How do you define no code?
There's the obvious "build something without code", but I'm curious to see how you guys and gals think about this question.
Is Zapier a no-code platform?
What about TypeForm?
Should workflow automation be bundled into no-code?
In that sense, aren't all SAAS apps some kind of no-code tool in that you can do a thing without writing code?
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My definition of no-code is a platform that allows someone with less-than-stellar development skills to produce something of similar functionality as a full-stack developer can write manually.
For example, I'm not great at coding. Beyond some really crude & basic JS, PHP, and Python, everything else is lost on me. But some "no-code" tools have helped me create some great products - using WordPress, Zapier, Google Sheets, Bubble, etc.
Dreamweaver was my original no-code tool which helped me get into web design way back in 2004, and really helped me understand the HTML and CSS behind a website!
No-code isn't just for non-technical people, though. It's also for speedy implementation. Many technical folks tend to get fixated on the nuts and bolts (user auth, APIs, Docker, you name it) and that reduces the amount of things they can test out. Instead of building something from scratch over the course of 3 months, they can build it in 3 days. Really useful for developers and orgs that have a problem with over-engineering.
I like your definition
I like that definition. No-code for developers is a cool thought. Personally, that's why I built one and have used these kinds of tools in the past. I just found most of my app was boring plumbing and the cool, unique bit was maybe 20-30% of the total app. It was a lot of time wasted just to build that 20-30%.
It's a bit generic but something like "no-code tools help people build things faster" might be a decent definition.
The way we define ‘no code’ on our no-code platform is:
A way to build digital applications without any programming knowledge, empowering non-developers with other areas of expertise to build powerful apps themselves. No-code uses building blocks and logical decision trees that can be edited, updated, and reused to design applications.
Workflow automation relates to no code, as no code is used by professionals to quickly and easily automate their business processes. For our no-code platform, the two are very closely interrelated.
Hi,
With me, no-code means that platform allows users just following step by step to set up their app, website, landing page ... by config only.
The platform should provided everything that ready to use can use without knowledge about coding, design skills anymore.
Regards
No. Zapier and TypeForm are not No-Code Platforms.
No-Code Platform definition is roughly "builds app without coding", but your examples are "builds something that is not an app without coding" (integrations and forms, respectively).
The term "No-Code Platform" has more specific meaning than the literal words "no code", hence SaaS apps, toasters and toothbrushes are "no code" solutions, but they are not "No-Code Platforms".
I agree with you this point!
Everything can be defined as no code, from operative systems to browsers and text editors.
In theory, it's a correct definition, in practice it isn't useful one.
In my opinion, no code is used to define a piece of software that allows to do without code something that I would normally expect to require code.
In that sense email marketing is not a no-code tool (non coders have been sending emails for decades) just like Typeform isn't (google forms is 11 years old and wasn't the first no code form builder). Zapier instead is a no code tool because allows automations that were just not possible for non-coders.
It's more a question of expectations than a technical definition.
On the company side, I see many businesses that are trying to leverage the wave of popularity that the no code movement has.
I think it's a great point to manage expectations. At the end of the day, a platform can only cover so many use cases and I think it's important the customer knows what they can and can't do, or would require custom code to do.
This comment was deleted 4 years ago.