What are the three steps of low-code app development?

Gone are the days when traditional coding was the be-all and end-all of app development. Today, with low-code, anyone can build apps from scratch with just a little coding knowledge.

Low-code is a visual app development technology that uses pre-built modules and drag-and-drop editors to facilitate app development. Low-code reduces the time it takes to develop a platform by letting developers focus on complex coding areas.

Low-code platforms can potentially bring down development times by almost 90%. Low-code also encourages citizen development which is a low-cost alternative to traditional app development.

What Kind Of Companies Require The Use Of Low-Code

If you have a business in the 21st century, chances are that the adoption of a low-code solution would increase your overall efficiency in one way or another.

Low-code has relevance in almost all sectors and branches of the software development industry. It can be used by SaaS companies or ISVs to facilitate faster turnover times, quality, and efficiency of their product and to reduce technical debt.

Low-code can also be used by companies to develop function-centric apps to streamline their business processes and increase organizational efficiency. Low-code can be used to create CRM solutions, task management software, case management solutions, process management software, HR platforms, hospitality platforms, omnichannel solutions, and more for all kinds of businesses including hospitals, schools, law firms, hotels, etc.

In any business, there is no one-size-fits-all concept. Therefore, the demand for easily modifiable custom applications has also increased. Platforms built by low-code enable seamless modification, in turn, allowing different departments of the same company to customize their management software according to their unique needs.

Low-code development platforms are also easy to install as they do not require any complex infrastructure and can be adopted by an organisation with only a few simple clicks.

Owing to its numerous use cases, simplicity, and easy adaptability, low-code has gained immense popularity in various industries. Gartner predicts that by 2024, low-code will be responsible for more than 65% of all software development activity.

Who Can Build Apps With Low-Code

Low-code development platforms use a visual app-building approach allowing anyone to build complex apps without extensive knowledge of programming languages. Low-code can help businesses develop task-specific apps without having to employ developers. They do so by providing users with a set of pre-built templates, visual-development features, automation tools, and rapid prototyping.

There are three main steps involved in low-code development: building, testing, and deploying.

Three Steps Of Low-Code App Development

1) Building

Building apps with low code takes only minimal training. A low-code platform offers you a space where you first define the UI, data models, and workflows. It then allows you to build an app step by step using visual editors. You also, of course, have the liberty to modify the given code and add hand-written custom code to it to define more advanced features in the app.

Low-code applications come equipped with pre-built modules, pages and chart-builders. Modules are used to define what kind of data is store in the app, pages are used to define what kind of user interface the app will have, and charts can be used to visualize data from modules.

Another feature of low-code platforms is that they allow automation. Many app building processes are repetitive and do not require human intervention. You use low-code to automate most of these repetitive tasks.

3) Testing

Every software needs to be tested multiple times before it can be deployed to ensure that technical issues do not arise during its use. Testing is one of the most crucial steps of app-development because inadequate testing can lead to accumulation of technical debt.

However, low-code development reduces the need for testing. Low-code platforms have pre-built modules and pages that are built with a level of application security. These modules are under constant scrutiny by the low-code platform vendor and have already been unit-tested many times.

These pre-built entities are also used by all the clients of the low-code vendor and are hence under scrutiny by them as well. This means that if any minor issues do arise, they are likely to be detected and resolved very quickly.

However, while you can save time on unit-testing, apps developed through low-code must still go through a series of performance tests before deployment. During testing, it is important to make sure that your data is secure and you are notified of any modification or alteration in the data.

3) Deploying

App deployment is the process through which developed apps are delivered to the final users. It includes installation, configurations, and application setup. Depending on the need and the budget, deployment can take place in various ways.

Cloud-based app deployment is one of the most popular ways. Cloud deployment uses one of the three cloud-based hosting models- software as a service (SaaS), infrastructure as a service (IaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS).

Today, with the help of automation, the process of deployment has become easier both for the software developers and the users.

Planet Crust – The Low-Code Platform For Everyone

Planet Crust’s Corteza is an open-source low-code platform that comes with all the features that make app building, testing, and deployment easy.

Corteza comes with a number of pre-built modules and pages that can be set up with just a few simple clicks. These templates can then easily be further modified and used. On top of that, Corteza has instant deployment features.

 Try Corteza for 7 days to get first hand knowledge of all the benefits of low code.