uikit

UIKit at WWDC 2024

Sessions Mentioned:

1. What’s new in UIKit
2. Demystify explicitly built modules
3. Build multilingual-ready apps
4. SwiftUI essentials
5. What’s new in SwiftUI
6. Platforms State of the Union

Key Updates in UIKit:

1. Automatic Trait Tracking:

   • UIKit now supports automatic trait tracking inside common view and view controller update methods such as layoutSubviews and drawRect. This feature automatically performs the associated invalidation for methods when traits change, simplifying the process of handling trait changes.
   • Example: A UIView subclass can now automatically track changes in the horizontal size class trait without manual registration.

2. Document Launch Experience:

   • Redesigned launch experience for document-based apps, providing full control over launch views, design, and support for template document creation.

3. Updated Tabs and Sidebar:

   • Major updates to tabs and sidebar, enhancing the user interface and making it more delightful to use.

4. Fluid Transitions:

   • Support for new fluid transitions across the system, improving the overall user experience.

5. UIUpdateLink:

   • A new feature that allows for better performance and battery efficiency by using advanced features for view updates.
   • Example: A view being animated up and down using a UIUpdateLink.

6. SF Symbols Animations:

   • Expanded with new symbol animations, including three new animation presets.

7. Text Improvements:

   • Advanced text editing experiences with UITextView, including writing tools UI by default, inline editing, proofreading, and composition support.

8. Menu Actions:

   • Enhanced support for menu actions in iOS 18, making them more useful for iPhone-only apps and supporting system invocations like UI commands and key commands.

9. Interoperability with SwiftUI:

   • UIKit gesture recognizers can now be added directly to SwiftUI hierarchies using the new UIJsRecognizerRepresentable protocol.
   • UIKit and AppKit can now take advantage of SwiftUI animations, allowing for seamless integration and synchronization of animations across frameworks.

For more detailed information, you can watch the session What’s new in UIKit.