Endless Possibilities Of Front End Low-Code Development

Low code is a web-based app development environment that allows you to quickly build and launch your applications.

Compared to traditional programming, where developers have to code everything manually, low code shows a 3X increase in development effectiveness.

And since low-code technology doesn't require you to learn almost anything new, the learning curve is extremely fast. Within 1-2 days, developers can unlock the productivity provided by this technology.

This is because low code doesn't introduce any new programming languages or frameworks. Instead, it is built on top of popular technologies that are widely used today, like JavaScript, MySQL, GraphQL, and AWS.

The only difference is in the smarter use of these technologies, which in the end, results in a remarkable increase in productivity.

Front End Development

Low code incorporates specialized tools for frontend and backend development. They can both be accessed from a graphical interface in your browser.

Most importantly, every part of the low-code project can be edited with custom code.

The graphical interface increases productivity because many app parts are nearly identical in every project. So why waste time repeatedly coding them manually when you can drag and drop them into your app.(?)

Drag And Drop Components

App Builder contains the most frequently used UI components you can simply drag and drop into your project. There is no need to reinvent the wheel.

Why waste developers' time on redeveloping the same features:

• Date pickers
• Tables
• File upload forms
• Etc.

All these components are not unique to your app and the problem you're trying to solve. These simple (but repetitive) parts of the app don't deserve your dev team's time.

Instead, developers should be focusing on solving issues that really move the needle — the reason why people will want to use the app… basically, focusing on the main problem the app is trying to solve for its users.

Even though none of these components are complex and every developer can implement them, the real problem is the sheer volume of simple repetitive tasks. And in the end, it all adds up. For example, no one is scared of a single raindrop, but when the dam breaks, everybody panics.

Limitless Customization

The best part about all these reusable components is they can be completely customized to fit your app's needs. So you get the development speed without any restrictions.

There are several layers of options you can use to customize every component in your app:

• Look and feel
• Data
• Behavior

LOOK AND FEEL

Every component has an extensive list of editable features available in the options panel. All of which are accessible directly in the browser.

You can set almost every design imaginable:

• Layout and positioning (size, margin, padding, alignment, etc.)
• Colors (background, borders, etc.)
• Fonts (type, color, size, weight, line height, etc.)
• Even the cursor style

However, if for any reason that isn't enough, custom CSS can be added for every component for full control over the look and feel of your app.

DATA

Components use handlebar notation that enables developers to dynamically set attributes and display values based on the data.

This means you can have different styling based on the available data, as well as dynamically activate different parts of custom CSS for that component.

In essence, there are no limitations on the options or data available to a component.

BEHAVIOR

Components can further use the power of JavaScript to define any behavior you want. JS can be executed for every property and event in the application.

This means your app can respond to any combination of available data or user behavior. In the end, this results in a fully interactive experience for the user.

External Front End Libraries

When creating an app, you want to avoid reinventing the wheel. This is a major part of the whole philosophy behind low-code technology.

And to reach full productive capacity, developers need to be able to access libraries that go beyond their own code or drag-and-drop components provided by the low code.

That is why developers have access to all key components of the app, like header code, where any external library can be added.

Learning Curve

Instead of thinking of low code as a new language or framework, it is mostly similar to a low-code IDE.

Imagine how slow and hard it would be if all you could use for software development was a notepad without syntax highlighting. Plus, you didn't even have a project folder structure in the sidebar, and you had to manually open each file you wanted to access.

Your productivity would go down the drain.

And that is how the traditional coding experience that we're all used to compares to a more productive low-code development.

When you're using low code, you still use the same knowledge and technologies (JS, MySQL, GraphQL, AWS). But you use them in a much better, more optimized way.

That is why you can get a 3X productivity increase within only 1-2 days of learning.

To Sum It Up

Low-code technology provides an unparalleled development experience that towers above anything currently available in traditional programming.

By combining the speed of graphical app builders with unlimited customizations, low code provides the highest level of development productivity.

Since it only leverages existing well-known technologies, this productivity is available to 17+ million JavaScript developers within just 1-2 days of learning.

To Learn More About 8base Low-Code Technology

• Try it out for Free
• Read about the 8base Backend
• Read about the 8base Frontend
• Visit the Community or Documentation
• Contact sales and partnerships