Low-code Development: Huh, what is it good for?

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

This week on The Raika Show we are talking about the latest trends in low-code development. The concept here is that a non-developer person (or perhaps even a developer looking to get to an end goal quickly) can use a WYSIWYG or drag-and-drop kind of GUI (graphical user interface) to build an app, workflow, or other software product. According to Wikipedia, “A low-code development platform (LCDP) is software that provides an environment programmers use to create application software through graphical user interfaces and configuration instead of traditional computer programming.”

First of all, none of us think that this is going to replace, or is intended to replace, traditional programming jobs or skills. Remember that the products and platforms that perform this sort of work are actually written with… CODE! Yes, a real live person had to write real live code in order to make that LCDP function. So while there are some people who are perpetuating fear of “code automation”, most of us in the interwebs feel pretty confident we aren’t being replaced any time soon.

There are, however, a couple of considerations that may have real possibilities. First, if you’re building something that automates a job a developer does a lot, and that job is simple, it’s very possible to replace that job with an automated process. While this may make obsolete some developer roles, it will also encourage those developers to widen their skill sets and elevate their knowledge and abilities as it relates to being a software developer.

Second, if we do get good enough at automation that the number of jobs required in the average development team is reduced, then there may be jobs put at risk. But doesn’t it also stand to reason that without those mundane tasks occupying someone’s time, perhaps they are more likely to invent something new or dream up and build a new widget or technology that contributes much more to the world than their previously rote and menial responsibilities?

We will be releasing a podcast and video discussion about this topic later in the week, so look for more from The Raika Show on low-code development. What are your thoughts about this trend? Are you a developer who’s in fear of being replaced? Do you think there are ramifications that no one has even thought of? What practical applications could this have? We want to hear from you!