A Guide to Low-code/No-code Software Development in 2022

65% of app activity will take place from low-code development by 2024, predicts Gartner.

As efficiency becomes a cornerstone for digital enterprises, low code no code software becomes more popular. The biggest advantage is that it accelerates the entire product delivery lifecycle.

The percentage of executives that attribute low code no code development as their most significant automation investment has tripled from 10% to 26% since the onset of covid.

What is Low-code No-code?

A low-code/no-code platform enables developers to eliminate the need to write lengthy codes. It offers a drag-and-drop interface to add app features. Low code no code environments provide a visual interface with intuitive tools that don’t require any extensive coding knowledge to begin the development process.

These platforms accelerate the product delivery process, offer convenience, and provide more control over the process. More importantly, they reduce the cost of development twofold.

Source: Maruti Techlabs

Are Low code and No code the same?

While low-code app development requires some form of coding experience, no code doesn’t require any such skill. In low-code development platforms, developers focus on employing visual development environments and automating linkages to back-end systems, databases, web services, or APIs.

No code, combined with the agile methodology of software development, offers a much faster approach. These platforms provide a visual drag-and-drop interface that allows anyone to build an application without any experience.

Source: TigerSheet

Both low code no code platforms, however, reduce the time of development because there’s no need to write long stretches of code. It also saves resource deployment as there’s no requirement of building an in-house team of 5–8 developers for building the product.

What to Consider While using Low Code No Code Platforms

The increasing adoption of low code no code development platforms is resulting in the quick introduction of prototypes to the market.

However, there are several factors to consider while switching to the low code model of software development. Here they are:

• Development cost
  While low code no code software development services definitely save time and resources, the cost can be a deciding factor. The subscription models of low-code/no-code platforms require a great deal of attention.
• The low-code platform should allow for scalability whenever needed. Certain subscriptions come with limited capabilities, which might lead to the creation of new apps every now and then. This will definitely increase the business-critical costs of development.
• Software infrastructure
  One must understand that deploying such platforms that require minimal to no coding are not an option — they are an enterprise strategy. It is an integral part of the software development infrastructure.
• However, the low code platform needs to connect the different software silos, like Artificial Intelligence, RPA, Cloud Computing, and other things essential for enterprise software development. The simplification makes it easy for executives to decide whether they need low code/no code or not.
• Security consideration
  And finally, there are the security considerations for low code/no code development platforms. While internal applications that are restricted to a particular enterprise are replete with in-built security features, outward-facing apps may need to consider their low code priorities.
• There should be proper deployment of an IT security team that manages the threats and protects the app from vulnerabilities. The best practices of authorization and authentication are essential as low code/no code platforms might be seen as a little riskier by teams than by building an app from scratch.

Best Low-code/No-code Platforms

Low code/no code is possible because of the platforms that simplify the development process. These platforms offer a visual and intuitive interface that enables developers utilize the drag-and-drop methodology for building the app.

Some of the best low-code/no-code platforms include:

• Caspio
  It is one of the most known and the only platform that provides cloud integrated app development, unlimited users, and unlimited app developers. Caspio runs on AWS and SQL server. It delivers enterprise-level security and performance that is crucial for enterprise applications.
• HCL Volt Mx
  One of the best low-code/no-code platforms, HCL Volt MX, enables developers to create applications with engaging experiences. Teams can build web, native, and wearable applications on any platform. The platform integrates AR & VR to engage users in a unique way and deliver high performance solutions.
• Opsera
  A complete DevOps orchestration platform, Opsera enables no-code development and intelligent automation to develop applications. It is a low code application development software that offers self-service toolchain provisioning and Integration, declarative pipelines for SDLC and SaaS use cases.

The above are the three highly popular and most used low-code/no-code platforms. The list of low-code platforms comprises several others like OutSystems, Reify, PegaSystems, Kintone, Mendix, and many more.

Challenges in Low code/No code Development

While low-code use cases proliferate across the world, there are certain limitations that development teams face.

One of the biggest challenges that can be seen in several low-code/no-code examples is that of data security. There is no visibility of how data is being used and what it is exposed to. Since the platform is a third-party application, data control may be a challenge. Security threats and vulnerabilities in the platform may cause the application to work improperly.

Another challenge is that of learning the programming technique for low-code development. There is restricted training and limited material available for even the best low code development tools. That’s why hiring a software development company that offers low code/no code development makes sense.

The subscription-based models of the applications also pose a challenge. It might hinder scalability and ramp up the development process. There’s a significant cost association with low-code development, and there are several low-code examples that face the same fate.

Wrapping Up

Researchers estimate that at least one software development team in the majority of companies utilize low-code development platforms. The increasing adoption for enterprise applications make it the perfect choice for enterprises and startups.

Companies should, however, always hire software developers where no-code development may not work properly. It is essential to analyze the project complexity and identify whether it is a fit for low-code/no-code development or not.

Originally published at https://techytune.com on June 7, 2022.