15 Free Sources to Learn Swift Programming Language

If you are not yet aware of this, Apple has introduced a new programming language called Swift in this year’s WWDC, alongside the new Mac OS X Yosemite. Swift aims to simplify the codes used in Apple platforms iOS and OS X. Despite the new name, Swift is compatible with the roots of predecessors like C, Objective-C and Cocoa Touch framework.

If you have been programming with Objective-C, learning Swift would be a breeze as it has inherited a number of syntax that you may already have been familiar with. And if learning Swift is in your to-do list but you haven’t started, here are a few free sources that is going to make things a lot easier for you.

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1. The Swift Programming Language

Available for download for Mac OS and iOS, the Swift Programming Language is available via iBooks. It is Apple’s very own Swift reference, and it covers the essentials, concepts and workflow with code examples. An official guide like this book is always the best place to start with something new.

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2. Introduction to Swift

Not a fan of eBooks? Not a problem. How about a video course instead? Apple has also released a video playlist on Youtube containing short courses on Swift, covering the introduction and a number of its syntax such as Constant and Variables, Integers, and Arithmetic Operations.

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3. The Swift Blog

Here’s a third source on Swift by Apple, a dedicated blog called The Swift Blog. The blog covers tips, insights, and examples on Swift utilization. Despite only having a few posts published at the time of writing, this is still the best source to stay up-to-date with Swift.

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4. Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Swift

Many developers have also put their hands on Swift and shared their findings on their blogs. TeamTreeHouse in their post, An Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Swift, summarized the essentials for beginners; what Swift is, the prerequisite tools, and a basic run-through of the Swift syntax.

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5. Introduction to Swift for Non-Programmers

Swift is designed to be as easy to understand as possible so that non-programmers or entry-level users will be able to pick it up quickly. This free course from Udemy, titled Introduction to Swift for Non-Programmers, consists of 8 videos that will walk you through the fundamentals even without prior programming experience.

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6. SoSoSwift

SoSoSwift is a collection of sources on where to learn Swift. Here you can find videos, articles, tutorials, code examples, and libraries to build Apps for iOS and OS X, with Swift. Do you have suggestions of sources or tutorials to be included in the collection? You can send a request or submit the link to the site to have it listed.

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7. LearnSwift

LearnSwift is similar to SoSoSwift. It is a collection of sources for tutorials, video screencasts, and libraries for Swift. LearnSwift laid out the sources in three sections: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. Pick the level you are most confident in and start learning Swift today.

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8. SwiftLang

SwiftLang is another good place to dive into Swift. SwiftLift has put a pile of references from various sources together. SwiftLang also has a forum where we can ask for help or help others with regards to Swift programming.

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9. Swift Cheat Sheet

Swift consists of a lot of syntax that would be hard to digest all at once. So, here is a Swift cheat sheet for quick reference, composed by Ray Wenderlich. It summarizes a number of Swift syntax, all in one page.

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10. Build Your First App with Swift

Now that you have run through the basics, let’s start building your first app. What about creating a game? This eBook, Learn Swift Build Your First iOS Game, will teach you the steps required to build a game named Swiftris, which mimics the popular classic game, Tetris. The book is available via email subscription.

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11. Building a Simple OS X Application With Swift

In this 10 minute video screencast, Jeannot Muller shows you how easy it is to use Swift. The App created is very simple, as it comprises of only input fields and a button.

12. Drawing With Swift in Playgrounds

One significant feature Apple brought to Swift is the Playground. Within the Playground, we can immediately see how our codes act and turn out, immediately. Join Nate Murray in this video to see how to "play" in the Playground.

13. Creating a To-do List App using Swift

There are plenty of to-do list apps in the App Store. Many of them bring a set of great features with a nice user interface design. But, if you feel like creating your own to-do list App, here is a video screencast to get you started.

14. Developing iOS 8 Apps with Swift

With iOS8 on its way, you’ll want to get yourself ready to build that app. Jameson Quave in his posts series – Part 1 and Part 2 – will teach you how to use Swift to build an App for iOS 8.

15. Swift on StackOverflow

Having bugs in your App is unavoidable. So, in case you have bug trouble, head over to this OverflowStack for Swift to get help from other developers. You are also likely to come across some threads where you can pick up a couple of tips and tricks on how to use Swift.

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