All About No Code Development

What is No Code?

No-code is a method of software development that allows you to create applications fast with little to no programming knowledge. This enables line of business (LOB) personnel to develop software applications, such as a form or website, or to add functionality to an existing site or app, even when they lack the essential programming language competence and the necessary institutional knowledge.

In order to facilitate quick delivery, No-code decouples programming languages and syntax from logic and adopts a visual approach to software development. No-code development is similar to low-code development in this way. The major distinction is that low-code platforms use less abstraction, which means that they involve some coding and call for an understanding of programming languages, and are frequently used by experienced developers within the software industry.

How does No Code Work?

No-code is something of a misnomer because there is actually a lot of coding going on, but it is done in the background and is not visible to business users. In order to effectively hide the complexity of what users do through straightforward actions, such as dragging and dropping application components to build an application, no-code tool providers undertake the heavy lifting.

No-code development utilises a visual integrated development environment, a software suite that combines the fundamental tools needed to create and test software, much like low-code development. They frequently employ a model-driven development methodology, in which the intended functionality of the software system is mapped out using a software model before any actual coding is done. After developing the software, it can be tested using model-based testing (MBT) and then deployed.

Benefits of No Code

The benefits of no-code are focused on simplicity and usability for non-programmers:

Little to no training. User interfaces are easy to use since you can stack or drag and drop application components to create an app. Users could require some fundamental instruction, but nothing that calls for code.

Lower cost. Allowing non-programmers to add simple features frees up IT employees to work on more challenging duties or initiatives that are more beneficial to the company. The organisation saves time and, ultimately, money as a result of this choice.

Battling shadow IT. Users of LOB select what they require from established options. As a result, they are less likely to download and utilise unapproved and unsupported programmes, which are difficult to trace and can cause an organisation to develop security vulnerabilities.

Drawbacks of No Code

There are some negative aspects to No-code as well:

Integration of applications. It could be challenging to import data from other existing applications, depending on the low-code/no-code spectrum indicated before. Some programmes that claim to be no-code in fact include integration tools. But even these need some fundamental programming.

Limited usability. No-code often doesn’t extend to enable complicated features as a trade-off for simplicity and usability. Some no-code providers include “escape hatches” and other tools that allow technically adept customers to construct more intricate customizations and important business apps.

For instance, Betty Blocks provides a split-view to users: On the left side of the interface, citizen developers can access drag-and-drop modules, while on the right, coders can click to enter programming code and access more extensive options.

What can you build with No Code?

No-code is often used to create small applications for a single purpose or to tack on a few extra features to a basic app or website. Examples include:

• Back-office applications for tracking KPIs and processing invoices.
• Internet reservation systems for restaurants and other services.
• Mobile programmes that give employees remote access to back-office programmes.
• Workflow management, such as establishing internal service-level agreements to ensure that workers recognise when a task is finished.
• Business process automation includes features like multi-party document approval.
• Functions related to human resources, like self-service elements of HR management systems.

Future of No Code Development

The demand from LOB professionals currently exceeds the capacity of IT departments to create and maintain applications, making the future for no-code development promising. This gap has been made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic as IT help desks struggle to manage remote workforces.

By 2024, 65% of all application development will be low-code, according to Gartner, and by 2023, there will be at least four times as many citizen developers as enterprise developers.

Because of the ambiguous market distinction between low-code and no-code, it is difficult to determine the precise quantity and trajectory of purely no-code apps. While some no-code providers allow customers to customise an application using JavaScript or other programming languages, many low-code platforms offer no-code features.

Additionally, analysis companies like Gartner and Forrester blur the distinction between the low-code and no-code categories. For instance, Gartner forecasts that the market for low-code applications will reach $13.8 billion in 2021, up nearly 23% from 2020. However, this market category includes a wide range of technologies, including low-code, no-code, citizen development, robotic process automation (RPA), and other related fields.