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Wish it had more code examples. Also why isn't python or a subset of js used for low code app building ? Why does it always need to be a new language ? Genuine

Wish it had more code examples. Also why isn't python or a subset of js used for low code app building ? Why does it always need to be a new language ? Genuinely curious

freeone3000 6y ago
Microsoft has a lot of programming language designers. :)
- gm 6y ago
  That may be the case, but that's not the reason for this one. Read up a bit on the reasons MS had. At the very least it's not a trivial "not invented here".
eyelidlessness 6y ago
They address the origins of the language. It was designed for Excel-like usage in low code apps. Presumably it’s not a “new” language but a use case expansion of the Excel stdlib and runtime targets.
gm 6y ago
I think your question is a good one, and one that a vast majority of times it's just people or companies wanting to invent something for the sake of inventing something. IN this case, the posted link to the repo is unfortunate because there are so many better links to the announcement. Here's one that touches on your question: https://powerapps.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/what-is-microsoft-power-fx/ https://powerapps.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/what-is-microsoft...
reilly3000 6y ago
I think it’s mostly about the user, in this case the 1 billion users that know Excel, and would like those same functions available for integrating the modern web.
simiones 6y ago
Because Python and JS are extremely difficult to use and extremely hard to understand for most cases that a user with no training in programming would have. Most people who have been programming a while disregard what a huge barrier to entry syntax is. Python's bizarre white-space sensitive syntax is especially bad for this kind of embedding. Another huge barrier to entry is the need for explicit iteration - the much more beginner-friendly option is to express operations in terms of their effects on the "selected" element in a list, or on the whole list, relying on the programming environment to actually handle the iteration. Overall, I think the approach taken here, of offering a beginner-friendly programming language AND environment, which exposes the resulting code as a data structure and not an opaque script, has some of the best chances of taking a PoC built by a domain expert and actually turning it into production software. Even better, it greatly expands what a user can do without ever reaching for a programmer to do it for them.
- vsskanth 6y ago
  Thanks for your insight.
- datavirtue 6y ago
  So python is this super easy language to teach kids how to code and then all of a sudden it's too complicated for adult SMEs?
7952 6y ago
Probably being cynical. But I wonder if the purpose of PowerApps is to create a platform that seems safe to IT managers in corporations. Using a real language makes people stress about security and maintainability. The simplicity makes people assume that the product will only be used in safe ways. Whilst semi-supported "shadow IT" types use it in unexpected ways.
markus_zhang 6y ago
Because it's more fun and ownership for the developing team.
rowland66 6y ago
I think that there are alot of advantages to a using a declarative/functional programming style for these types of tools.

Wish it had more code examples. Also why isn't python or a subset of js used for low code app building ? Why does it always need to be a new language ? Genuinely curious

freeone3000 6y ago

Microsoft has a lot of programming language designers. :)

gm 6y ago
That may be the case, but that's not the reason for this one. Read up a bit on the reasons MS had. At the very least it's not a trivial "not invented here".

eyelidlessness 6y ago

They address the origins of the language. It was designed for Excel-like usage in low code apps. Presumably it’s not a “new” language but a use case expansion of the Excel stdlib and runtime targets.

gm 6y ago

I think your question is a good one, and one that a vast majority of times it's just people or companies wanting to invent something for the sake of inventing something. IN this case, the posted link to the repo is unfortunate because there are so many better links to the announcement. Here's one that touches on your question: https://powerapps.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/what-is-microsoft-power-fx/ https://powerapps.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/what-is-microsoft...

reilly3000 6y ago

I think it’s mostly about the user, in this case the 1 billion users that know Excel, and would like those same functions available for integrating the modern web.

simiones 6y ago

Because Python and JS are extremely difficult to use and extremely hard to understand for most cases that a user with no training in programming would have. Most people who have been programming a while disregard what a huge barrier to entry syntax is. Python's bizarre white-space sensitive syntax is especially bad for this kind of embedding. Another huge barrier to entry is the need for explicit iteration - the much more beginner-friendly option is to express operations in terms of their effects on the "selected" element in a list, or on the whole list, relying on the programming environment to actually handle the iteration. Overall, I think the approach taken here, of offering a beginner-friendly programming language AND environment, which exposes the resulting code as a data structure and not an opaque script, has some of the best chances of taking a PoC built by a domain expert and actually turning it into production software. Even better, it greatly expands what a user can do without ever reaching for a programmer to do it for them.

vsskanth 6y ago
Thanks for your insight.
datavirtue 6y ago
So python is this super easy language to teach kids how to code and then all of a sudden it's too complicated for adult SMEs?

7952 6y ago

Probably being cynical. But I wonder if the purpose of PowerApps is to create a platform that seems safe to IT managers in corporations. Using a real language makes people stress about security and maintainability. The simplicity makes people assume that the product will only be used in safe ways. Whilst semi-supported "shadow IT" types use it in unexpected ways.

markus_zhang 6y ago

Because it's more fun and ownership for the developing team.

rowland66 6y ago

I think that there are alot of advantages to a using a declarative/functional programming style for these types of tools.