What is Objective-C Used For Today in 2025?
Objective-C, a programming language that once dominated iOS and macOS app development, continues to hold relevance in 2025, despite the rise of Swift. This article evaluates how Objective-C is used in today's tech environment, and why it still matters to some developers.
Best Objective-C Books to Buy in 2025
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|---|---|---|
 Programming in Objective-C (Developer’s Library) |
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 Objective-C Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide |
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 Effective Objective-C 2.0: 52 Specific Ways to Improve Your IOS and OS X Programs (Effective Software Development) |
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 Ry’s Objective-C Tutorial |
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 Objective-C Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide (Big Nerd Ranch Guides) |
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A Legacy Language with Modern Usage
In 2025, despite evolving technological trends, Objective-C remains an integral part of many legacy systems and codebases. For companies maintaining large projects initially developed in Objective-C, a shift to another language is not always feasible. Quality assurance, testing, and regular updates are essential, ensuring the language's ongoing utility.
Interoperability with Swift
Apple’s introduction of Swift led many to believe Objective-C would gradually disappear. However, the seamless interoperability between Swift and Objective-C has allowed developers to harness both, leveraging Objective-C for specific modules where necessary due to the advanced runtime capabilities and strong dynamic features it offers.
Objective-C in the Mobile App World
While new projects often start in Swift, Objective-C continues to specialize in supporting existing applications. Established iOS and macOS applications often utilize Objective-C libraries or frameworks, which are vital for the application's stability or specific functionalities.
The Role in Technology Education
Objective-C also plays a role in educational settings. Learning Objective-C is a crucial part of understanding Apple's software development history and existing older frameworks. Knowing both Objective-C and Swift provides a more comprehensive understanding of iOS and macOS development paradigms.
The Importance of Code Readability
Enhanced readability remains a key feature of Objective-C due to its verbose nature. This ability to articulate the developer's intent in the code is beneficial during team collaborations and when revisiting codes for updates or debugging.
Conclusion
While the ecosystem around Objective-C has evolved, its application in 2025 continues, driven by legacy codebases, the seamless interoperability with Swift, and the need for maintaining stability in certain architectural situations. If you are keen to explore more about programming dynamics and enhance your techniques, explore programming interview techniques here.