XIBs vs Programmatic UI

Developers should learn XIBs when building native iOS or macOS apps with Xcode, as they provide a visual, drag-and-drop way to design UIs, speeding up development and reducing boilerplate code meets developers should use programmatic ui when they need precise control over ui behavior, such as in complex animations, dynamic layouts, or when integrating with custom design systems. Here's our take.

XIBs

Nice Pick

Developers should learn XIBs when building native iOS or macOS apps with Xcode, as they provide a visual, drag-and-drop way to design UIs, speeding up development and reducing boilerplate code

Pros

• They are particularly useful for creating static or simple interfaces, such as custom views or screens, and for projects that don't require the dynamic capabilities of Storyboards
• Related to: interface-builder, storyboards

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Programmatic UI

Developers should use programmatic UI when they need precise control over UI behavior, such as in complex animations, dynamic layouts, or when integrating with custom design systems

Pros

• It is particularly valuable in cross-platform development frameworks like React Native or Flutter, where code-based UI definitions ensure consistency across different operating systems
• Related to: swiftui, jetpack-compose

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. XIBs is a tool while Programmatic UI is a concept. We picked XIBs based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

XIBs wins

Based on overall popularity. XIBs is more widely used, but Programmatic UI excels in its own space.