No-code is a way to build software that lets you build an app quickly with little or no programming knowledge. This lets line-of-business (LOB) employees who have the necessary institutional knowledge and understand the business requirements for an app but don't know how to code create software applications like a form or website or add functionality to an existing site or app.
No-code separates programming languages and syntax from logic. Instead, it uses a visual approach to build software quickly. No-code is like low-code development in this way. The main difference is that low-code platforms use less abstraction. This means that they use some code and require some knowledge of programming languages. Professional developers in an enterprise IT department often use low-code platforms.
How does no-code work?
In some ways, the name "no-code" is misleading. There is a lot of coding going on, but it is done behind the scenes and isn't seen by business users. The hard work is done by the companies that make no-code tools. They use data abstraction and encapsulation to hide the complexity of what users do when they build an app by doing simple things like dragging and dropping application components.
No-code development, like low-code development, uses a visual integrated development environment, which is a suite of software that brings together the basic tools needed to write and test software. Often, they use a model-driven development method, which uses a software model to plan out how the software system should work before the actual coding begins. Once the software is made, it can be tested using model-based testing (MBT) and then put into use.
How are low-code and no-code different from each other?
The two main differences between low-code and no-code are how well they work and how easy they are to use. Some no-code platforms don't require any coding or basic knowledge of how apps are made and how they work. Many others, on the other hand, let what are called "citizen developers" or people who aren't programmers add some custom code to do simple tasks like adding scrollbars, navigation buttons, or custom colors to webpages. Even then, you can often find these lines of code in ready-made code snippets that can be added quickly.
No-code software platforms are easier for people who aren't programmers to use, but it can be hard to add tasks that are more complicated. IT professionals who know a little bit about programming, on the other hand, could use low-code software to add these separate functions. Low-code platforms also make it easier to connect to legacy applications and make it easier to build, test, and add on to applications.
Low-code and no-code platforms grew out of earlier rapid application development efforts, which usually used object-oriented programming languages like C++ and Java.
What are the pros and cons of using no-code?
No-code benefits focus on simplicity and ease of use for people who don't know how to code.
Almost no training required at all
User interfaces are easy to use because you just drag and drop, or "layer," app components to build an app. Users might need some basic training, but they won't need to know how to code.
Costs less
By letting non-programmers add basic features, the IT staff has more time to work on more complicated tasks or projects that are more valuable to the business. This trade-off saves the organization time and, in the end, money.
Trying to beat shadow IT
LOB users pick what they need from a list of options that have already been set up. This makes it less likely that they will download and use tools that aren't authorized or supported, which makes it hard for IT departments to keep track of and could open up security holes in an organization.
With no-code, what can you build?
No-code is usually used to make simple apps for a single purpose or to add small features to a simple app or website. Examples include:
- Back-office apps, like those that handle invoices and track KPIs;
- Web apps, like online shopping and making reservations at restaurants;
- Mobile apps that allow workers to use back-office apps while they are out in the field;
- Workflow management, like setting up internal service-level agreements so that employees can say when a task is done;
- Business process automation functions, such as document approval from multiple parties;
- Human resources functions, such as the self-service parts of HR management systems
No-code tools and business owners
There are a lot of companies that sell no-code platforms. There are hundreds more that offer tools for these platforms. Some low-code platforms can be used with both low-code and no-code. Some companies that sell no-code platforms are:
- CloudApper
- Appian
- AppSheet
- Appy Pie
- Betty Blocks
- Bubble
- Kissflow
- Nintex
- Quickbase
- Outgrow
- Zudy Vinyl
Some examples of third-party tools that don't need code are:
- Carrd
- Glide
- Gumroad
- Memberstack
- Notion
- Payhere
- Shopify
- Stripe
- Voiceflow
- Zapier
What does the future hold for development with no code?
At the time this article was written, the future of no-code development looked good because LOB professionals wanted more applications than IT departments could build and keep up. The COVID-19 pandemic has made this gap even bigger, and IT help desks are struggling to help remote workers because of this. Gartner says that by 2024, low-code will be used to make 65% of all applications, and by 2023, there will be at least four times as many citizen developers as enterprise developers.
But the market's line between low-code and no-code is still not clear, so it's hard to say how big and where strictly no-code apps are going. Many low-code platforms have no-code options, while some no-code vendors let users customize an app with JavaScript or other programming languages. Also, analyst firms like Gartner and Forrester don't make hard and fast lines between no-code and low-code. For example, Gartner predicts that the low-code applications market will be worth $13.8 billion in 2021, which is an increase of nearly 23% from 2020. However, this market classification includes many different areas, such as low-code, no-code, citizen development, robotic process automation (RPA), and other related areas.
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