Skip to content

Brief History

3rd-generation programming languages: C++, C, Java, Python...

4th-generation programming languages: ABAP, Unix Shell, SQL, R...

4GL: non-procedural, high-level languages.

  • Support for database management

  • Report generation

  • Mathematical optimization

...

1990: Rapid Application Development

aka RAD

Waterfall model

Tools: Visual Basic, Delphi...

End-user: focus on GUI. Business logic is added step by step

RAD Limitations: proprietary. difficult to colaborate

2001: Model-Driven Architecture

aka MDA

Models

  1. consider both technical and business requirement
  2. will be transformed into executable code.

Generators and interpreters are used.

Model-Driven Software Development MDSD

  • UML aka Unified Modeling Language
  • BPN aka Business Process Modeling Notation

2007: Mobile Platforms

Android Studio, Xcode

Low Code

2016

Low code platforms contain the procedures of RAD and MDSD and take ALM (Application life cycle management) as well as CI/CD into account for development, test, and production environments.

Low-code is a software development approach: little to no coding to build applications and processes.

Low-code framework can be used by non-professional developers to build applications.

Types of Low-Code Platforms

General purpose

Request Handling

Process

Mobile first

Database

Low Code VS No Code

Low-code targets developers. To build more efficient tools for speeding up technological progress.

Pros

  • Useful for both business and professional developers.
  • Users create APPs with IT guidance
  • Allows greater flexibility and control

Cons

  • Still require a developer when customizing
  • Difficult to switch app building software.
  • Require coding

No-code targets business users. To provide safe and user-friendly interfaces. Intuitive!

Pros

  • Anyone with moderate computer skills can develop APPs
  • Everything the user needs is built into the tool.
  • Creating a new APP is very fast.

Cons

  • Difficult to customize
  • Intended to solve only one business challenge

Trade off

  • Low-code systems do need some coding

  • No-code platforms abstract away all technological information