Do you want to understand no-code? First, let’s take a high-level look at computer programming and Software as a Service (SaaS.)
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Code before No-Code
You’ve heard of computer programming, known as code? There are hundreds of programming languages. And who writes code? Programmers, developers, coders.
You may also know that programming is a skill that takes time to develop and maintain. It’s a career.
Coding and software development used to be for programmers and software engineers. Creating applications (apps) was for coders.
The no-code movement is changing that. Now, if you can use Microsoft Excel advanced features (or quickly learn to use them), you can build no-code. You’re a citizen developer.
If you’ve heard of Zoom, then you know SaaS. Others are Mailchimp for email marketing, Xero for real-time financial data management, and Webflow, the cloud-based website builder with drag and drop tools to build, design, and host multiple websites.
Defining No-Code
No-code SaaS platforms allow you to build simple to complex applications.
As a No-code builder in a platform, you get components that represent functionality, also known as blocks. You drag and drop these blocks into different logical sequences to create functional applications. Then you can string applications together. Output from one is the input of another.
What can you build? The industry is debating and refining the creations, restrictions, and definitions for no code. It’s a new technology.
Things can be simple. Think data pulled from Airtable, sorted, filtered, and displayed into a Web Application. Next, your end-user selects and modifies that data to be updated in the database.
Things can be complex. Think multi-user, cross-platform, dashboard system pulling data from across enterprise systems.
Maybe the sky’s the limit.
Who are some No-Code platform solution providers?
If you’re ready for the benefits of no-code development, then the following no-code platforms are a good starting point.
Open as App
Connect nearly any data source (Excel, Google Sheets, SQL, Dropbox, Salesforce) and create a native app, web app, or bot.
Zoho
The Zoho Creator is an intuitive platform allowing any business to manage their work processes with innovative, custom-built Software.
Bubble.io
Build SaaS apps, dashboards, CRMs, social networks, marketplaces, and more without code. Go to their home page, which you can edit using their platform to see and feel the experience.
Betty Blocks
Better Blocks offers the “Citizen Development” platform on which anyone can build an application. It’s quick and easy in the flexible UI-builder.
Your No-Code Journey
Of course, there’s more, but these offer many tools.
No matter your level of expertise, you can learn on a no-code platform and build applications. The non-developer, non-programmer can get more accomplished than before, faster.
No-code is just a step in learning to code. It’s not going to replace software development or programming languages.
More and more people are becoming creators. The door has opened to allow citizen developers to create. Which platform and tool will you choose?