75
HomeAboutBlogProjectsContact

Why No-Code/Low-Code is Taking Off and Transforming Development

In recent years, no-code and low-code platforms have emerged as game changers in the development landscape, attracting attention from both developers and businesses. This post explores the reasons behind their growing popularity and examines how these tools are reshaping software development practices. Join us as we delve into the latest trends and their impact on modern development workflows.

Front-End Project Setup: Then vs Now

How did you start your last front-end project vs how you started it 2 or 3 years ago?

If you were using the same framework, were you able to set up with the same starter package you used back then?

Between 2017 & 2021, Rails changed how it handles front-end frameworks/assets twice. This doesn’t consider all the alternative methods that you might have ended up using when the default approach didn’t work for you (looking at you react-on-rails, Vite, Shakapacker). More on Rails front-end integrations & dependencies later.

If you don’t have a reliable & stable way to stand up a front-end project, you’re going to spend more time doing configuration and getting your application to integrate with pieces than you are building your product.

Engineers know that tight coupling is bad in general software engineering, but you might think differently when looking at the dependency chain on most JS libraries.

Give this a run in any project that has node:

npm ls --all

Any of these could break your app, create a vulnerability, be deprecated, or become unsupported. You never know when a dependency will fail, and there’s no certainty that starting a new JS-dependent app will work with all required dependencies.

In other professions, the tools you use and depend on for your livelihood are considerably more stable than in software engineering. This uncertainty leads to stress, burnout, and slower engineering.

The Dilemma: Depend or Hand-Roll?

You could argue that this is inherently part of open-source libraries. I’ve seen engineering teams handle this in different ways.

Taking a Hard Right More engineers are becoming averse to relying on dependencies. Whether it’s BootstrapUI or dependencies in general, the decision to handwrite code versus relying on open-source options is happening more often.

Making decisions from a stressful place is never good. When a team ends up with multiple hand-rolled (CSS Grid/Flexbox) systems on the front end, instead of using a standardized tool like Bootstrap, this can have long-term impacts on how teams work, communicate, and get code out the door.

Not Even Dependency Managers Are Safe

It's not just about compatibility between dependencies; dependency managers themselves are rapidly changing. Some projects die off, while others are no longer the default and require additional work.

For example, a few years ago I created a simple app with Vue.js and Webpacker (not exactly Webpack). I’d used Webpacker before with React, and it took less than 60 minutes to get it working. But as of 2021, Webpacker is no longer the default—ImportMaps is. I wasn’t able to get ImportMaps working but did get Vue working with Vite.

Configuration wasn’t broken 4 years ago when Webpacker worked for me, but the rapid changes forced me to spend more time configuring rather than learning and building.

Why No-Code is Here to Stay

  • We Don’t Always Need a High-End UI No-code/low-code solutions eliminate the need for complex UIs, making it easier for non-engineers to build what they need without diving into front-end code.

  • We Don’t Always Need Custom Deployments Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) tools like Netlify and Vercel simplify deployments and reduce configuration complexities that traditionally bog down developers.

  • Separation of Concerns Many no-code/low-code tools focus on one or two things, allowing for a clean separation of concerns:

    • Data handling: Airtable
    • Front-end UI templates: Webflow
    • Web analytics/front-end tooling: Retool
    • Deployment: Netlify

  • Dependencies With these platforms, you no longer need to worry about outdated JS libraries, though you’re now dependent on the company running the tool. In exchange, you get more stability.

Tool Comparisons: The Rise of No-Code/Low-Code

These complexities are driving businesses and engineers toward more stable solutions. While no-code/low-code platforms may offer less flexibility, they are often far more stable and reliable, which can be crucial depending on your needs.

For example:

  • Retool: Build internal tools quickly with pre-built components and easy integrations.
  • Bubble: Build web applications without writing code, simplifying both front-end and back-end development.
  • Zapier: Automate repetitive tasks by connecting apps without needing custom scripts.

These platforms abstract away much of the complexity that traditionally required a software engineer, allowing businesses to ship faster with fewer headaches.

Closing Thoughts: Why No-Code/Low-Code is Here to Stay

No-code/low-code solutions allow developers to sidestep issues like dependency management and endless configuration. The benefits include:

  • Reduced Cognitive Load: Engineers can focus on building key features, not configuring projects.
  • Faster Time to Market: Businesses can deploy products quickly in today’s fast-paced digital economy.
  • More Stable Foundations: These platforms ensure apps work seamlessly without dependency issues.

In Conclusion

No-code/low-code solutions are becoming a legitimate approach for building scalable applications. They simplify development, reduce decision fatigue, and allow engineers to focus on solving core problems.

For those interested in exploring a low-code approach for front-end apps, PaaS & a hands on guide all in one, check out this blog: post