Picking The Best Language For iOS App Development In 2022

At the time of writing this article, there are over 2.2 million iOS apps in the App Store and hundreds of others in the pipeline waiting for approval. The reasons behind this growing popularity of iOS apps as the go-to platform for startups and enterprises to launch their digital business in, are varied in nature. 

For a business looking to join the digital transformation trend, the Apple ecosystem comes with a range of offerings, not just in the way of benefits but also via exposure through devices. Let us relook at some of the benefits that the iOS app domain has to offer. 

What are the benefits of iOS app development?

The pros of iOS application development are what has led to both traditional and up-and-coming industries expanding their business on the platform. Here’s a list of what those benefits are – 

+ Greater app revenue

+ Established customer base

+ Greater data security 

+ Tech-ready audience 

+ Low fragmentation

Now there are multiple ways through which Apple ensures entrepreneurs get these benefits. But the most primary of those ways is the robustness of the programming languages iPhone app developers use. 

When it comes to iOS app development, the operating system gives multiple language options for the developers to choose from – languages that go beyond Swift. Let us look into what those programming languages are. 

The best programming languages to build an iOS app on

For an app entrepreneur, there are two routes to build an iOS app – native and cross-platform. This opens the iOS app development company to a range of different programming languages they can choose from. Here are some of the languages that we use at DianApps. 

1. Objective-C

Built as an extension of the C programming language and object-oriented programming capabilities, Objective-C was built in the early 1980s. It is basically a general-purpose language that is used for building Apple’s operating systems like iOS, OS X, and their Cocoa, Cocoa Touch APIs. 

Objective-C language is the superset of C programming language which offers object-oriented function and dynamic execution. It offers the developers language-level support for changing the literal objects and graphics in the app. Additionally, the language provides binding and dynamic input support for delaying multiple responsibilities to execution. For developers, the language can be the best choice when they are building an app for versions that Swift doesn’t support.

2. Swift 

Created in 2014, Swift has become the go-to programming language for any iOS mobile app development company. The language is used for building solutions for iOS, macOS, iPad, tvOS, and watchOS, etc. 

Unlike Objective-C, Swift is a modern-level programming language that provides the best set of modern language functionalities like safety, dynamic support, slow development, and linking. In addition to this, the language has been engineered to work with frameworks like Cocoa Touch, Cocoa, and even the codebase written in Objective-C.

It is best for developers who are looking to build an app in less time and expand it later. As it is regularly updated, the language makes it very easy to make improvements in the app at a later stage. 

3. C#

Launched in 2000, C# is a modern, simple, flexible, and object-oriented programming language. It enables the developers to put a complete set of apps together ranging from mobile apps, backend, windows apps, and consoles, etc. It is tightly coupled with the .NET platform which is not just a framework but also a runtime environment. 

For building iOS apps, C# developers use the Xamarin tool to jot down the C# laws and compile them into native iOS and machine binaries. 

Developers generally prefer using this language when they plan on expanding the solution to Android platforms.

4. HTML 5

The modern-day app entrepreneurs understand the importance of not restricting their digital presence to mobile devices. They need a web presence as well to become omnichannel in their customers’ lives. HTML 5 is a programming language that enables them to build a hybrid iOS application. 

Using the language in combination with CSS, developers are able to build hybrid apps which include page rendering and browser control in an application. 

HTML 5 becomes the best choice for developers when they are looking to build a simple-level iOS application that can be accessed offline. 

 

5. Java

It is a class-based, object-oriented general-purpose programming language whose code does not need recompilation to work on platforms. While used majorly for developing Android applications, Java – at the back of its robustness and high flexibility – is also used to create cross-platform applications. Used by over 9 million developers across the globe, it is one of the most famous programming languages across the world.

Using Java for iOS app development can be a great choice when businesses already have an Android application and they want to use the same language to expand in the Apple ecosystem. 

 

Summary 

Finalizing the best programming language to choose from for iOS app development can be tricky. While you can always contact iOS developers at DianApps for a quick consult, you can also find the answer in your specific needs and expectations plus the availability of resources in your in-house team.