verbose syntax

Compared to modern programming languages, the syntax of Objective-C is verbose and complex to use. Standards such as square bracket notation for a method call and manual memory management reduce code readability and increase code verbosity.

2. Less Industry Trend

With the arrival of Swift as Apple’s preferred language for new development, the current industry trend is shifting away from Objective-C. This could potentially result in job opportunities and career growth for those developers who specialize solely in Objective-C.

3. Manual Memory Management:

Objective-C relies on manual memory management via retain-release cycles, which can be error-prone and result in memory leaks and crashes if not handled carefully. Developers are forced to manage memory explicitly while using Objective-C, which increases complexity.

4. Limited Safety Features

Objective-C doesn’t have the safety features that modern languages such as Swift have. The absence of nullable checks compile time results in runtime application crashes. Developers may face type-related issues due to its dynamic support feature.

5. Learning Curve

Objective-C has a deep learning curve, especially for developers who are new to its syntax and concepts such as pointers and manual memory management. Objectice-C’s dynamic nature may require additional time and effort for developers to understand.

6. Transition to the Swift language

With the arrival of Swift as the preferred language for Apple platform development, developers are transitioning from Objective-C to Swift. Swift came up with many features, such as modern syntax, nullable support, and concise coding. While both languages are interoperable, migrating from existing Objective-C codebases to Swift or integrating Swift code into Objective-C projects can be difficult and time-consuming.

Conclusion

Objective-C and Swift are both powerful choices for Apple development, and both languages have their own unique strengths and limitations. For maintaining old projects and legacy codes, Objective-C is the correct choice while keeping with current trends and using modern programming language features and advantages. Swift is the correct choice to make. The decision to choose either language depends on the project requirements and the expertise of the available development team.

FAQs

Is Objective-C still relevant in 2024 and even in the upcoming years with the rise of the Swift language?

Yes, Objective-C remains relevant for maintaining existing code and legacy projects, despite Swift’s preference for new development. Skilled Objective-C developers are still sought after for these tasks.

Is it possible for developers to use Swift and Objective-C in the same project?

Yes, both Objective-C and Swift are interoperable, allowing developers to seamlessly integrate code from both languages in the same project, facilitating a smooth transition between them.

If Swift is the future, then why should developers learn Objective-C? What are the advantages?

For the developers interested in working with existing projects, learning Objective-C is important. Its features, such as manual memory management and dynamic messaging, can help developers shape their programming fundamentals well. In this competitive market, demand for developers with sharp skills in Objective-C is still in demand.