What is Objective C?

Objective-C is a general-purpose, object-oriented programming language that was developed in the early 1980s by Brad Cox and Tom Love. Mainly, it is used for software development on Apple’s macOS, iOS (mobile), watchOS, and TVOS platforms. Objective-C is a superset of the C programming language, which means Objective-C extends C with its object-oriented features. It combines the features and syntax of the C programming language with Smalltalk-style messaging objects.

Objective-C uses a dynamic runtime system that allows objects to be created as well as manipulated runtime and features dynamic binding, which allows method calls to be resolved at runtime rather than compile time.

What Is Objective C? (Definition, Uses, vs. Swift)

In this huge world of software development, especially within Apple’s ecosystem, the language that underpins much of the innovation and creation is Objective-C. Rooted in computing history, Objective-C has been a favorite language for developers driving the intricacies of Apple’s platforms for many years. With the arrival of Swift, a modern, concise, and more efficient language than Onjective-C. Also, questions arise regarding the relevance and solid significance of Objective-C in today’s landscape.

In this article, we will have a deep look into the uses of Objective-C along with its comparison with the modern featured language Swift. Let’s get started.

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What is Objective C?

Objective-C is a general-purpose, object-oriented programming language that was developed in the early 1980s by Brad Cox and Tom Love. Mainly, it is used for software development on Apple’s macOS, iOS (mobile), watchOS, and TVOS platforms. Objective-C is a superset of the C programming language, which means Objective-C extends C with its object-oriented features. It combines the features and syntax of the C programming language with Smalltalk-style messaging objects....

Uses of Objective-C

There are various use cases for Objective-C; some of the key uses are mentioned below:...

Objective-C vs. Swift

If we talk about Swift, it was developed by Apple Inc., Swift is a modern, general-purpose, compiled programming language. Swift was introduced in 2014 as an alternative to Objective-C, aiming to provide a more safe and efficient language for Apple platform development. Swift can be used to develop various Apple platforms, such as iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. It came up with more concise and cleaner code compared to Objective-C....

Limitations of Using Objective-C

After looking into the uses and comparisons with Swift, let’s now have a look at the limitations of Objective-C that developers must consider before choosing Objective-C as a programming language for a project....

Conclusion

Objective-C and Swift are both powerful choices for Apple development, and both languages have their own unique strengths and limitations. For maintaining old projects and legacy codes, Objective-C is the correct choice while keeping with current trends and using modern programming language features and advantages. Swift is the correct choice to make. The decision to choose either language depends on the project requirements and the expertise of the available development team....

FAQs

Is Objective-C still relevant in 2024 and even in the upcoming years with the rise of the Swift language?...