The world we are living in is moving towards a fast-paced corporate landscape where people often prioritize small work over hard work. Traditional development techniques are often costly and time-consuming to create software and applications and require the skill of highly trained professionals. Traditional development is generally considered high-code development where an individual or a team of individuals type the code for the program they are developing. On the other hand, low-code development uses little coding and is a much easier and faster tool for creating software and applications by individuals who don’t have much coding expertise.
In this blog post, we will discuss the realm of low-code development to understand it better and some pros & cons too.
Understanding Low Code Development
Low code development is a software development process that requires creating software applications by using a visual interface and minimal hand coding in contrast to high code development which requires manual coding by skilled individuals.
It uses pre-built templates, pre-made modules, drag-and-drop features, and automation, and you can easily create any application or software via a graphical user interface (GUI). You can easily create apps with its built-in drag-and-drop functionality by simply dragging and dropping different items, such as words, buttons, photos, videos, icons, maps, and more. All you need is an idea, and your application can be easily and quickly created using low code development platforms.
Pros of Low Code Development Platforms
- Speeding Up the Development Process
- Boosting of Collaboration
- Increased Productivity
- Cost-effectiveness
- Ease of Use
- No Need for Expert Individuals
Speeding Up the Development Process
Low code platforms speed up the development process by providing developers with ready to use and edit templates or codes. Because low-code development cuts down on development time, companies can launch applications much faster as they are not required to create all the elements as most are already pre-built manually.
Boosting of Collaboration
Development team members can work together considerably more readily with low-code development platforms than traditional development techniques. Low-code facilitates seamless collaboration between multiple teams, including business and design teams. They collaborate to develop the apps by exchanging better designs and ideas. Improved apps are frequently the result of this collaboration. Low-code platforms make things easier for non-technical folks to understand. Furthermore, IT can react swiftly to requests for application modifications from the business team because low-code application platforms don’t involve creating code.
Increased Productivity
Low-code development platforms come with prebuilt components and elements. Developers can write code without having to start from scratch, which saves a significant amount of time to make the app better and focus on the more urgent duties. Both technical, non-technical and business users can create applications using the low-code platform. Drag-and-drop interfaces have made it much easier to develop programs and software. Simple applications can be made in a matter of minutes while complex applications can take a few hours to complete.
Cost-effectiveness
Developing apps is typically a very expensive process. However, low code is frequently less expensive. App creation is quicker using low code development platforms as it doesn’t usually require paying developers for as many hours of work as there are already built-in templates and modules and nothing needs to be done from scratch.
Ease of Use
It is inevitable to run into certain defects and disasters when utilizing a typical software development approach on the launch day. However, with just one click, all the modifications can be undone and changed back to a stable version when using low-code. In this way, necessary changes can be made or undone quickly and easily.
No Need for Expert Individuals
Making apps doesn’t require you to be an expert programmer. Low-code technologies provide straightforward, visual creation methods. This implies that a larger team consisting of non-programmers can nevertheless contribute to the creation of an app.
Cons of Low Code Development Platforms
- Limited Level of Performance
- Fewer Customization Options
- Restrictions on Security and Risks
- Not Really Suitable for Complex Development Projects
- Vendor Lock-in
Limited Level of Performance
Only a certain amount of functions can be implemented in low code development platforms. Although it is a fast method for creating applications, there aren’t many possibilities if you’d like to experiment with something different. Drag and drop functionality can be very helpful in some situations, no doubt. You will however require some custom code if you require a certain feature that isn’t offered.
Fewer Customization Options
Very minimal customization can be done using low code. Ponder a low-code structure composed of prefabricated elements. Not everything can always be made just how you want it. Certain unusual or complicated objects might not fit right.
Restrictions on Security and Risks
Although low-code development comes with built-in security procedures, they can still not offer the same level of protection as development technologies that operate unilaterally. You cannot view the source code of an application built with low-code, nor do you have complete control over data security. Therefore, you cannot identify every potential vulnerability in low code development.
Not Really Suitable for Complex Development Projects
No doubt Low-code works well for many apps, but it may not be up to par for very large or complicated projects, that require complex coding for their working. More specialized coding may be required for them to function properly in the long run, which may or may not be possible using low code development.
Vendor Lock-in
One of the main concerns of low-code platforms is vendor lock-in. For example, some use frameworks and open code to create applications. They produce code that is universally compatible and neat. These applications can be maintained outside of the platform, even though it is easier to do so within the platform. There are various methods by which other companies can lock you onto their platform. Some produce complex code that is nearly hard to manage off the platform. Some tools prevent you from editing your programs once you stop using them.
Conclusion
We learned that the low-code methodology is not meant to replace traditional development or expert software suppliers now that we know its main benefits and drawbacks. Working together with low-code and traditional development approaches can guarantee quicker and more effective application & software development.
