Swift Is Not Going to Replace Java in Android Development
THURSDAY,
MAY 05, 2016
Look up “Swift” on the Internet and you will find plenty of news. Despite coming from different sources, the stories will all have one theme in common: “Google has hinted it will replace Oracle’s Java with Apple’s Swift in Android.”
There’s so much discussion that you may be excused for thinking the change is imminent. But is it?
Here at Cogniter, we have three reasons to believe Google is not going to swap Java with Swift anytime soon:
It Will Bring Google Back To Square One
After you have read a few articles, commentaries and news stories, you will realize Google is not “mulling” the swap for no reason.
It is embroiled in a lawsuit against Oracle over Java and wants to get rid of Oracle’s technologies quickly. It recently lost a lawsuit and it may have to pay Oracle more than $7 billion. Moving to Swift, the faulty argument goes, can protect it from future legal action from Oracle. Think it is a brilliant idea? Perhaps, not!
Moving to Swift is not a solution. Google may erect a protective wall against Oracle by dumping Java, but it is not going to save it from Apple. It will be like replacing one set of troubles for another. When faced with such a scenario, the wiser strategy is to stick to the devil one knows.
Why Will Google Not Promote Swift Over Go?
Not long ago, Google created its own language, Go. One of its creators was none other than the legendary Ken Thompson, who created C with Dennis Ritchie in the 1960s and early 1970s. If Google were to replace Java, it would introduce Go to the Android ecosystem over Swift.
Go is a Google product, the company can control its direction of development. Despite being open source, Swift is an Apple product.
Go is already a popular language for companies with large data centers. It is already replacing Ruby in the U.S. and PHP in China.
Finally, Google has created libraries which allow a programmer to create Android and iOS apps exclusively in Go. It may not be inclined to reinvent the wheel with Swift.
Java is Too Entrenched to be Dethroned
For good, or for bad, Java dominates Android Application development. It will be nay impossible to replace it with another language without marginalizing a huge number of developers. Where will the new development resources and programming expertise come from? And why will Google replace a tested language with an experimental one?
Do not listen to all the hype because Google is not going replace Java with Swift. But that does not mean Swift is a bad language.
It is an awesome tool if you are developing for iOS. Cogniter Android App Developer India use Swift in their work. They are the people to turn to if you want a new iOS app for your business. You can reach out to them at Skype-ID:Cogniter or info@cogniter.com.
