What is ‘No-Code’ Development?
As a software engineer, I love programming. I love learning new technologies and applying those to my projects. While looking for new technologies, I found ‘no-code’. What is no-code? Who is no-code for? Should I use it?
What is no-code?
A no-code platform is a development platform that uses a visual development environment to allow layman users to create apps, through methods such as drag-and-drop, adding application components to create a complete application. With no-code, users don’t need prior coding knowledge to create apps. — KissFlow
No-code platforms have been around for a long time but they have been growing last few years. The earliest no-code platform would be Adobe Dreamweaver or WordPress. Some newer examples would be Shopify, WebFlow, Zapier, or Budibase.
Who is no-code for?
Let’s access some pros and cons of no-code to decide who no-code may be for.
Pros of no-code development
Better agility: No-code development allows for faster development by utilizing pre-built modules. Due to these platforms having pre-built modules, testing is also automated and built in. This will cut down on development time and allow developers to start working immediately instead of spending time preparing their work.
Reduced cost: With no-code, companies can spend less money on developers since one developer can do the actions of many. Most no-code systems have a built-in backend system that you can utilize. This could cut down on the need to hire a larger team. Also, since the development time would be shorter, companies may need developers for less time.
More productivity: Since there will be a faster development pace, the team can focus on other essential requirements to take the business to the next level. No-code systems can also lead to less bugs which will boost development time. Of course, fewer people are waiting for developers to get their work done if they can get it done in a faster time frame.
Easily changeable: Most no-code development relies on visual representation of the code. This makes it very easy to make visual changes to the project. Also, you have the benefit of not having to learn some foreign programming language that a developer may not know.
Cons of no-code development
Strict templates: A major problem with no-code development services is that they are limited to their pre-built blocks of code. These pre-built blocks of code can only be changed a certain amount. These strict templates can stifle creativity and lack the scope for innovation.
Lack of propriety rights: A very large concern for most companies is having their own proprietary rights to their code. However, when using a no-code service, you don’t have that. Everything you create relies on the that particular service. You also have to worry about being locked-in to a certain company since you cannot just change platforms. You may not be able to even leave the platform at all.
Security concerns: There may be some security concerns when using a no-code platform since you don’t necessarily know what technology stack, or the implementation, they are using. You also don’t have control over when they may update to the latest version of the stack. This could leave you vulnerable.
Limited product vision: Honestly, the largest concern for most is the inability to innovate. With a no-code platform, you are limited to what pre-built blocks of code that they have available. As a developer, you cannot create a faster algorithm or design the component better because you are limited to the tools that are available on your specific platform.
Will no-code replace developers?
Probably not. No-code is has a lot of pros, but it has a lot of cons. You may see no-code as a solution for a project you are working on or for your own company. However, no-code can be very limiting for innovative companies. Companies like Facebook, Google, Twitter, etc. will not be moving to a no-code solution. As well as companies that are developing software for cars, planes, or even rockets.
So, is no-code for me?
The bottom-line is…it depends. I would say that no-code is something that every developer should at least utilize once. As a developer myself that loves to learn new technologies, I was actually really fascinated with WebFlow. I actually created my portfolio with it! If you are a designer, I think no-code is actually a perfect platform to develop on. If you are a developer, you can use a no-code platform for testing or designing due to the simplicity and speed of the platforms.
Don’t be too worried about no-code taking over. It has a long way to go. Just embrace it.
