background
Recently I discovered that my wife makes a form every day exceland sends the form to the group. After asking about it, I found out that it was just to record the changes in things every day. I think it would be too troublesome for the recipient to download the form and open it every time. Just make a webform that supports simple additions, deletions, modifications and searches.
When I started to do this, I discovered that for such a simple function, I still need to build a back-end service and build a front-end form. Although they are all very simple tasks, it feels like a pointless waste of time to do them in order to support this simple need. After searching around, I found that low-code platforms seemed to be quite suitable. I tried a few and found them to be quite good.
What is a low-code platform
Low-code platforms are development tools or environments that are designed to simplify the application development process, reduce the amount of coding, increase development efficiency, and reduce reliance on traditional programming knowledge. With low-code platforms, developers can build applications faster using graphical interfaces and drag-and-drop functionality instead of writing large amounts of code by hand.
Pros and cons of low-code platforms
advantage
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Rapid development: Low-code platforms allow developers to build applications using visual components without writing code from scratch. This can significantly shorten the development cycle so that applications can be delivered faster.
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Lowering technical barriers: Low-code platforms reduce the need for traditional programming skills, allowing more non-professional developers to participate in application development. This helps reduce the burden on technical teams and makes it easier for business people to participate in application development.
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Visual development: Low-code platforms usually provide intuitive visual interfaces, allowing users to build applications by dragging and configuring components without the need for hand-written code. This is a great advantage for those new to programming.
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Flexibility: Despite being low-code platforms, they usually still offer a degree of flexibility and customization options to meet the needs of different applications.
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Suitable for rapid prototyping and small to medium-sized projects: Low-code platforms excel in rapid prototyping and small to medium-sized projects, as these projects typically do not require complex custom development.
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Support cross-platform development: Some low-code platforms support cross-platform development, allowing developers to build applications once and run them on multiple devices or operating systems.
shortcoming
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Limited complexity: For very complex projects and highly customized needs, a low-code platform may not meet all requirements. In this case, traditional programming methods may be more suitable.
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Performance issues: Some low-code platforms may have a certain impact on application performance, especially for applications that require a high degree of optimization and resource management.
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Maintainability: While low-code platforms speed up the development process, the structure and maintainability of the code can sometimes be sacrificed. From a long-term maintenance perspective, this may require more attention.
What open source low-code platforms are there?
Due to limited time and energy, I only tried a few with starrelatively high quantities.
The following data source time: 2023/8/4.
appsmith
You can build anything from simple CRUD applications, admin panels, and dashboards to custom business applications and complex multi-step workflows. Supports multiple data sources and apicalls.
This is what I am currently using to build tables, and it is very easy to use.
buildbase
Low-code platform for creating internal tools, workflows, and admin panels in minutes. Supports PostgreSQL, MySQL, MSSQL, MongoDB, Rest API, Docker, K8s, etc.
I quite like this interface.
amis
The front-end low-code framework can generate various back-end pages through JSON configuration, greatly reducing development costs and even eliminating the need to understand the front-end.
Baidu’s stuff will be more friendly to Chinese people.
lowcode-engine
An enterprise-level low-code technology system designed for expansion.
Alibaba’s is more suitable for enterprise scenarios.
yao
YAO is an open source application engine written in Golang. It exists as a command line tool and can be downloaded and used. Suitable for developing business systems, website/APP API interfaces, management backends, self-built low-code platforms, etc.
Some thoughts on low-code platforms
I have actually experienced a few of them. If I am just building a table to add, delete, modify and check as I said at the beginning, I feel that the current low-code platforms are quite mature (various responsive layouts, custom designs, etc.), drag and drop Just drag and drop to generate a web page, just find what you like and use it.
In fact, for programmers, if they are just doing it web, the current front-end and back-end frameworks are very mature (such as the ones I am familiar with vue element go gin), and it is quite fast to make an application.
It is not impossible to complete it directly through a low-code platform , but if a low-code platform wants to make complex applications, it will take time to understand its use in the early stage, and there is a certain entry threshold. The most important thing is that I don't know if there are any pitfalls =-=. If there is a pitfall and the official won't fix it, you have to look at the source code yourself. It's better to make a set yourself.
Relatively speaking, low-code platforms can still be used as reference for their implementation methods. For example, at work, the development framework has been determined and the development specifications have been constructed. When developing new projects or new functions, the framework structure code can be automatically generated. Writing a small tool to generate the code can save a lot of work time (etc. gozero) , ultimately all for improving efficiency.
Summarize
In general, low-code platforms can significantly improve development efficiency and reduce development costs in suitable scenarios, and are very useful for rapid prototypes, small and medium-sized projects, and situations where business personnel participate in development. But for complex, high-performance requirements, and highly customized projects, traditional programming methods may be more suitable.