Common Mistakes to Avoid When Migrating from Objective-C to Swift
There’s something I need to inform you guys what we at TechAhead have faced recently. For one of our client, the prospect of harnessing Swift’s benefits led him to make a bold decision — to fully migrate from Objective-C to Swift.
The decision, while courageous, was not made lightly. Our team found themselves facing a unique set of challenges, some of which were unknown until we delved into the migration process. Each member of our small, yet dedicated team was relatively new to the Swift language. Complicating matters further, the codebase earmarked for migration exceeded 100,000 lines of code — a substantial undertaking by any measure.
Undeterred by the magnitude of the task, we set out to migrate a stable, live app code to an entirely new language. The endeavor demanded significant effort and bandwidth from our development team, inevitably impacting the pace of our product pipeline. Despite the hurdles, our collective motivation stemmed from the promise of integrating one of the most revered programming languages into our arsenal.
As you delve deeper into this journey, I am going to unfold the various intricate details that me and my team came across while executing this migration process. Here I am going to share the various learnings that I got to know about u/Swift and r/ObjectiveC.
Key Takeaways from our Migration from Objective-C to Swift
Starting the Objective-C to Swift migration journey was a venture filled with discoveries, challenges, and a few “aha” moments. As we navigated the terrain, we uncovered key insights that shaped our understanding of Swift’s intricacies. Here’s a personal perspective on some of the pivotal learnings:Swift and Objective-C’s Limits
The promise of seamless interoperability between Objective-C and Swift wasn’t without its limitations. While Swift allows inheritance from Objective-C classes, the reverse isn’t true — a nuance that led to revisiting Swift code interfaced with Objective-C. The compatibility extends only to Int enums written in Swift, showcasing the intricacies of language integration.
Dynamic Frameworks
In our quest for efficient and modular code, we discovered the prowess of dynamic frameworks and modules in Swift. Crafting independent, segregated, and unit testable code became a reality, especially when drawing inspiration from Kitura’s sample web development code. The journey through Swift modules illuminated the path to managing complexity and enhancing code maintainability.
Swift’s Shape-Shifting Versions
One undeniable truth emerged — Swift’s language versions underwent frequent changes. The migration tool bundled with Xcode, while a helpful companion, occasionally added a layer of complexity. Swift’s evolution, exemplified by the shift from version 2.0 to 3.0, brought about development overhead. Yet, as pioneers in the Swift landscape, we recognized this as an inherent challenge in adopting a language that continually evolves.
Third-Party Library Lag
Our journey to embrace Swift’s full potential hit a roadblock — some third-party libraries hadn’t caught up with Swift’s pace. The reality that not all libraries fully supported Swift meant that, for us, the transition was not a complete departure from Objective-C. The “almost” in our migration narrative was a nod to the pragmatic compromise between innovation and compatibility.
Code Wisdom: The Backbone of Decision-Making
Knowledge of our existing code proved invaluable in making strategic decisions. Knowing when to leverage Objective-C, intertwine Swift with Objective-C, or opt for Swift dynamic frameworks/modules became a nuanced dance. Our journey underscored the importance of code familiarity as the compass guiding key development choices.
Compilation and Refactoring Challenges
Despite its elegance, Swift posed some practical challenges. The absence of Xcode’s refactoring option for Swift added a layer of manual effort to code maintenance. Additionally, the compilation time for Swift code, even on Macs equipped with 8GB of RAM, reminded us of the patience required in the face of swift transformations.
In conclusion, our migration to Swift was not just a technical endeavor — it was a journey of adaptation, resilience, and continual learning. These insights serve as a testament to the evolving nature of Swift and the intricate dance between innovation and the practical realities of code integration.
Conclusion
As we reflect on our experience, the limitations in interoperability and the ever-evolving nature of Swift’s versions underscore the dynamic landscape of modern development. The “almost” in our migration narrative serves as a reminder that innovation often requires compromise, especially in the realm of third-party library support.
