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by e28eta 4063 days ago
Another thing to consider is what languages you already know, and whether Swift or Obj-C will have a lower learning curve.

My guess is that most people (trying to learn iOS) already know an imperative language, and the Obj-C will be easier. I'm really interested to find out if Swift is easier for complete beginners, who don't have preexisting programming experience. There are elements of it that look great (playgrounds being a prime example).

I believe that learning the Apple frameworks (and tools like IB) is going to constitute the majority of your time, regardless of which language you're calling them from.
2 comments
melling 4063 days ago
Most iOS bloggers use Swift. Want to learn iOS 9 in 2 months? I bet most examples are in Swift. I've collected almost 1000 Swift articles in the past year.

http://www.h4labs.com/dev/ios/swift.html

Think Apple's demos at WWDC will in Swift, ObjC, or both? Apple doesn't do "legacy" for very long.

http://ericasadun.com/2015/04/14/swift-in-case-you-didnt-thi...

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jure_z 4063 days ago
Exactly, Apple doesn't do legacy for very long.

To tackle the argument that there is infinitely more Obj-C resources out there - think of how many iOS3, 4 or even 5 tutorials you'd still be able to fully use and implement in your app? I'd say close to none. :)

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jure_z 4063 days ago
That's one thing I should've mentioned as well, thanks!

I, for example, come from all sorts of different languages (C++, C#, Java ...) but Obj-C was still a pain to learn. I also do personal projects in Ruby, which I like a lot. That's why I'm really fond of Swift and I can see it going in a similar direction, maybe.

And I agree - Apple frameworks are still written in Obj-C, so you'll have to obtain a basic understanding of the language. But that can come in a bit later, once you've already built something and are looking to dig in a bit deeper. :)

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