Declarative UI programming: Is Apple’s SwiftUI an answer to Google’s Flutter

WWDC 2019 has brought many interesting announcements for iOS app developers. One of these announcements, however, just failed to make the mark. This is the release of SwiftUI, a declarative UI framework for developing customized iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS apps. With this release, the Cupertino Company has joined the age of declarative UI programming.Apart from Jetpack Compose, Google’s latest declarative UI framework for Android, the SwiftUI can be considered as a strong answer to Flutter, a framework that has shown its capability by reducing the development time. It is fair to mention that SwiftUI looks promising and capable to bring radical changes in the iOS and iPadOS app development processes. Here we compare it with Google’s flutter. But before that, let’s have a glimpse on the benefits of a declarative UI language for the mobile app development.What is the role of declarative UI framework in app development?The declarative UI language or framework shows the computation logic. The mobile app developers describe the necessary elements and their appearance without taking the exact position and the visual style in consideration thanks to the declarative UI languages like SwiftUI and Flutter.Here are some of the noteworthy benefits of declarative UI language.

• Reduces app development time
• Facilitates a seamless integration between app designers and coders
• Brings separation between presentation and logic
• Eliminates the requirement of recompilation while changing the UI

Taking examples of SwiftUI and Flutter, both run on declarative UI programming. On one hand, SwiftUI offers controls, views, and layout structure for the app’s UI, and on the other hand, flutter has attractive widgets with appealing logos and fonts. Though Apple has taken just a first step in the declarative UI programming by releasing SwiftUI, which is capable of reducing the code complexity with ease.What’s more, SwiftUI has Xcode that contains software development tools as well as a built-in development environment for the operating system. SwiftUI also possesses dark mode, interface layout, and drag-and-drop development tools. But then, this declarative UI framework is designed to support iOS 13 apps only. In other words, when you hire iOS app developers to build iOS 13-compatible apps, then you can get an advantage of SwiftUI.Quick Comparison between SwiftUI and FlutterDifference between Flutter and SwiftUIWell, the first and foremost difference is SwiftUI is a close-ended declarative UI language whereas Google’s Flutter is open-ended language. Simply put, SwiftUI is just a new member of Apple’s ecosystem and useful for developing apps for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS. On the other hand, Flutter is compatible with Android and iOS. There, Flutter is the more progressive language for developing a customized interface.SwiftUI works on the same mechanism as of Flutter. It means that iOS app developers have another option of Flutter in terms of SwiftUI. It is interesting to see how the iPhone giant will come up in the subsequent versions of SwiftUI. To date, it appears that the SwiftUI will give the same UI experience like Flutter. Many app developers agree that “SwiftUI is Apple’s Flutter without Android support.” This fact can compel the iOS app developers to switch to Flutter for developing cross-platform apps.When it comes to cross-platform app development, Google’s Flutter has still an upper hand over SwiftUI. Usually, companies have started to hire Flutter developers for developing cross-platform apps that can run seamlessly across iOS and Android platforms. The cross-platform app can reduce the development time and cost significantly. With the current format, SwiftUI is unable to compete with Flutter as the former has no support for Android.Apple has announced the separation of iOS and iPadOS since the launch of the latest iOS 13. SwiftUI can indeed make the development of apps for iOS, iPadOS and other Apple’s devices faster and more interactive. As a decent declarative UI framework, it enables the UI designers to assemble a UI without writing any code. Also, if they modify the code, it appears in the visual design tool instantly. It is fair to mention that as SwiftUI is in its nascent stage, it is early to compare it with Flutter.Talking about Flutter, you can hire flutter developers to get scalable, cross-platform app solutions in a cost-effective way. However, if you want to develop an app that can cover all the devices of Apple including Watch, then SwiftUI can be your choice. It is better to consult a reputed mobile application development company to get the proper advice based on your app requirements and target audience.Inheritx Technologies has gained fame for offering the best-in-class Android and iOS app development services. Our experienced developers can smartly integrate the technological advancements of different modern languages like Swift, Flutter, and Kotlin to build robust and futuristic business mobile apps. If you want to give your business a mobility advantage, just send us your requirements at contact@inheritx.com. Our expert consultants will contact you shortlyInheritX Solutions has gained fame for offering the best-in-class Android and iOS app development services. Our experienced developers can smartly integrate the technological advancements of different modern languages like Swift, Flutter, and Kotlin to build robust and futuristic business mobile apps. If you want to give your business a mobility advantage, just send us your requirements at contact@inheritx.com and our expert consultants will contact you shortly.