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iOS

Posted by Derek Conway
Derek Conway
970 Points

How hard is learning iOS using Objective C?

What's the easier approach in learning ad building with iOS? I'm a beginner and I want to explore learning iOS in hopes of landing a high paying career building iOS apps. Any thoughts? I'm finding that this community is awesome, extremely helpful, and very knowledgable. Thank you all in advance.

3 Answers

Jason Anders
MOD
Jason Anders
Treehouse Moderator 145,863 Points
Jason Anders
Jason Anders
Treehouse Moderator 145,863 Points

Hey Derek,

Honestly, that's a very subjective question, and you'll probably get many different answers. There are many varying views on this, but also... "How hard?" will depend on the person learning. Programming languages are like many things, some people will find one really simple while someone else may find the same thing difficult --- Personally, I have a hard time grasping Python. :)

When I first jumped into iOS, I went the Objective-C route first and then Swift. For myself, I originally preferred Swift, but as I moved forward, I now really find Objective-C more intriguing. I do believe, however, that to be really successful in iOS, you will eventually need to know and master both. For now, I'm focusing more on Objective-C but am still keeping up with the Swift courses.

Like I said though, it is pretty subjective and personal, and ultimately, it will be up to you in what you find interesting and appealing.

:dizzy:

Luke Pettway
Luke Pettway
16,593 Points

This is an excellent answer and it mirrors what the Big Nerd Ranch has said since Swift first came out.

Steven Deutsch
Steven Deutsch
21,046 Points
Steven Deutsch
Steven Deutsch
21,046 Points

Hey Derek Conway,

In response to your question of which language will offer the least resistance to building iOS applications, the answer is without a doubt Swift. The learning curve is not as steep as Objective-C and the language has multiple safety features that are extremely beginner friendly. You will create countless bugs when writing Objective-C code that are simply impossible when writing in Swift. Therefore, If you're looking to see the maximum results for the number of hours you put in or quickly throw something up on the app store, go with Swift.

That being said, you mentioned you would like to get a high paying job in the iOS development field. In that case, it is essential to understand both Swift and Objective-C. The reason for this being that Swift was designed to replace Objective-C, but Objective-C won't become obsolete for many years to come. Basically, your employer will want you to understand Swift as it is the future of iOS development, however, you will need knowledge of Objective-C to work with legacy code and frameworks that have not yet been converted to Swift.

Another benefit of learning Objective-C is that it allows you to truly appreciate Swift for the modern and safe language that it is.

Good Luck

Derek Conway
Derek Conway
970 Points

Steven Deutsch,

Thank you so much for your response. According to your answer, I think I will try to tackle both Obj C and Swift simultaneously. I really do desire to obtain a high paying job in this field. Thank you again.

Steven Deutsch
Steven Deutsch
21,046 Points

Just be careful not to spread yourself too thin. Learning one language can make learning the next less of a challenge. For example, after learning about "if statements", "functions", or "loops" in Swift, it was easier to learn these concepts in Objective-C. This is because at its heart, programming is programming. I did not have to relearn what a function or a loop was, because these are concepts which are present across multiple languages. I just had to learn how the syntax differed. Hope this helps!

Derek Conway
Derek Conway
970 Points
Derek Conway
Derek Conway
970 Points

Steven Deutsch,

Dude, you're extremely helpful! That clarified things so well for me. I just resumed the Obj C track now but I'm wondering if I should switch back to the Swift 2.0 track. Decisions, decisions!!!! There's some confusion that I must sift through, but I'm on the Obj C track.