What is the difference between Swift and Objective-C?

The main difference between Swift and Objective-C is that Swift is a modern, fast, and safe programming language developed by Apple, while Objective-C is an older programming language that has been used for iOS development for many years.

Swift is designed to be more user-friendly and easier to read and write compared to Objective-C. It has a simpler syntax, which makes it more concise and less prone to errors. Swift also introduces modern features like optionals, type inference, and automatic memory management, which improve code safety and reduce the likelihood of crashes.

Objective-C, on the other hand, is a superset of the C programming language and retains its syntax and conventions. It uses square brackets for method calls and has a more verbose syntax compared to Swift. Objective-C relies on manual memory management using retain, release, and autorelease, which can be more error-prone and time-consuming.

While Swift is the preferred language for iOS development, Objective-C is still widely used, especially in legacy codebases and projects that require compatibility with older iOS versions. Both languages can be used together in the same project, as Swift is compatible with Objective-C code, allowing developers to gradually migrate from Objective-C to Swift.