Swift Comments, Print, and Useful Annotations

In this tutorial you will learn about using swift comments, print statements, and annotations like  TODO, FIXME, MARK. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your coding practices, this post is filled with valuable insights.

The Art of Commenting in Swift

Comments in Swift are used to leave notes in the code for yourself and other developers. They are crucial for making your code understandable.

Single-Line Comments

// This is a single-line comment
let number = 5

let someString = "Hi" // Another variant of using comments

Multi-Line Comments

Multi-line comments start with /* and end with */:

/* This is a
multi-line comment */
var name = "UI Examples"

Using Print for Debugging

The print() function in Swift outputs information to the console, which is invaluable for debugging.

Basic Print Statement

print("Debugging start")
let result = number * 2
print("Result: \(result)")

Special Annotations in Swift

Swift provides special annotations (comment tags) like TODO, FIXME, MARK to highlight areas of your code that need attention or organization.

TODO

Use TODO to mark tasks you plan to do:

// TODO: Add user authentication

FIXME

Use FIXME to mark areas that need fixing:

// FIXME: Resolve data loading issue

MARK

MARK is used to organize your code, especially within Xcode:

// MARK: TableView DataSource Methods

Conclusion

Understanding and utilizing comments, print statements, and special annotations like TODO, FIXME, MARK are essential skills in Swift programming. They enhance your code’s readability, make debugging easier, and improve overall code organization.