A low-code/no-code
(LCNC) development platform is a visual integrated development environment
(IDE) that allows citizen developers to drag-and-drop application components,
connect them together and create a mobile or web app. This modular approach
allows business analysts, office administrators, small-business owners and
other people who are not software developers to build and test applications
quickly.
An LCNC platform
frees the app's creator from having to know anything about traditional
programming languages or the development work that has gone into building the
platform's configurable components. All the citizen developer sees is a
user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) that allows components and
third-party application program interfaces (APIs) to be hooked together and
tested. Modules can be rearranged and repeatedly tested until the app works as
expected.
The line between
no-code and low-code isn't always clear. Generally speaking, no-code platforms
are a specialized type of low-code cloud platform in which the required visual
components address industry-specific functions, a specific line of business
(LOB) or support a specific company's corporate branding. Low-code platforms,
on the other hand, may require the assistance of in-house developers to make
small changes to back-end code so the new app will be compatible with other
business software.
The growth of low-
and no-code platforms has proliferated due to a lack of skilled software
developers and the need to improve turn-around time for development projects so
business problems can be solved quickly. Analysts at Forrester Research
forecast that the low-code market will reach $15 billion by 2020.
Dozens of mainstream
and niche software vendors offer low- or no-code platforms, many of which are
cloud-based. Popular LCNC platforms include:
- Force.com - allows developers and nontechnical users to create apps and websites and deploy them quickly to Force.com's multi-tenant servers.
- FileMaker - allows developers and nontechnical users to quickly add Web database publishing capabilities to their Web site or company intranet with one click.
- Mendix - allows developers and nontechnical users to build web and mobile applications with ready-made themes, navigation layouts, page templates and design elements.
- Microsoft PowerApps - allows developers and nontechnical users to build mobile applications from selectable templates without having to know code.
- OutSystems - allows developers and nontechnical users to quickly define business logic, workflow processes and UIs for mobile and Web apps
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