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Low Code Platforms – Building applications without programming skills?
Who does not know it – constantly changing requirements from the specialist areas?
These should be implemented as quickly as possible. The customer is impatient…
The effort for the implementation of required functions – including development, test, quality assurance and documentation – often takes many workdays.
With so-called low code platforms, there are now new tools available that should speed up the development and deliver fast solutions.
How does a Low Code Platforms Work?
A low code platform bundles the latest technologies for the automation of development, testing, versioning, build and deployment together in an easy to use platform to create business applications.
Applications are assembled in graphical editors, rather than from code (“low code”). This applies to masks, tables, relations as well as logics.
Example: You want to create a contact with the fields “Name”, “Phone” and “E-mail”. The mask can be easily created by drag & drop using these elements.
Linking data sets, e.g. a contact and a company also works by drag & drop
What differentiates Low Code platforms from integrated development environments?
An integrated development environment (IDE) unifies different tools and classes. A real low code platform, on the other hand, provides a set of templates with prefabricated solutions.
For example, you no longer have to build a contact from individual fields, because it exists as a ready-to-use basic data record.
With Low Code Platforms, will developers become obsolete?
Usually, no programming skills are required to implement new functions, because no code has to be written.
With a low code platform, development no longer starts in an empty editor, but with easy customizable templates.
Developers finally have the opportunity to focus on the logics, instead of having to write code for every detail.
They profit from more agility, flexibility, fast deployment and fast prototypes. This means a fast coordination with clients; to fit their requirements becomes so much easier. Changes are possible at any time, without writing any unnecessary code. Tested standardized elements also minimize the effort for testing and troubleshooting, to create a more user friendly and productive application.
Choosing a Low Code Platform – how to separate the wheat from the chaff?
Key questions in the selection of the right low code platform for your company are:
- Is it possible to add custom code for high-level requirements?
If this is not possible, important business cases cannot be created. - Is the code stored with an upgrade capability, or does it have to be reworked for each upgrade?
- How is the application provided: is it possible to work online and offline?
- Is architecture open? How easily can different data sources be connected via interfaces?
- How intuitive are the interfaces and the provided learning tools (e.g. videos, manuals) to enable a short learning curve?
- Which databases are supported? (even those already used in the business?)
- Are the generated applications automatically implemented in a responsive layout so that they can be used on different devices?
- How far does the platform cover scalability and multilingualism when the applications are to be used internationally?
Learn more about the Features of Low Code Platforms