8 Swift Books That Separate Experts from Amateurs

When Mikey Ward and his co-authors began writing, their goal was to demystify Swift programming by focusing on both grammar and style, helping you grasp not just the syntax but the reasoning behind it. This guide walks you through practical examples that clarify core concepts like optionals, closures, and protocol-oriented programming, equipping you to solve diverse coding challenges confidently. The book’s clear explanations of Swift’s nuances, such as value versus reference types and functional programming elements, make it ideal if you're transitioning from another language or aiming to deepen your Swift fluency. Whether you're an intermediate developer or a self-taught programmer, the insights here bridge gaps between theory and practice without unnecessary jargon.

After analyzing the challenges developers face in mastering SwiftUI, Frahaan Hussain developed this project-based guide to deepen your practical skills across Apple platforms. You’ll build four distinct applications—from a tax calculator on iPhone to a fitness companion for Apple Watch—each illustrating how SwiftUI integrates with Swift and Xcode 14. The book walks you through crafting interfaces optimized for device specifics, like the iPad’s larger display and macOS app store bars, helping you grasp cross-platform nuances. If you already know the basics of Swift and Apple OS, this book sharpens your UI design capabilities with hands-on projects and explores advanced SwiftUI features to elevate your development workflow.

This tailored book explores Swift programming through a personalized lens that matches your experience and objectives. It covers core Swift concepts, language features, and practical coding techniques while focusing on your specific interests and learning goals. By tailoring the content to your background, it provides a clear, engaging path to mastering both foundational and advanced Swift topics. It examines the nuances of Swift syntax, common programming patterns, and app development practices, creating a learning journey that bridges expert knowledge with your unique needs. This personalized approach helps you absorb complex concepts efficiently and guides you through Swift’s evolving ecosystem, making your mastery journey focused and rewarding.

Jon Reid's extensive experience with Test-Driven Development on Apple platforms since 2001 shapes this hands-on guide to unit testing in Swift. You learn how to confidently refactor and redesign iOS code, including notoriously tricky UIViewControllers, by leveraging XCTest for rapid and reliable feedback. The book drills down into isolating dependencies in legacy code, expanding your ability to test beyond just models. It’s a focused resource if you want to reduce fear around code changes and build a robust testing suite that covers your entire app's architecture.

While working as a trainer and consultant for macOS and iOS development, Ahmad Sahar noticed many experienced programmers struggled to transition into iOS app creation with the latest tools. This book guides you through Swift 5.3 and Xcode 12, starting from fundamental programming concepts to building fully functional apps, including hands-on projects with storyboards and SwiftUI. You'll gain practical knowledge on implementing iOS 14 features like widgets, App Clips, and Mac Catalyst, plus learn how to publish your app on the App Store. If you're comfortable with coding but new to Apple's ecosystem, this book offers a structured path that balances theory with real app-building experience.

Ahmad Sahar, with his extensive background as a trainer and consultant in macOS and iOS development, guides you through the essentials of iOS 15 programming using Swift 5.5 and Xcode 13. This book walks you through mastering the Swift language, designing apps with storyboards, and implementing modern features like Swift Concurrency and SharePlay. You’ll also explore converting iPad apps to Mac apps using Mac Catalyst and learn practical design patterns such as Model-View-Controller. If you have some programming experience but are new to Swift or iOS, this book equips you with the skills to build and publish your own apps, emphasizing hands-on projects and real development workflows.

This tailored book explores Swift programming through a daily, focused learning approach designed to accelerate your skills over 30 days. It covers fundamental concepts and progressively examines more advanced topics, matching your background and goals to maximize learning efficiency. Each lesson is crafted to fit your specific interests, ensuring you engage deeply with Swift’s syntax, language features, and application development nuances. By synthesizing broad expert knowledge into a targeted pathway, the book empowers you to build competence quickly without wading through unnecessary material. This personalized resource reveals how focused, incremental practice can make mastering Swift accessible and rewarding.

When Juan C Catalan discovered the evolving capabilities of SwiftUI 5 and Swift 5.9, he set out to capture the practical knowledge needed for developers to harness these tools effectively. This book walks you through crafting user interfaces across iOS 17, macOS 14, and watchOS 10, covering everything from basic layouts to intricate animations and state management. You'll explore integrating Swift Charts for dynamic data views and learn to build multi-platform apps with nuanced controls like multi-column tables and custom modifiers. It's a solid pick if you want to deepen your SwiftUI skills or transition smoothly from UIKit, with clear examples that illustrate each technique’s application.

Matt Neuburg draws on decades of programming experience to guide you through the fundamentals of iOS 14 development, blending in-depth coverage of Swift 5.3 with practical insights into Xcode 12 and the Cocoa framework. You’ll navigate core topics like Swift’s built-in types, protocols, generics, and the lifecycle of Xcode projects, while also exploring Cocoa’s event-driven architecture and interoperability with Objective-C and C. Chapter 7’s focus on nib loading and the nuances of Swift packages highlights the book’s hands-on approach. This book is best suited for developers new to iOS who want a solid foundation before advancing to more complex app development.

Greg Lim's approach to teaching iOS 16 development rejects overwhelming technical overload in favor of focused, hands-on learning. Through a series of bite-sized chapters, you build real apps—from a BMI calculator to an augmented reality experience—using Swift and Xcode, gaining practical skills like data persistence with Core Data and API integration. The book suits those with basic programming knowledge eager to master iOS development essentials efficiently, culminating in publishing your app on the App Store. While it doesn’t dive into every advanced topic, it delivers a manageable path for building solid foundational app development skills.