Lessons Learned From Porting To Swift And Kotlin - Mobile Era Oslo, October 2017

Video:
https://vimeo.com/237875498

Abstract:
SpotHero has been moving its entire iOS application to Swift and started moving its Android app to Kotlin. Here's some lessons learned in the process in terms of selling management on using a new languages, how to get started, and some tips on things you should do along the way.

(Big thanks to my old crew at SpotHero!)

Transcript

1. Lessons learned from porting to
   Swift and Kotlin
   by Ellen Shapiro
   Mobile Era | Oslo, Norway | October 2017
   @designatednerd | justhum.com | designatednerd.com
   

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3. (this is awkward)
   

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4. !
   

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5. !
   

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6. !""
   

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7. !"#
   

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8. !"#
   

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9. !
   

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10. !
    

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13. ANYWAY
    

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21. Android
    

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22. iOS
    

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23. iOS (excluding dependencies)
    

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25. Step 1
    Selling it to The Bosses
    

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26. Identify specific problems
    addressed by the new language
    

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27. Objective-C
    if (![paymentNetworks containsObject:PKPaymentNetworkDiscover]) {
    [paymentNetworks addObject:PKPaymentNetworkDiscover];
    }
    

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29. Objective-C
    if (![paymentNetworks containsObject:PKPaymentNetworkDiscover]) {
    [paymentNetworks addObject:PKPaymentNetworkDiscover];
    }
    iOS 9 = !
    

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30. Objective-C
    if (![paymentNetworks containsObject:PKPaymentNetworkDiscover]) {
    [paymentNetworks addObject:PKPaymentNetworkDiscover];
    }
    iOS 8 = !
    

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31. Swift
    if !paymentNetworks.contains(.discover) {
    paymentNetworks.append(.discover)
    }
    

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32. Swift
    if !paymentNetworks.contains(.discover) {
    paymentNetworks.append(.discover)
    }
    !" Does Not Compile
    

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33. Swift
    if @available(iOS 9.0, *) {
    if !paymentNetworks.contains(.discover) {
    paymentNetworks.append(.discover)
    }
    }
    

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34. Swift
    if @available(iOS 9.0, *) {
    if !paymentNetworks.contains(.discover) {
    paymentNetworks.append(.discover)
    }
    }
    Safe at compile time and run time
    

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35. Be honest
    about potential drawbacks
    

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36. Be honest
    (with yourself)
    about potential drawbacks
    

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41. Step 2
    Start small
    

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42. Step 2
    Start small
    

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43. Learn the
    new language
    

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44. Fight New System APIs
    or A New Language
    not both at once
    

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45. Stop writing old language patterns
    in a new language
    

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46. Objective-C
    NSMutableArray *capitalizedStrings = [NSMutableArray array];
    for (NSString *string in arrayOfStrings) {
    NSString *thing = [string capitalized];
    [capitalizedStrings addObject: thing];
    }
    

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47. Objective-C, but written in Swift
    var capitalizedStrings = [String]()
    for string in arrayOfStrings {
    let thing = string.capitalized
    capitalizedStrings.append(thing)
    }
    

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48. Swiftier
    let capitalizedStrings = arrayOfStrings.map {
    string in
    let thing = string.capitalized
    return thing
    }
    

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49. Swiftier
    let capitalizedStrings = arrayOfStrings.map {
    string in
    let thing = string.capitalized
    return thing
    }
    Swiftiest
    let capitalizedStrings = arrayOfStrings.map { $0.capitalized }
    

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50. Limit your risk
    

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51. A parable of going
    too far, too fast
    

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59. Be willing to pause
    and re-evaluate
    (before everything goes wrong)
    

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60. Be willing to pause
    and re-evaluate
    (before everything goes wrong)
    

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61. Step 3
    Biggest ! For Your "
    

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62. Step 3
    Biggest ! For Your "
    

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63. Look at your
    bugs and crashes
    

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64. NPE
    

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65. NPE + GoogleMaps
    

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66. Look at your most
    error-prone code
    

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67. Objective-C JSON Parsing
    - (instancetype)fromJSONData:(NSData *)data
    {
    NSDictionary* jsonObject = [NSJSONSerialization jsonObjectWithData:data error:nil];
    if (jsonObject == nil]) {
    return nil;
    }
    user.firstName = dictionary[@"first_name"];
    user.lastName = dictionary[@"last_name"];
    user.age = [dictionary[@"age"] integerValue];
    return user;
    }
    

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68. Objective-C JSON Parsing
    - (instancetype)fromJSONData:(NSData *)data
    {
    NSDictionary* jsonObject = [NSJSONSerialization jsonObjectWithData:data error:nil];
    if (jsonObject == nil || ![jsonObject isKindOfClass:[NSDictionary class]]) {
    return nil;
    }
    if ([dictionary[@"first_name"] isKindOfClass: [NSString class]]) {
    user.firstName = dictionary[@"first_name"];
    } else {
    return nil;
    }
    if ([dictionary[@"last_name"] isKindOfClass: [NSString class]]) {
    user.lastName = dictionary[@"last_name"];
    } else {
    return nil;
    }
    if ([dictionary[@"age"] isKindOfClass: [NSNumber class]]) {
    user.age = [dictionary[@"age"] integerValue];
    } else {
    return nil;
    }
    return user;
    }
    

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69. Swift 4 JSON Parsing
    static func from(jsonData: Data) -> User? {
    let decoder = JSONDecoder()
    return try? decoder.decode(User.self, for: jsonData)
    }
    

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70. (This does require some setup)
    struct User: Codable {
    let firstName: String
    let lastName: String
    let age: Int
    enum CodingKeys: String, CodingKey {
    case
    firstName = "first_name",
    lastName = "last_name",
    age
    }
    }
    

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71. Step 4
    Advanced Features
    for Fun and Profit
    

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72. Step 4
    Advanced Features
    for Fun, Maintainability, and Profit
    

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73. Make your code more
    reusable
    

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74. Swift: Protocols!
    

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75. Kotlin: Extensions!
    

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76. Make your code
    safer
    

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77. Swift: Version handling!
    

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78. Kotlin: XML ids
    Become automatic variables
    

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79. activity_profile.xml
    android:id="@+id/textview_username"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    />
    ProfileActivity.java
    TextView mUsernameTextView;
    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.profile_activity);
    mUsernameTextView = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.textview_username);
    mUsernameTextView.setText("Hello, User");
    }
    

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80. activity_profile.xml
    android:id="@+id/textview_username"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    />
    ProfileActivity.java
    @BindView(R.id.textview_username)
    TextView mUsernameTextView;
    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.profile_activity);
    mUsernameTextView.setText("Hello, User");
    }
    

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81. activity_profile.xml
    android:id="@+id/textview_username"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    />
    ProfileActivity.kt
    import kotlinx.android.synthetic.main.activity_profile.*
    public override fun onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
    setContentView(R.layout.activity_profile)
    textview_username.text = "Hello, User"
    }
    

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82. activity_profile.xml
    android:id="@+id/usernameTextView"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    />
    ProfileActivity.kt
    import kotlinx.android.synthetic.main.activity_profile.*
    public override fun onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
    setContentView(R.layout.activity_profile)
    usernameTextView = "Hello, User"
    }
    

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83. Things You Should Do
    at Every Step
    

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84. Test
    

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86. Seriously though,
    Test
    

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87. What was I even
    trying
    to do here?
    

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88. Share
    

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89. Share strategies
    

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90. Share benefits
    

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91. Share problems
    

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92. Review
    

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93. Learn by reading
    

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94. Keep code clear
    

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95. Swiftiest
    let capitalizedStrings = arrayOfStrings.map { $0.capitalized }
    

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96. Unnecessarily One-Liniest
    let studentNames = students.reduce("") { $0 + "\n" + ($1.firstName ?? "") + " " + ($1.lastName ?? "") }
    

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97. ! Borderline Incomprehensible !
    array.flatMap { $0 }
    .map { $0.doSomething() }
    .flatMap { $0 }
    .filter { $0.isSomething || $0.isSomethingElse }
    .reduce("") { $0 + $1.description }
    

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98. "I don't understand this code"
    !=
    "I don't understand this language"
    

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99. Reducing confusion
    

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100. Listen
     to the creators
     

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108. Listen
     skeptically
     to the creators
     

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113. Watch out for
     Yaks
     

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115. Never let the perfect
     be the enemy of the shipping
     

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116. Obligatory Summary Slide
     → Honestly assess the pros and cons
     → Start small, then go bonkers once it works
     → Test the crap out of stuff in the new language
     → Share your code, your joy, and your pain
     → Resist desire to rewrite your whole app at once
     → Ship it!
     

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117. Links
     → Concurrency In Swift: One Approach
     https://gist.github.com/lattner/
     31ed37682ef1576b16bca1432ea9f782
     → Apple's Swift Blog
     https://developer.apple.com/swift/blog/
     → Jetbrains' Kotlin Blog
     https://blog.jetbrains.com/kotlin/
     

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118. Links
     → Kotlin Android Extensions
     https://kotlinlang.org/docs/tutorials/android-
     plugin.html
     

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119. Videos
     → Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better
     (Kickstarter team on FP in Kotlin vs. Swift)
     https://www.youtube.com/watch?
     v=_DuGaAkQSnM
     → iOS & Android & Swift & Kotlin
     (Stuart Kent on Kotlin for iOS Devs)
     http://www.stkent.com/2017/07/27/ios-and-
     android-and-swift-and-kotlin.html
     

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120. Photo Credits
     → Paperwork, by Keith Williamson
     https://www.flickr.com/photos/elwillo/4729801304
     → Simpsons screenshots + memes, Frinkiac
     https://frinkiac.com/
     

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