Why You Should Learn Programming with Swift

If you’re learning to program for the first time, your goal isn’t just to write code, it’s to build your skill and intuition quickly. Swift is one of the best languages for this.

1. It’s Designed for Humans First

Swift reads close to English:

let name = "John"
print("Hello, \(name)")

No weird symbols. No ceremony. You focus on thinking, not constantly fighting syntax.

2. You Get Immediate Feedback

With Swift (especially in Xcode), you can run code instantly and see results. That tight feedback loop is everything when you're learning.

Write → Run → See result → Adjust

No long compile times

No complex setup

3. It Teaches Good Habits Early

Swift nudges you toward writing safe, clean code:

Strong typing (but not annoying)

Optionals (forces you to handle missing data correctly)

Immutability by default (let vs var)

You will accidentally become a better programmer.

4. You Can Build Real Apps Fast

This is the big one.

With SwiftUI, you’re not just printing to a terminal, you can build actual iPhone apps very quickly. That’s motivating, and motivation is everything early on.

Your First App: “Hello World” (Modern Swift)

This uses SwiftUI, which is Apple’s current standard.

Step 1: Install Xcode

Open the App Store

Install Xcode

Step 2: Create a New Project

Open Xcode

Click “Create a new Xcode project”

Choose:

iOS → App

Fill in:

Product Name: HelloWorld

Interface: SwiftUI

Language: Swift

Step 3: Replace the Default Code

Open ContentView.swift and replace it with:

import SwiftUI

struct ContentView: View
{
var body: some View
{
Text("Hello, world!")
.font(.largeTitle)
.padding()
}
}

#Preview
{
ContentView()
}

Step 4: Run It

Select a simulator (e.g., iPhone 26)

Hit ▶️ Run

You’ll see your app launch with “Hello, world!” centered on the screen.

What You Just Learned (Without Realizing)

struct → basic building block

View → UI is just data

body → describes what the UI is, not how to build it

SwiftUI → declarative programming (huge concept)

Where to Go Next

Don’t overthink it. Just stack small wins:

Change the text

Add a button

Track state using @State

Make the button update the count

Figure that out, and you’re well on your way to actually programming.

Bottom Line

Swift removes friction:

Easy to read

Hard to misuse

Allows you to build real things, fast

That combination is rare, but perfect for a beginner.