Apple is gearing up for the release of the latest version of its object-oriented programming language Swift. The soon-to-be-launched Swift 5.3, which was officially unveiled on March 25, is expected to make the programming platform more universal and advanced.
As per its blog, Apple will regularly post Downloadable snapshots of the Swift 5.3 release branch here.
Here is a quick look into the proposed new features of Swift 5.3.
On Windows
With the new version, Swift will be available on the Windows platform as well. When it was launched in 2014, it was exclusive for the Apple domain. In 2015, Swift 2.2 was launched, enabling Linux integration.
The Windows compatibility will further boost the universal appeal of the programming language.
Conforming Enums to Protocol
There has been a long-running issue of a compiling error, which emerges when coders tried to conform an enum to a protocol. Currently, it gives rise to a compiling error. With Swift 5.3, this error will be history.
Introducing Multiple Trailing Closures
This is the feature that perhaps most excites the programming community. This involves a simple syntactic sugar that can be employed in the case of a closure parameter in a function. This feature will definitely lead to simpler and more straight-forward code.
In fact, this feature is already there in Swift, but in a limited way. At present, it is restricted to only the function’s last parameter. Swift 5.3 will allow programmers to include more trailing closures, simply by inserting extra labels.
Introducing Float16 Type
The Swift platform does not have small-sized floating point types, especially the popular Float16, which is widely used for computing in mobile graphics units in smart devices. Consequently, developers often have to use less reliable programming language options to incorporate this functionality into Swift. With the launch of Swift 5.3, this issue will be permanently resolved, as it will comprise Float16 feature.
Other Features
There are many other features in the new update, including the following:
· Capability to handle multiple error types in a single clutch clause,
· A new “Rangesoft” method that will allow to create non-contiguous subranges based on specific conditions, and
· Substantial enhancements in Swift Package Manager.
In short, the new of Swift 5.3 has rightly set a buzz. Now let’s wait for the actual launch.
