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Overview of SwiftUI

Many different frameworks are used for creating User Interfaces (UI). While many of them are compatible across various platforms, some are masters in specific ones. The same can be said for SwiftUI, a feature-rich apple framework.

If you are unfamiliar with it, no need to worry. This quick yet detailed guide will cover all you need to know about SwiftUI. So, let’s get started!

All You Need to Know About SwiftUI

What is SwiftUI?


SwiftUI is a cross-platform framework used for creating user interfaces for iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOs. It was first introduced in 2019 as a solution for developers. 
The biggest distinctive thing about SwiftUI is that it is a declarative framework. It means you do not have to write code for everything, instead, you tell it what you want to perform.

With it, you can build lists, stacks, selectors, buttons, and pretty much all you will need for a user interface. It is often compared with UIKit, but is it a fair comparison? Well, let’s look at what separates and gives them a unique individual identity.

SwiftUI vs. UIKit


The biggest difference between the two is the use of coding. UIKit can be a bit complicated for new users as it was introduced in 2013. It relies more on advanced coding skills and takes more steps to finish a task. 
On the other hand, SwiftUI does not depend on coding. Also, it takes less effort to do a simple task. Where it took five steps for UIKit, SwiftUI can get the job done in one step.

All you need to do is simply tell your requirements to the framework. 
There are also many other differences, such as the usage of storyboards or interface builders. However, the two can not be compared. That is because SwiftUI is a fairly new framework, whereas UIKit is much more upgraded and enhanced.

Benefits of SwitftUI


Following are some of the most significant advantages of SwiftUI:

  • Since it requires less coding, it is easy to learn and use.
  • It allows you to integrate and manage multiple themes in an application.
  • SwiftUI does not need Interface Builder as it works with Canavs, which automatically generates visual elements.
  • The framework saves you from storyboards and allows you to write reusable codes.
  • You can combine it with UIKit to enhance functionality using UIHostingController.

How Does SwiftUI Work


As you may have guessed, SwiftUI uses the Swift programming language. But the question still remains, how does it work?

The following photo from WWDC19 is actually a slide that illustrates how UIKit works:



 As opposed to that, here’s how an illustration for SwiftUI:

For instance, if you were to add a vertical stack with buttons using other frameworks, you would have to go through several steps. However, you just tell SwiftUI that you want buttons in a vertical stack on the screen. 
It will automatically present the desired output without requiring you to make changes.

Conclusion


This article covered all the essential information you will need about SwiftUI. If you want to learn further, it is very simple. Therefore, you can easily get started with the framework and build impressive UIs.