Learn IT Fundamentals with Teacher Pochi

Low-Code

Key points

  • Low-code builds most of the screens and processing by assembling pre-built components, while writing code only where it's actually needed to boost development efficiency.
  • Compared to no-code, it offers more freedom to write code, making it easier to handle complex business logic.
  • It's especially powerful when you have someone on the team with at least some programming knowledge.

What is low-code?

Low-code is a development approach where you assemble screen layouts and basic processing through actions like drag-and-drop, then write a minimal amount of code only for the more complex parts.

It sits between the two extremes: faster to develop than scratch development, where everything is hand-coded, and able to handle a wider range of requirements than no-code, where no code is written at all.

How low-code works

Low-code tools come with pre-built screen components and standard operations (displaying lists of data, input forms, and so on) that you combine to build the foundation. For complex calculations or integrations with external systems that the standard features can't handle, you fill the gap by writing code.

Drag and drop
screen components
Add code for
complex processing
Business app
is complete

Teacher Pochi's hintIt's like a meal kit. Using pre-prepped ingredients (components) saves you effort, but you can still adjust the seasoning and finishing touches (code) yourself.

How it differs from no-code

Low-code and no-code sound similar, but the big difference is whether there's room to write code at all.

🧩 No-code No code required at all Easy for anyone to use Limited scope
🔧 Low-code Extended with some code Rich features for developers too Can handle complex processing

Pros and cons

Fast developmentCombining standard components lets you build faster than scratch development.
Handles complex requirementsBeing able to write code makes it easier to implement business-specific logic.
Creates tool dependencyDevelopment ends up tied to the specifics of a particular platform.
Requires baseline skillWorking with the code portions requires a certain amount of programming knowledge.

When low-code is a good fit

Low-code is a good fit for cases like:

  • Business apps that involve conditional branching or external integrations that no-code can't achieve
  • Cases where the IT department or engineers want to roll out multiple business apps quickly, taking the lead themselves
  • Situations where you don't need the full freedom of scratch development, but standard features alone aren't enough

Well-known low-code tools

A number of low-code platforms are widely used for building business applications.

  • Microsoft Power Apps (business apps integrated with Microsoft 365)
  • Salesforce Platform (apps built on top of Salesforce's data)
  • OutSystems (large-scale, mission-critical business apps)
  • Mendix (enterprise-grade low-code development platform)

Summary

Low-code combines the development efficiency of assembling pre-built components with the flexibility of extending things through code. Sitting between no-code and scratch development, it's a powerful choice when you need to build complex business apps quickly.

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