Hey Reader,

If you’ve been diving into SwiftUI (or even just peeking under the hood), you’ve probably noticed two special symbols: $ and _. These appear everywhere—from property wrappers to function closure parameters—and they can be confusing at first.

Here’s how they generally work:

1. $ indicates a binding​
   If you have @State var name, then $name connects that state to the UI so changes are automatically reflected.
2. _ in Closures and Functions​
   When you don’t need a parameter, you can replace it with _. For example, onTapGesture { _ in ... } ignores an incoming argument you’re not using.
3. _ with Property Wrappers (@State or @StateObject) Sometimes, you’ll see something like var _count when using @State var count = 0. That underscore lets you access the underlying stored property directly (though you’ll rarely do this in everyday SwiftUI, it can be useful for custom behaviors).

Check Out the Video

I’ve put together a quick YouTube video walking through exactly when to use $ and _ in Swift and SwiftUI, with common examples. If you’ve ever had that “Wait, what does that do?” moment, this video will clear things up!

Click to Watch: What do the $ and _ mean in SwiftUI?​

Office Hours-Style Content

This video is the kind of Q&A you can expect in my iPhone Apps 101 office hours. Students bring real coding questions—from bindings—and we dive into practical details so you can start shipping apps faster (and with fewer headaches).

Want to MAKE iPhone Apps?

If you’re ready to master SwiftUI and Swift—without feeling overwhelmed by random tutorials—consider enrolling in iPhone Apps 101. You’ll get:

1. A structured step-by-step curriculum.
2. Frequent live office hours (like the Q&A above).
3. A supportive community to help you tackle challenges.

​

Grab your spot here:​
​Join iPhone Apps 101​

Feel free to reply with any questions—or even a snippet of code you’re stuck on. I’m here to help you understand Swift’s quirks and get you closer to launching your own iPhone apps.

Talk soon,
Paul Solt
Paul@SuperEasyApps.com

P.S. Have a question? Ask me, and maybe I can make a video to help you understand.