low code platform

What is low code

Low-Code is a software development method that aims to improve application development efficiency by minimizing the workload of manual coding. Low-code platforms often provide visual interfaces, pre-built components, templates, and automation tools to reduce coding efforts and enable non-expert developers to participate in application creation. The goal of this approach is to lower the barrier to development and accelerate application delivery while maintaining control of the code.

Features:

1. Visual development environment: Provides a graphical interface, allowing users to design applications by dragging and dropping components, connecting modules, etc.

2. Components and Modules: Pre-built components and modules are available for common functions such as forms, database integration, user authentication, etc. to speed up the development process.

3. Automation: Provide automation tools such as automatic code generation, testing and deployment to reduce the level of manual work.

4. Fast iteration: Support rapid iteration and continuous delivery with fast development cycles and real-time feedback.

5. Extensibility: Allows expansion with custom code when needed to meet special requirements.

6. Cross-platform: Usually supports multi-platform deployment, including web, mobile devices, etc.

Advantage:

1. Lower technical barriers to entry: Allows non-professional developers to participate in application creation, reducing the need for professional coding skills.

2. Increase development speed: Speeds up the application development and deployment process by reducing manual coding.

3. More flexible team collaboration: Promotes closer collaboration between developers, business analysts, and other stakeholders.

4. Suitable for rapidly changing needs: Easier to adapt to changes in business needs and supports rapid adjustments and updates.

5. Reduced costs: Reduces developer workload and time, thereby reducing development and maintenance costs.

6. Support digital transformation: For many businesses, low-code development is part of digital transformation. It helps companies adapt to market changes more quickly, launch new products, and provide a better customer experience.

How to do low-code development

1. Choose a suitable low-code platform:

Choose a low-code platform that fits your needs, such as Mendix, OutSystems, Appian, Microsoft Power Platform, Salesforce Lightning, and more. Different platforms provide different functions and positioning, choose the most suitable platform according to your needs.

2. Learn platform functions and interface:

Become familiar with the interface and functionality of your chosen platform and understand the drag-and-drop components, visualization tools, and logical configuration options it offers. Typically platforms provide tutorials, documentation and training courses to help users get started.

3. Define requirements and design application:

Identify the requirements and functionality of the application you want to develop. Determine the application's purpose, user needs, data flow and interaction logic, and make design plans.

4. Build applications using visual tools:

Start using the visual tools provided by the low-code platform to drag and drop components, configure rules and logic, and build the framework and basic structure of the application. For example, create interfaces, design forms, configure workflows, etc.

5. Define business logic and rules:

Use the tools provided by the platform to set up the business logic and rules of the application. This may involve conditional judgment, triggering events, connecting to data sources, defining permissions, etc.

6. Test and optimize:

Test during development to ensure the functionality and logic of the application are correct. Check the interaction of the interface and the correctness of the data to ensure that it meets expectations. At the same time, optimization and improvements are made based on feedback and test results.

7. Deploy and publish the application:

After completing the application, use the deployment tools provided by the low-code platform to deploy the application to the corresponding environment so that users can access and use it.

8. Continuous iteration and improvement:

Collect user feedback and continuously update and improve the application according to needs. One of the advantages of low-code development is the ability to quickly adapt and iterate to changing needs.

Example

This example uses Mendix's Microflows to implement basic business logic. In this example, we assume that there is already an entity (Entity) representing the to-do item, containing attributes: Title (title), Description (description) and Status (status).

1. Microflow:

// 创建待办事项
if ($CurrentObject/Status = 'Open') {
    
    
    // 创建微流程中的操作，将待办事项添加到列表
    CreateObject(TodoList.TodoItem);
    TodoList.TodoItem/Title = $CurrentObject/Title;
    TodoList.TodoItem/Description = $CurrentObject/Description;
    TodoList.TodoItem/Status = 'Open';
}

// 关闭待办事项
if ($CurrentObject/Status = 'Closed') {
    
    
    // 设置微流程中的操作，将待办事项状态设置为关闭
    $CurrentObject/Status = 'Closed';
}

// 其他业务逻辑...

The above code snippet is a simplified microprocess that handles the creation and closing of to-do items. In low-code platforms, users can typically configure microprocesses through drag-and-drop operations and visual interfaces without having to write code manually.

2. User Interface:

For user interfaces, you can use the interface designers provided by low-code platforms to build them without writing HTML, CSS, or JavaScript code. Here is a simplified example:

<!-- 待办事项列表界面 -->
<div>
    <h1>待办事项列表</h1>
    <ul>
        {% for todoItem in TodoList.TodoItem %}
            <li>
                {
   
   { todoItem.Title }} - {
   
   { todoItem.Status }}
            </li>
        {% endfor %}
    </ul>
</div>

<!-- 待办事项表单 -->
<form>
    <label for="title">标题：</label>
    <input type="text" id="title" name="title" required>

    <label for="description">描述：</label>
    <textarea id="description" name="description"></textarea>

    <label for="status">状态：</label>
    <select id="status" name="status">
        <option value="Open">开放</option>
        <option value="Closed">关闭</option>
    </select>

    <button type="button" onclick="submitTodo()">提交</button>
</form>