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The challenge of programming is not really about writing in a programming language - it's about thinking, problem solving, and organization. What low/no-code d
by blunte 5y ago
The challenge of programming is not really about writing in a programming language - it's about thinking, problem solving, and organization.
What low/no-code does is remove the setup and tooling barrier. I believe it's this barrier which scares most people away from programming. After all, even as an experienced software developer, I find some languages more intimidating because of the many tooling choices and setup options required before one can actually do something useful (front end development, anyone?).
Ruby on Rails did this for web development 20 years ago. It's way more complex now (partly because our expectations and desires are so much more complex), but when it was new it was essentially low-code compared to alternatives. And just with modern low-code systems, people who aren't good at thinking or structuring often create bad or unreliable things.
I'm sure more than a few of us have seen some of the monstrosities created by users with Excel. On the other hand, some non developers have created brilliant solutions in Excel. The same will be true of official no-code tools.
Where no-code can really benefit most, is by allowing some end users to attempt to solve their own problems. Chances are they won't end up with complete solutions, but they may end up with a clearer picture of what it is they want; and then they can go to professional developers and better communicate their needs. Maybe we'll end up throwing away less work as our solutions will better match the users' needs.
- lysecret 5y agoExactly that. Also in my expereince as a Data Science consultant was that by far the best approach was to just rebuild what they attempted in excel in python. Also now that I think of it Excel is the original low code solution haha
- ignoramous 5y ago> Also now that I think of it Excel is the original low code solution haha It indeed is: https://powerapps.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/power-fx-open-source-now-available/ https://powerapps.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/power-fx-open-sou...
- simonh 5y agoThis came up in the thread on Bank Python (last week?). These systems have frameworks for implementing Directed Acyclic Graphs of functions in Python to simplify migrating Excel workflows into peer reviewed, version controlled code.
- tharne 5y ago> Excel is the original low code solution I'm surprised how infrequently this comes up, given the massive usage of Excel in the business world; low-code/no-code is always discussed as if it's something new. Non-programmers in corporate America have been building excel applications for decades. You'd be surprised and a little scared by how many business critical processes depend on an excel workbook stored on a sharepoint somewhere. Interestingly enough, Excel in many ways is also a sort of functional programming for the masses. Excel functions are (mostly) pure. Columns are sort of immutable, and you tend to build applications as collections of smaller functions composed together as you might in Lisp.