Table of contents
foreword
> When I was chatting with a friend a few days ago, he commented on the low-code platform like this: "I want to prove that programmers are stupid, but I want programmers to pay for it! Programmers themselves are unhappy..." Then, With the rapid development of low-code today, is there really a product worth trying?
think
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Originally, the matter of low code would make programmers unhappy.
Almost all programmers will think "why don't you use my low-code platform? I want to use yours? Unless you are really good and can really solve the problem... then it's fine... In fact, Maybe your platform is slower than mine to write code!"
And companies use low-code platforms? how to use? Who has the final say? In fact, it is still a programmer (the R&D issue must still be decided by the R&D supervisor).
Therefore, if you really want to promote low-code, you must solve the problem of "programmers using low-code platforms". What makes business people use low-code, I always think that is nonsense, without that logical thinking ability, it is impossible to do application development and design. If you really want to use it in the future, it is also a "product manager" who uses "AI automatic programming" to directly generate applications, and it has nothing to do with business personnel. This is a later story.
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How to let programmers use low-code platforms? ? ?
Regardless of whether it is an enterprise or an individual programmer, the first is the "sense of security". What is the "sense of security"? Simply put, it means being able to "go back"! However, for a low-code platform, its value is "how far can it go"?
This is a paradoxical question in itself, and a very interesting one. The enterprise requires "in case it doesn't work", we can still use the old method for development, so that there is no survival concern. And at least, there's still plenty of previously developed stuff that wasn't in vain.
For programmers, my previous knowledge can be used as much as possible, and the code is not in vain. But for the "low-code" platform, if it is all done by writing code, it is completely meaningless, and its core value is "what can you do without writing code?" (In fact, the ability to write code to cover the original programming language How many percent?)".
So, here comes the test of the product and technical architecture, how can developers and enterprises have a sense of security, and realize various capabilities that the original code can achieve.
Solve the problem
The solution to the problem is actually very simple:
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It can truly generate all the code of the exportable application, including the entire code stack of front-end/back-end/database, and it must be able to be compiled independently.
Note that due to the limitations of the language itself, it is easy to be confused. The application here is a "single application instance" developed, that is, "whatever is developed is generated", not a lot of framework code. What is needed is true "programming language-level" code generation capability. If it is an enterprise rapid development framework, the generated application cannot run in an environment outside the framework. This is very important~! ! ! And it's easy to get confused.
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Developing a new programming language will be very difficult, involving IDE compiler/interpreter, self-developed AST (abstract syntax tree...) and supporting products for generating programming paradigms, such as multi-person development, version management, etc. .
Ensure the usability and function/performance of this language can at least meet the needs of most applications, including B-side and C-side.
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It is best to be able to access cloud computing products, and to ensure the independence of using background open source mature products (not bound to a certain cloud).
The advantage of this is that the language "concentrates on generating code" without having to consider background resource capabilities, that is to say, it is decoupled from "resources during background runtime, and high concurrency, security, and elastic computing... are all left to cloud computing. Do..."
Basic status
Finally, please take a look at my summary. There are not many such products, but there are indeed. Of course, there are some page generation types, most of which are purely front-end, so they are not listed.
Low-code/no-code platforms can be roughly divided into three categories:
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"Business personnel" type, a combination of several SaaS (usually BI/workflow/form/online form scenarios), with authority and personnel management, suitable for direct use by business personnel; (Mingdao, Jiandao, Yidao take...)
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The "non-code generation" type requires R&D personnel to develop within a specified framework, and cannot generate a separate application code and deploy it independently; (Zoho, Power Platform, Movable Type, Qingliu...)
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The "code generation" type requires R&D personnel, can generate code or various framework codes, and can independently export and deploy a single application to other platforms or servers. If it is worth the demand, you must choose the third type of low-code platform. The first two types do not have language attributes and have little learning value.
In terms of balancing several aspects, the overall situation of the development platforms on the market is roughly as follows:
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Mendix: Platform Features ★★★★ Product Integration ★★★ Technical Performance ★★★★
Existing problems 1. Lock users, non-source code generation; 2. Weak front-end/database generation; belongs to B-end products
iVX: Platform functions ★★★★★ Product integration ★★★★★ Technical performance ★★★★ No obvious problems, C-end + B-end products
Qingzhou Lingxi: Platform functions★★★Product integration★★Technical performance★★★ There are problems and it feels like a product with many functions and tools
odoo: platform function ★★★★ product integration ★★★ technical performance ★★ the problem is more like a development framework of ERP, the C/S structure is relatively old, and the performance is average
Wuyuan: Platform functions ★★★ Product integration ★★★ Technical performance ★★ There are problems in the php background, you need to write SQL code, and the front end has a custom special structure, which is not a common framework
Crazy: Platform features ★★ Product integration ★★★ Technical performance ★★ There are problems. The maintenance of the front-end framework is relatively poor. Many problems cannot be solved for a long time without iteration.
Most of the well-known ones are listed above, and most of them are what we call "Rapid Enterprise Internal Application Development Framework", so there may be nearly 200 products.
There are also some open source ones such as: jeecg\ruoyi\taskbuilder, which do a good job and can generate some internal module codes or package a file in an internal environment format, but most of them cannot "really generate code", like programming languages Generate code like that.
discover highlights
In the process of research, I found that iVX is an exception (very suitable for our use). You can use it if you have time. Public network users are completely free.
iVX provides users with a way to quickly build various management systems through drag-and-drop configuration operations, and these systems can run on both PC and mobile terminals at the same time.
The main advantage of a low-code platform is that it simplifies the traditional programming process, enabling users with non-technical backgrounds to participate in software development. This engagement and accessibility is part of iVX's unique strengths. However, the advantages of iVX don't stop there.
iVX also has the following unique advantages:
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Visual design: iVX's powerful visual design tools can help users quickly design and build applications. By dragging and dropping, users can easily create forms, processes, reports and other elements without writing any code. This design approach can not only greatly reduce development time, but also allow more people to participate in application development, thereby increasing the productivity of the team.
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Automated process modeling: iVX provides a centralized, visualized, and automated process modeling tool. This tool can help users create and manage workflows automatically, thereby improving work efficiency. In addition, this tool can help users better understand and control the workflow, thereby improving the quality of work.
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Cross-platform compatibility: Applications created by iVX can run on both PC and mobile. This means users can use iVX-created apps on any device, whether it's a computer at the office or a mobile phone on the road. This cross-platform compatibility can help users complete work anytime, anywhere, thereby increasing productivity.
iVX should be one of the most powerful low-code platforms currently recognized, and it is completely free. 
Of course, from the perspective of a developer, it is always hands-on > understanding, so you can try it boldly to see if my judgment is accurate.
iVX source code export related documents: Documentation Center-iVX official website
Also, please refer to the following documents:
