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Swift is an open-source programming language that was developed by Apple for use on its iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS platforms. If you are looking to build a software product for any Apple operating system then it is likely that you will need to hire Swift Developers.
Swift was first released back in 2014 and was designed to reduce the number of programming errors as well as incorporate a number of developer-freindly features including “protocol-oriented programming”.
Thanks to it being supported by Apple for iOS app development, The Swift language has become a language that many software developers have experience coding in. Apple has helped Swift app development by publishing transparent and comprehensive guidelines that software must adhere to in order to be released on the Apple app store.
Since there are many developers who code full-time using Swift, you won’t find it very difficult to find one. The real challenge is to find a talented Swift developer who will build you a first-class application.
There are a number of different hiring models available to those looking to hire Swift developers. These include general-purpose freelancer sites, software development-specific freelancer sites, and dedicated software development companies that offer developer outsourcing.
Before we examine the strengths and weaknesses of each of these hiring models, let’s start by outlining the main skills that you will need from your Swift developer.
Essential Swift development skills
You will need to look for the following Swift skills:
- A good grasp of Swift syntax
- Optionals
- Control flow
- Classes, inheritance & initialization
- Objective-C interoperability
- Error handling
- JavaScript object notation
- (GCD) Grand Central Dispatch.
Other skills that a Swift application developer needs
Swift developers also need several more core skills which are as follows:
A. Apple Design Guidelines
Comprehensive knowledge of Apple development guidelines is essential if you want to ensure that you can publish your finished software product. Apple’s website has all the necessary documentation, your developer must know it back to front.
Any software applications that are found in violation of the rules will be rejected immediately.
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Since Apple has created these guidelines to ensure apps run quickly and properly, as well as reduce the chances of security issues or Swift coding errors, you need to make sure your Swift developer is working within them.
B. The knowledge of Swift iOS and Android development
Native apps built for the iOS operating system utilize device-specific features of the iPhone, iPad, and iWatch mobile devices.
You need to find a Swift programmer who is able to get the best performance out of your mobile application. This will mean that they must have experience in using such things as plugins in order to effectively add additional features and functionalities to your iOS app that always look and act great.
Any experienced iOS developer will know the development process back to front and will also know the main pitfalls and how to avoid them. This will help them maximize the user experience, which will ultimately lead to good customer satisfaction levels.
C. Familiarity with cloud platforms
Cloud platforms are one of the most powerful tools in the developer’s arsenal. “Platform-as-a-Service” (PaaS) or “Mobile-Backend-as-a-Service” (MBaaS) platforms can save lots of time and money as they handle the infrastructure so you only need to focus on the development. These platforms also allow software owners to scale their products easily and cost-effectively.
You will likely want Swift programmers that have worked on cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, etc., as these are the most popular solutions out there.
E. The knowledge of application security
No matter whether you are building a cross-platform app or a native app, security is one of the most important parts of your product. You will need coders who have a good level of experience in application security.
Only hire Swift developers who understand how to quickly identify application security vulnerabilities and fix them. Ideally, they should have good technical skills in debugging both their and other Swift programmers’ code.
G. Track record in delivering high-quality app development services
While it is true that Swift application developers learn most from their failures, they still need to have a gleaming portfolio of successfully delivered software projects to prove they can deliver what they say they can.
Additional skills that they need to succeed in your software development project:
- The ability to collaborate with testers and DevOps engineers;
- Code review technical skills;
- Familiarity with UI design principles.
How to hire Swift app developers?
Take the following steps:
1. Decide whether to use a freelancer platform or a software development company when you hire
The hiring processes when hiring a Swift developer can be difficult. Unfortunately, you only find that out when you have hired a programmer with poor skills who has just made a huge mistake that is going to cost you a lot of time and money.
Mobile app development is a serious business, so you need to hire the best.
General-purpose freelancer sites provide access to thousands of part-time Swift freelancers. If you shop around, you can hire Swift developers at the lowest rates in the market. However, this comes with drawbacks.
To start with, these Swift freelancers are totally unmanaged and you must assume full responsibility for their work. A better option to overcome this issue is the development-focused freelancer platforms that have some form of vetting process in order to ensure developer quality. However, these still come with huge risks.
Keep in mind that these developers are also only Swift freelancers and, like all freelancers, will be working on several other projects at once.
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Another point is that they don’t come with a project manager or any project management support. This will mean that, if you are not careful, you might find yourself having to manage thee freelancers with time zone and language barriers, etc.
The best option is to hire a Swift developer or Swift dev team from a dedicated software development company like DevTeam.Space. Not only are all these companies’ developers full-time, and so won’t be distracted by side projects, but the better companies also provide project management oversight and a dedicated account manager to oversee the work done by their developers. Make sure you get this service from whichever platform you hire from.
2. Interview the software engineers
Interview the candidates as comprehensively as your time will allow.
Note that you won’t need to put much effort in should you hire from a dedicated software development company, as they do this for you.
Get help from knowledgeable associates if you aren’t a Swift expert, or hire a Swift consultant to help you. You can use our Swift interview questions when interviewing prospective development team members.
Focus on your requirements when interviewing. E.g., you might have a project to develop iOS apps, so you will need to focus on the skills needed to develop iOS apps, etc.
To take another example, you might need senior software engineers. Likewise, tailor your interview process accordingly.
Finally, explain your project and check how the candidate reacts and comes up with solutions for various parts of the project.
3. Onboard the software developers
You now reach the last part of the hiring process where you onboard Swift developers. The new developers should work as an effective Swift development team, therefore, the onboarding must be efficient, i.e. they are fully aware of everything they need to know and have access to all channels, team members, etc.
Explain your project requirements. Provide the necessary documents. Give access to your project’s technical environment including the code repository.
Introduce the new team members to your existing team. Explain the roles and responsibilities, and describe how the new Swift developers can get help.
Describe the project plan, schedule, and iterations. Explain the review and quality management processes in your organization. Describe the approval process, and set up the necessary communication channels. Establish accountability.
Important tips when interviewing Swift programmers
Focus on the following when looking for the top Swift developers:
A. Knowledge of Swift coding best practices
Swift offers powerful features, however, more important is its maintainability. The best Swift developers know how to utilize the maintainability features offered by Swift. Swift is one of the easiest programming languages in this regard.
If you are developing an iOS app, you want iOS developers that create maintainable apps. It reduces future maintenance costs. Look for Swift developers that have this ability.
B. Knowledge of how Swift enables performance
The creators of Swift prioritized performance. Skilled Swift developers know how to use this strength effectively. Look for experience in coding performant Swift apps.
This is another reason for you to hire Swift developers from dedicated software development company. You will find it hard to verify the relevant experience of freelance Swift developers.
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Freelance Swift developers might provide an impressive project portfolio. However, you might not really know their effective contribution to those projects. This verification is even harder for remote Swift developers.
Hire experienced Swift developers from dedicated software development companies like DevTeam.Space. You can easily verify their relevant project experience and the company guarentees their performance.
C. In-depth knowledge of how Swift offers productivity
Swift offers important features that reduce developers’ workload. Look for skilled Swift developers that know how to use them well. Your Swift team will benefit from huch higher productivity if you do.
Examples of interview questions when hiring Swift developers
So, now you know the skills that you are looking for, here are some questions that will help you to test the practical knowledge of the candidates. The following are a few examples:
A. How does a structure differ from a class in Swift?
Answer: A Swift “Structure” or “Struct” is a value type. However, a Swift “Class” is a reference type.
Take the example of an app to measure visibility on two different days. The app uses numeric values of “1” and “2” to compare visibilities. If you use Swift structures, then the code will look like the following:
struct Day {
var visibility: Int = 1
}
var day1 = Day()
var day2 = day1
Day2.visibility = 2.
You have “day1.visibility” as 1 and “day2.visibility” as 2. Since you used a structure, the value types were copied by value.
The statement “var day2 = day1” copied “day1” and assigned it to “day2”. You can change “day2”, however, that won’t change “day1”.
If you use a class for “Day”, then it will be a reference type. If you change “Day2”, then that will also change “Day1”.
B. Should you use “nil” or “.none” in Swift?
Answer: Although “nil” and “.none” function in the same way in Swift, the convention is to use “nil”. You should use “nil”.
C. How can you handle runtime errors in Swift?
Answer: Swift offers numerous ways to handle runtime errors, e.g.:
- The Swift “error protocol”: Swift programmers can use a custom “Error” type, subsequently, they can use the appropriate enumeration.
- The “throws” and “throw” keywords: You can add the “throws” keyword in the definition of a function or an initializer. Subsequently, you can use the “throw” keyword to throw errors from the error type defined.
- The “do-catch” block and “try” statement: You can use a “do-catch” block including a “try” statement. Use this for functions with a “throws” keyword.
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