No-code development platform: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description |Software development systemwithout writing code}}

{{distinguish|Low-code development platform}}

[[File:Betty Blocks platform.png|thumb|upright=1.4|Flowchart interface for [[Betty Blocks]], a no-code platform]]

A '''no-code development platform''' (NCDP) supports creating [[software]] via a [[graphical user interface]] (GUI) and configuration instead of [[computer programming |programming]] {{endash}} [[source code |coding]].

'''No-code development platforms''' ('''NCDPs''') allow creating [[application software]] through [[graphical user interface]]s and configuration instead of traditional [[computer programming]]. No-code development platforms are closely related to [[low-code development platform]]s as both are designed to expedite the application development process.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Miller|first=Austin|title=Low Code vs No Code Explained|url=https://www.bmc.com/blogs/low-code-vs-no-code/|access-date=2022-01-01|website=BMC Blogs|language=en-US}}</ref> However, unlike low-code, no-code development platforms require no code writing at all, generally offering prebuilt templates that businesses can build apps with.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Best No-Code Development Platforms|url=https://www.g2.com/categories/no-code-development-platforms#learn-more|url-status=live|website=G2}}</ref> These platforms have both increased in popularity as companies deal with the parallel trends of an increasingly mobile workforce and a limited supply of competent [[software developer]]s.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|last1=Rouse|first1=Margaret|title=low-code/no-code development platform (LCNC platform)|url=https://searchsoftwarequality.techtarget.com/definition/low-code-no-code-development-platform|website=www.techtarget.com|accessdate=20 August 2018}}</ref>

'''No-codeAs developmentwith platforms''' ('''NCDPs''') allow creating [[application software]] through [[graphical user interface]]s and configuration instead of traditional [[computer programming]]. No-code development platforms are closely related toa [[low-code development platform]]s, asit bothis are designedmeant to expedite the application development process.,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Miller|first=Austin|title=Low Code vs No Code Explained|url=https://www.bmc.com/blogs/low-code-vs-no-code/|access-date=2022-01-01|website=BMC Blogs|language=en-US}}</ref> However,but unlikecompletely low-code,eliminates writing no-code. developmentThis platformsis requireusually noaccomplished code writing at all, generallyby offering prebuilt templates that businesses can build apps with.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Best No-Code Development Platforms|url=https://www.g2.com/categories/no-code-development-platforms#learn-more|website=G2|access-date=2022-01-20|archive-date=2022-01-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120160054/https://www.g2.com/categories/no-code-development-platforms#learn-more|url-status=live|website=G2}}</ref> TheseIn platformsthe have2010s, both of these types of platforms increased in popularity as companies dealdealt with the parallel trends of an increasingly mobile workforce and a limited supply of competent [[software developer]]s.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|last1=Rouse|first1=Margaret|title=low-code/no-code development platform (LCNC platform)|url=https://searchsoftwarequality.techtarget.com/definition/low-code-no-code-development-platform|website=www.techtarget.com|accessdate=20 August 2018|archive-date=1 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200401005150/https://searchsoftwarequality.techtarget.com/definition/low-code-no-code-development-platform|url-status=live}}</ref>

No-code development platforms are closely related to [[visual programming language]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/computing/software/programming-without-code-no-code-software-development|title=Programming Without Code: The Rise of No-Code Software Development|date=11 March 2020}}</ref>

No-code development platforms areis closely related to [[visual programming language |visual programming]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/computing/software/programming-without-code-no-code-software-development|title=Programming Without Code: The Rise of No-Code Software Development|date=11 March 2020|publisher=IEEE}}</ref>

== Use ==

No-code tools are often designed with [[line of business]] users in mind as opposed to traditional IT. These platforms allow users to build tools and applications with little to no programming expertise.<ref>{{cite web |title=No-Code: What Business Leaders Need to Know |url=https://hbr.org/2021/12/no-code-what-business-leaders-need-to-know |website=Harvard Business Review |date=2021-12-01}}</ref>

NCDPs are used to meet the needs of companies that are seeking to digitize processes through cloud-based [[mobile applications]]. No-code tools are often designed with [[line of business]] users in mind as opposed to traditional IT. This shift in focus is meant to help accelerate the development cycle by bypassing traditional IT development constraints of time, money, and scarce software development human capital resources to allow teams to align their business strategy with a rapid development process.<ref name=":2">{{cite web|last1=Satell|first1=Greg|title=The Future of Software Is No-Code|url=https://www.inc.com/greg-satell/how-no-code-platforms-are-disrupting-software.html|website=www.inc.com|date=21 April 2018|accessdate=20 August 2018}}</ref> NCDPs also often leverage enterprise-scale [[API]]s and web service catalogs, open data sets, and tested and proven template galleries, to help integrate existing business systems while adding a practical layer of user functionality.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Tolido |first1=Ron |title=App Maker Movement |url=https://www.capgemini.com/service/app-maker-movement/# |website=Cap Gemeni |date=11 September 2017 |accessdate=5 December 2018}}</ref>

The transition from traditional [[enterprise software]] to a [[lean development]] methodology is also changing the role of traditional [[Information Technology|IT]] leaders and departments. Whereas IT once provided not only approval of new technology but procurement and development of new tools, IT's role is now increasingly one of governance over [[line of business]] who develop niche tools for their work stream.<ref name=":3">{{cite web|last1=Weiss|first1=Todd|title=No-Code, Low-Code Development Platforms Help Organizations Meet Growing App Demand|url=https://www.itprotoday.com/mobile-apps/no-code-low-code-development-platforms-help-organizations-meet-growing-app-demand|website=www.itprotoday.com|date=19 April 2018|accessdate=20 August 2018}}</ref>

The potential benefits of utilizing a NCDP include:

*'''Access''' - Gartner predicted in 2014 that by 2018, over half of all B2E (business-to-employee) mobile apps would be created by enterprise business analysts using codeless tools. This ongoing shift is increasing the number of potential app creators from individuals with coding skills to anyone with internet access and functional business acumen.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rivera |first1=Janessa |title=Gartner Says By 2018, More Than 50 Percent of Users Will Use a Tablet or Smartphone First for All Online Activities

|url=https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2014-12-08-gartner-says-by-2018-more-than-50-percent-of-users-will-use-a-tablet-or-smartphone-first-for-all-online-activities |website=Gartner |accessdate=28 January 2019}}</ref>

*'''Agility''' - NCDPs typically provide some degree of templated user-interface and user experience functionality for common needs such as forms, workflows, and data display allowing creators to expedite parts of the app creation process.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Harris |first1=Richard |title= Low code and no code app development benefits |url=https://appdevelopermagazine.com/low-code-and-no-code-app-development-benefits/ |website=App Developer Magazine |accessdate=28 January 2019}}</ref>

*'''Richness''' - NCDPs which at one point were limited to more basic application functions increasingly provide a level of feature-richness and integrations that allows users to design, develop, and deploy apps that meet specific business needs.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shrivastava |first1=Anubhuti |title= How Zero-Code Platforms Are Becoming A Boon For Enterprises |url=http://trendintech.com/2019/01/15/how-zero-code-platforms-are-becoming-a-boon-for-enterprises/ |website=Trend in Tech |accessdate=28 January 2019}}</ref>

*'''Automation''' - The common worker is becoming busier and working longer hours on average and with the proliferation of low code software tools and more access to business APIs, there is a clear opportunity for workers to automate their current tasks using these new no-code development platforms.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Lugovsky|first=Vladimir|title=Council Post: A Guide To Low-Code/No-Code Development Platforms In 2021|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2021/07/30/a-guide-to-low-codeno-code-development-platforms-in-2021/|access-date=2022-01-01|website=Forbes|language=en}}</ref>

== Security concerns ==

Some writers<ref>{{Cite web|last=Daily|first=Ryan|title=Is Low-Code, No-Code a Security Risk to Your Enterprise?|url=https://www.itprotoday.com/no-codelow-code/low-code-no-code-security-risk-your-enterprise/|access-date=2022-08-29|website=ITProToday|language=en-US}}</ref> raise concerns over platform security, particularly for apps that handle consumer data. Proponents of NCDP{{who|date=March 2022}} claim that custom code is often a greater security risk than platform code which has been validated by its consistent use across multiple applications.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Korolov|first=Maria|date=2019-06-24|title=4 security concerns for low-code and no-code development|url=https://www.csoonline.com/article/3404216/4-security-concerns-for-low-code-and-no-code-development.html|access-date=2022-01-01|website=CSO Online|language=en}}</ref> No-code allows platforms to hide what happens behind the scenes from users, allowing users to change or modify a field while mitigating certain errors which could compromise security.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rubinstein |first1=David |title=Industry Spotlight: No-code solutions help developers help themselves |url=https://sdtimes.com/lowcode/industry-spotlight-no-code-solutions-help-developers-help-themselves/ |website=SD Times |date=16 May 2018 |accessdate=5 December 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last1=Johannessen|first1=Chris|last2=Davenport|first2=Tom|date=2021-06-22|title=When Low-Code/No-Code Development Works — and When It Doesn't|work=Harvard Business Review|url=https://hbr.org/2021/06/when-low-code-no-code-development-works-and-when-it-doesnt|access-date=2022-01-01|issn=0017-8012}}</ref>

The potential benefits of utilizingusing a NCDP include:

No/low-code platforms may also offer some of the following security features:{{citation needed|date=August 2021}}

*'''Agility''' -– NCDPs typically provide some degree of templated user-interface and user experience functionality for common needs such as forms, workflows, and data display allowing creators to expedite parts of the app creation process.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Harris |first1=Richard |title= Low code and no code app development benefits |url=https://appdevelopermagazine.com/low-code-and-no-code-app-development-benefits/ |website=App Developer Magazine |accessdate=28 January 2019 |archive-date=22 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022015003/https://appdevelopermagazine.com/low-code-and-no-code-app-development-benefits/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

*'''Richness''' -– NCDPs which at one point were limited to more basic application functions increasingly provide a level of feature-richness and integrations that allows users to design, develop, and deploy apps that meet specific business needs.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shrivastava |first1=Anubhuti |title= How Zero-Code Platforms Are Becoming A Boon For Enterprises |url=http://trendintech.com/2019/01/15/how-zero-code-platforms-are-becoming-a-boon-for-enterprises/ |website=Trend in Tech |accessdate=28 January 2019 |archive-date=1 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201215814/http://trendintech.com/2019/01/15/how-zero-code-platforms-are-becoming-a-boon-for-enterprises/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Future of workflow automation ==

* Platform security audits and compliance.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-01-06|title=Why Low Code Shouldn't Mean High Risk for Businesses|url=https://www.cpomagazine.com/cyber-security/why-low-code-shouldnt-mean-high-risk-for-businesses/|access-date=2022-01-01|website=CPO Magazine|language=en-US}}</ref>

No-code platforms are reshaping software development by democratizing access to automation and application building. As AI-driven automation advances, no-code solutions are expected to handle more sophisticated workflows, reducing reliance on traditional coding. This shift fosters innovation across industries, making software creation more accessible to businesses and individuals alike.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Björkholm |first=Mika |last2=Petranen |first2=Aleksi |date=January 2025 |title=Technology Report: Automated Code Generation & AI Tools on Low-Code/No-Code |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/388384075_TECHNOLOGY_REPORT_AUTOMATED_CODE_GENERATION_AND_AI_TOOLS_ON_LOW_CODE_NO_CODE |journal=ResearchGate |via=}}</ref>

* [[Single sign-on|Single sign on]] and authentication.

* Platform access control.

* Application access control and audits.

* Secure code using plugins.

* Secure API endpoints.

==See also==

* [[AI-assisted software development]]

* [[Flow-based programming]]

* [[List of online database creator apps]]

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* [[Lean software development]]

* [[Platform as a service]]

* [[Vibe coding]]

== References ==