Comments in Swift

Introduction to Comments

Comments are an essential part of programming, allowing developers to annotate their code with descriptive text. In Swift, comments help document the code to make it easier to understand for both the original author and other developers who may work on the code later.

Types of Comments in Swift

Swift supports two types of comments:

• Single-line comments: These comments occupy a single line and start with two forward slashes (//).
• Multi-line comments: These comments can span multiple lines and start with /* and end with */.

Single-line Comments

Single-line comments are often used for brief explanations or notes within your code. Here’s how you can use them:

In the example above, the first line is a comment, and the second line shows a comment following a statement.

Multi-line Comments

Multi-line comments are useful for longer explanations or when you want to comment out a block of code. Here’s an example:

You can also use multi-line comments to comment out a section of code:

In this example, the assignment to variable z is commented out and won't be executed.

Best Practices for Using Comments

While comments are useful, it’s essential to use them wisely. Here are some best practices:

• Keep comments meaningful and concise.
• Avoid stating the obvious; instead, explain why something is done.
• Update comments as the code changes to maintain accuracy.
• Avoid excessive commenting; let the code speak for itself where possible.

Conclusion

Comments in Swift are a powerful way to make your code more understandable and maintainable. By using single-line and multi-line comments appropriately, you can provide context and explanations that help others (and yourself) navigate your code more effectively.