Learning Swift – Second Edition

Key Features

• Write expressive, understandable, and maintainable Swift 2 code with this hands-on tutorial
• Unveil the complex underpinnings of Swift to turn your app ideas into reality
• This book is packed with real-life examples to help you implement concepts as you learn

Book Description

Swift is Apple's new programming language and the future of iOS and OS X app development. It is a high-performance language that feels like a modern scripting language. On the surface, Swift is easy to jump into, but it has complex underpinnings that are critical to becoming proficient at turning an idea into reality.

This book is an approachable, step-by-step introduction into programming with Swift for everyone. It begins by giving you an overview of the key features through practical examples and progresses to more advanced topics that help differentiate the proficient developers from the mediocre ones. It covers important concepts such as Variables, Optionals, Closures, Generics, and Memory Management. Mixed in with those concepts, it also helps you learn the art of programming such as maintainability, useful design patterns, and resources to further your knowledge. This all culminates in writing a basic iOS app that will get you well on your way to turning your own app ideas into reality.

What you will learn

• Form a solid understanding of the Swift 2 language
• Get to know the practical aspects of how a computer program actually works
• Understand the paradigms used by Apple's frameworks so you are not intimidated by them
• Utilize the vast resources written in Objective-C to better inform your Swift programming
• Develop a basic portfolio of Swift code by learning the critical concepts
• Experience both object-oriented and functional programming
• Get to know the new coding techniques made available by Swift 2
• Discover resources to ensure you never stop becoming a better developer

About the Author

Andrew J Wagner is a software developer who concentrates on iOS development and backend web services. He has a degree in computer engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York. Currently, he works for a development shop named Chronos Interactive based in Denver, CO. He has experience of working with and for large-scale and small-scale companies, as well as running his own contracting and app companies. He is passionate about using computers as a creative outlet and writing software that is beautiful in implementation, functionality, and experience.

When he isn't working or spending time with friends and family, he writes for his blog at http://drewag.me.

Table of Contents

1. Introducing Swift
2. Building Blocks – Variables, Collections, and Flow Control
3. One Piece at a Time – Types, Scopes, and Projects
4. To Be or Not To Be – Optionals
5. A Modern Paradigm – Closures and Functional Programming
6. Make Swift Work For You – Protocols and Generics
7. Everything Is Connected – Memory Management
8. Paths Less Traveled – Error Handling
9. Writing Code the Swift Way – Design Patterns and Techniques
10. Harnessing the Past – Understanding and Translating Objective-C
11. A Whole New World – Developing an App
12. What's Next? – Resources, Advice, and the Next Steps