Swift Language (Apple) first steps

Apple launched the Swift language (Looking for the Swift parallel scripting language? Please visit http://swift-lang.org) at WWDC 2014. A modern language to program for Mac and iOS!

Strongly typed language, where you explicitly what type (variable, arguments, and function returns), syntax reminds dynamic languages with Python, Go, Ruby and JavaScript.

Apple offers a free comprehensive guide on language in HTML and iBook formats.

• We can put zero left freely to improve readability, insert _ to separate groups of numbers and add the + in front. That server to improve readability of the program (does not alter the value of the number):

let a = 1000000
let b = 0.0000001

// readable
let a = 1_000_000
let b = 0.000_000_1

• Practical numerical ranges: 0..5 and 0...5 (Ruby)
• Unicode variables:

let π = 3.1415926

• Tween strings (expand variables and expressions inside strings):

var name = "Thiago Avelino"
var yaer = 25
println "Hi, my name \(name), 'm \(year) years."

• Few functions/methods native to strings works:
• hasPrefix
• hasSuffix
• uppercaseString
• lowercaseString
• countElements
• isEmpty
• Not have regular expressions
• Ternary operators: (condition ? yes : no)

I liked the language, as ’m used to not bother me Go explicit types, lack of regular expression can be a problem seems, but it is a pleasant language to learn!