Developing a high-quality iOS app requires more than just coding skills – it demands smart decisions in UI design, coding style, version control, and tooling. In this article, we'll delve into the top best practices for iOS development, covering both Swift and Objective-C, to help you streamline your workflow and create a seamless user experience.

1. Leverage Native UI Components Instead of Image-based Elements

When it comes to designing an intuitive and consistent user interface, native UI components are the way to go. Apple's SF Symbols provide a vast library of scalable, design-consistent icons that developers can use instead of custom image assets. By leveraging system-provided controls and icons, you'll ensure a look and feel that aligns with iOS guidelines.

For instance, rather than slicing images for a custom toolbar, you might use UIToolbar with SF Symbols icons. This approach maintains design consistency with iOS – users find your app intuitive because it behaves like other iOS apps. Additionally, drawing UI shapes in code (using Core Graphics or SwiftUI shapes) or using vector PDFs/SF Symbols scales to any resolution without extra files.

2. Follow Consistent Coding Style (Swift & Objective-C)

Consistent coding style is essential for collaboration and maintainability. Both Swift and Objective-C have style conventions that you should follow:

  • Use descriptive, camelCase names in Swift, while in Objective-C, names of types (classes, structs, enums, etc.) should be UpperCamelCase, methods, properties, and variables should use lowerCamelCase.
  • Follow Apple's Cocoa coding guidelines for Objective-C method naming conventions – explicit descriptions of what a method does.

By following these conventions, your code will feel "at home" in the ecosystem. Apple's own frameworks demonstrate this readability, and your classes should do the same.