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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Will I get updates when new Swift versions are released?

A: Yes! Your purchase is covered by the most awesome book updates policy in existence: books get updates for new Swift versions completely free, for the life of the book. Click here to read my book update policy in full.

Q: What version of Swift do you use in your courses?

A: I use Xcode 12 and Swift 5.4 in all books, except for Objective-C for Swift Developers – that uses Objective-C, obviously.

Q: What if I don't like what I bought or bought the wrong thing?

A: We have a 30-day No Questions Asked refund policy. Not learning fast enough? Did life take a different direction? Just bought the wrong thing by accident? No problem! Find out more here: Refund Policy.

Q: I'm a beginner – what books are suitable for me?

A: No matter what your level of Swift experience, I've got a book to help you learn. This should help you decide where to start:

BEGINNER

BEGINNER TO INTERMEDIATE

BEGINNER TO INTERMEDIATE

BEGINNER TO INTERMEDIATE

BEGINNER TO INTERMEDIATE

BEGINNER TO INTERMEDIATE

BEGINNER TO INTERMEDIATE

INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED

INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED

INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED

INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED

INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED

INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED

Q: Why should I buy your books rather than someone else's?

A: My books form the most comprehensive project-based Swift tutorials in existence, but if you're looking for something a bit extra then there are three things you should know:

  • All books come with a Lifetime Swift Update Policy, so you can buy with confidence knowing you'll get updates for free in the future.
  • My Swift Frequent Flyer Club delivers rewards for readers who buy multiple books – there's a growing library of bonus content to enjoy!
  • All books you buy come with a completion certificate so you can track your career development progress.

I consider it a privilege that so many readers choose my books when there are so many others out there, and I want to make sure I always deliver above your expectations.

Q: How can I read Hacking with Swift offline?

A: You can buy the premium Hacking with Swift book set for just $40. You get the same projects you can find online here, as well as 600 tips and tricks from my Swift Knowledge Base, and more.

Q: I can already program Swift – will you teach me new stuff?

A: I wrote a separate book and video course called Pro Swift which teaches advanced Swift coding. It covers functional programming, MVVM, reference and value types, closures, operator overloading, and much more, and includes 96 videos walking you through the techniques. While Hacking with Swift definitely touches on more advanced topics as you proceed, Pro Swift is all advanced, all the time.

Note: You don't need to have read Hacking with Swift in order to get the most out of Pro Swift, but it certainly helps!

Q: Is knowing Swift enough? Do I also need to know Objective-C?

A: It's true that most iOS jobs want some Objective-C knowledge, because there are over a million apps written in the language. To help you learn, I wrote a book called Objective-C for Swift Developers, which is designed to help you transfer your skills from Swift to Objective-C as quickly as possible.

Q: Do any of your books overlap?

A: No – they are all designed to be unique, standalone books.

Q: Can I buy your books on Apple Books?

A: Yes, you can buy my books on the Apple Books Store. For more information and links to the full range, click here. Note: just to avoid confusion, this was previously called iBooks, but any purchases are the same – it's just a rebrand from Apple.

Please note: If you buy the original Hacking with Swift book through Apple Books you don't get the bonus content, because it's not compatible with the Apple Books Store. If you want the bonus content please click here to buy through Gumroad.

Q: Do you offer any discounts?

A: I try to keep my books priced as low as possible; if you look around, you'll find other courses sell for twice as much, despite offering far less content. However, if you sign up to my monthly Swift newsletter you'll get discounts every month.

If you're looking for the biggest discount of all, see the very next question…

Q: Can I buy your books in a bundle?

A: Yes, and the bundles are a great way to save even more money on my low prices:

  • My first six books are available in the Swift Power Pack at a big discount – you get all six for just $150, which is a 32% saving on their regular price.
  • The next six books are available in the Swift Platform Pack, also for $150, which is a 37% saving on their regular price.

Even better, if you buy any of the books from a bundle individually, you can upgrade to the full bundle at a later date just by paying the difference – email me and I can generate the discount for you.

Q: What is the Swift Frequent Flyer Club your books talk about?

A: Everyone who buys any of my books gets access to bonus content as part of my Swift Frequent Flyer Club. Click here to claim yours!

Q: Will you come and speak at my conference / user group / podcast?

A: I'm happy to deliver talks and short sessions at conferences and user groups, although you'll need to cover my travel costs from the UK. I also run hands-on Swift training courses lasting from one day to five days – please email paul@hackingwithswift.com and let me know what you need.

I'm always happy to speak on podcasts about Swift, iOS, macOS, or other similar topics – get in touch!

Q: Can you give away books for my conference / user group / podcast?

A: Sure thing! Email paul@hackingwithswift.com and let me know what you need.

Q: What are "Pulp Fiction brackets"?

A: Pulp Fiction brackets are < and >, also known as "angle brackets."

Pulp fiction brackets

Q: Why do you insist on teaching using projects?

This series has been built on the back of my personal motto: "Programming is an art. Don't spend all your time sharpening your pencil when you should be drawing." We'll be doing some "sharpening" but a heck of a lot more "drawing" – if that doesn't suit your way of learning, Hacking with Swift isn't for you.

Q: What should I do if I spot a mistake?

A: If it's a typo or a coding error, please do email me at paul@hackingwithswift.com or find me on Twitter @twostraws. However, please keep in mind that these projects were designed to be simple and digestible learning examples, not fool-proof, App Store-ready perfections. That means sometimes there are bugs that exist because some longer or more difficult code has been removed or simplified – you're welcome to fix these in your own projects, but I think it would just confuse learners to fix them here.

Q: Does Hacking with Swift have any Firefly references? I want Firefly references. Where are the Firefly references?

A: They are, quite literally, all in the official Swift reference from Apple. Shiny!

 
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