What's New in Swift 6: A Minimalist's Take

Mar 22, 2024
swift swift6 ios

Swift 6 is out. Let’s skip the marketing jargon and dive straight into the meaningful bits.

🧹 Simpler, Cleaner Type Inference

Less explicit typing, fewer headaches:

let numbers = [1, 2, 3, 4]
let evens = numbers.filter { $0.isMultiple(of: 2) } // Type inferred perfectly

Less clutter. More Swift.

🛡️ Noncopyable and Move-only Types

Control your memory explicitly:

moveonly struct Resource {
    var handle: UnsafeRawPointer
}

func useResource(_ resource: consuming Resource) {
    // resource consumed here, can't be reused later
}

Memory safety meets fine-grained control.

📦 Improved Macros & Compile-Time Evaluation

Macros now evaluate more efficiently at compile-time:

@AddAsync
func fetchUser() -> User { ... }
// Automatically generates async version at compile-time

Better macros = faster builds.

🎛️ Enhanced Concurrency: Task Groups and Isolation

Refined concurrency with clearer, safer code:

await withTaskGroup(of: Int.self) { group in
    group.addTask { computeA() }
    group.addTask { computeB() }
    let sum = await group.reduce(0, +)
    print(sum)
}

Concurrency without hidden complexity.

🎯 Pattern Matching Everywhere

More powerful and compact pattern matching:

if case let .success(value) = result {
    print(value)
}

for case .admin(let user) in users {
    print(user.name)
}

Concise, expressive Swift.

⚠️ Cleaner Error Handling

Simplified syntax for common patterns:

do {
    try riskyCall()
} catch NetworkError.timeout {
    retry()
} catch {
    handleGenericError()
}

Readable. Simple. Explicit.

🧰 Standard Library Optimizations

Swift 6 stdlib is smaller, faster, and leaner—especially for apps running on constrained devices.

🤔 Should You Upgrade?

Yes. Swift 6 trims fat, improves safety, and enhances readability. It’s a meaningful step forward without disrupting your workflow.

Minimal fluff. Maximum benefit.