4 ms·

It would be nice to get a brief definition of "low code." Otherwise great article. I've found myself using "low code" frameworks when they setup my environment

It would be nice to get a brief definition of "low code." Otherwise great article. I've found myself using "low code" frameworks when they setup my environment for me and can generate the code files. Key example was a Minecraft mod maker. Within a minute I was fed up with the scratch style programming, but it had all the Java build stuff ready for me to just edit the files myself. No setting up gradle or anything.

p1necone 2y ago
I think this is the key to them actually being useful - generate a sane project in some widely used language under the hood, and let people give up on the low code solution when they outgrow the guardrails. Otherwise you're just dooming yourself to an eventual rewrite as soon as you need some feature that's not supported.
- Klonoar 2y ago
  “Ejecting” is the key term here I think, or at least the one I’ve always used - for when you need to shed the handlebars for more control.
  - daelon 2y ago
    "Escape Hatch" is also commonly used.
    - ec109685 2y ago
      Escape hatch feels like the lambda the author talks about. Ejecting is abandoning the generator and owning the code from that point on completely.
bloomingkales 2y ago
“Low code” means you do not have to go beyond the tool to solve problems. In fact, there should be entire problems you cannot even create with low code tools. Programming could mean an endless rabbit hole through several technologies, same with designing (you are concocting designs that may use several different technologies). If the tool lets you make a circle button and change text in it, then that’s all you have to worry about.
jiggawatts 2y ago
Generally these are the drag & drop visual editors like Microsoft Power Apps and the like. Like the article said, my experience is that they're Great!™ until they're not, at which point you're painted into a corner.
- ozim 2y ago
  Funny thing is they stop being great rather quick. When you configure 10 controls and then you have to do another 10 but slightly different - with code you can mostly copy, paste, modify with search and replace and you are done. With low code tools usually it is just the same work again and even if you can duplicate stuff with an option in the interface adjusting stuff goes one by one.
  - jiggawatts 2y ago
    Personally I find this to be the worst with ETL tools such as Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS). Table-to-table mappings are often very mechanical, with a set of simple exceptions or deviations, such as adding one column or skipping one column. There is nothing fiddlier in this world than repeating these steps over and over with a GUI tool where you have to individually click each column mapping link to open its "properties" one... at... a... time... for hundreds of tables with dozens of columns each.
- owlstuffing 2y ago
  Yep. They demo great, but unless your use case is on the trivial end, you either find yourself making unreasonable compromises or, if the tool provides API escapes, you’re not only coding, but hacking against the tool. In my view, mainstream languages like Java should offer static metaprogramming for library authors to make tooling like Rails possible and more approachable in IDEs. The manifold project[1] has something like this for SQL, but it’s obviously providing its own static metaprogramming layer over Java. Shrug. 1. https://github.com/manifold-systems/manifold/blob/master/manifold-deps-parent/manifold-sql/readme.md https://github.com/manifold-systems/manifold/blob/master/man...
- stana 2y ago
slantaclaus 2y ago
I assumed low-code meant something less bulky like Sinatra
imtringued 2y ago
I think the hallmark of a low code solution is that you don't have to worry about build systems, project setup or deployment. Those barriers hinder software engineers and laymen alike.

p1necone 2y ago

I think this is the key to them actually being useful - generate a sane project in some widely used language under the hood, and let people give up on the low code solution when they outgrow the guardrails. Otherwise you're just dooming yourself to an eventual rewrite as soon as you need some feature that's not supported.

Klonoar 2y ago
“Ejecting” is the key term here I think, or at least the one I’ve always used - for when you need to shed the handlebars for more control.
- daelon 2y ago
  "Escape Hatch" is also commonly used.
  - ec109685 2y ago
    Escape hatch feels like the lambda the author talks about. Ejecting is abandoning the generator and owning the code from that point on completely.

bloomingkales 2y ago

“Low code” means you do not have to go beyond the tool to solve problems. In fact, there should be entire problems you cannot even create with low code tools. Programming could mean an endless rabbit hole through several technologies, same with designing (you are concocting designs that may use several different technologies). If the tool lets you make a circle button and change text in it, then that’s all you have to worry about.

jiggawatts 2y ago

Generally these are the drag & drop visual editors like Microsoft Power Apps and the like. Like the article said, my experience is that they're Great!™ until they're not, at which point you're painted into a corner.

ozim 2y ago
Funny thing is they stop being great rather quick. When you configure 10 controls and then you have to do another 10 but slightly different - with code you can mostly copy, paste, modify with search and replace and you are done. With low code tools usually it is just the same work again and even if you can duplicate stuff with an option in the interface adjusting stuff goes one by one.
- jiggawatts 2y ago
  Personally I find this to be the worst with ETL tools such as Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS). Table-to-table mappings are often very mechanical, with a set of simple exceptions or deviations, such as adding one column or skipping one column. There is nothing fiddlier in this world than repeating these steps over and over with a GUI tool where you have to individually click each column mapping link to open its "properties" one... at... a... time... for hundreds of tables with dozens of columns each.
owlstuffing 2y ago
Yep. They demo great, but unless your use case is on the trivial end, you either find yourself making unreasonable compromises or, if the tool provides API escapes, you’re not only coding, but hacking against the tool. In my view, mainstream languages like Java should offer static metaprogramming for library authors to make tooling like Rails possible and more approachable in IDEs. The manifold project[1] has something like this for SQL, but it’s obviously providing its own static metaprogramming layer over Java. Shrug. 1. https://github.com/manifold-systems/manifold/blob/master/manifold-deps-parent/manifold-sql/readme.md https://github.com/manifold-systems/manifold/blob/master/man...
stana 2y ago

slantaclaus 2y ago

I assumed low-code meant something less bulky like Sinatra

imtringued 2y ago

I think the hallmark of a low code solution is that you don't have to worry about build systems, project setup or deployment. Those barriers hinder software engineers and laymen alike.