All states should be defined? Then how to write an app takes two numbers and returns the sum?
Check this for an example: https://github.com/M-industries/AlanProjectTemplate/blob/mas...
Show HN: Alan – a low-code application platform
71–80 of 178 posts
Re: Show HN: Alan – a low-code application platform
#72Earlier quoted context omitted.
I'm disconcerted after reading this thread, seeing that some people somehow think that "low code" means "low-level code" (really?) and mistaking a collared shirt for legs. I'm going to assume it's because this post was made early in the morning and no one has had their coffee yet.
Your application is awesome! However, the logo to me did look like a blood bag with some yellow liquid in it and two tubes sticking out at the bottom. (When shown on white background, you cannot see hair on the guy's head - https://alan-platform.com/pages/tuts/introducing.html ) Anyway, the program looks very intuitive in its purpose and goal!
I'm not the developer.
Re: Show HN: Alan – a low-code application platform
#73Any thoughts of totally revamping the syntax of this declarative language? Perhaps borrow some inspiration from Ruby or some other humane english-like programming language?
What's the point in forcing non-coders to write "-> {}" multiple times for no reason?
As for Ruby, you can be like Matz and strive for happiness by minimizing syntax and maximizing readability.
Re: Show HN: Alan – a low-code application platform
#74Earlier quoted context omitted.
We're still feeling out the market here, to see where we can take it. It will probably stay free for personal use and then grow from there with services like hosting, etc. Pricing model for businesses is something we're looking at from case to case currently. Competitors include Mendix, Outsystems etc., when it comes to low-code and serving citizen developers. Excel as well. On the other hand there are still a lot of…
Really interesting framework. And the docs are super easy to understand; nice work! I'll be interested to see where it goes with pricing. It's hard to start building on a platform if you don't know if it's going to become too expensive in the future. Paid hosting seems like it would work really well for a system like this (though I'd encourage some type of open-core model as well, so people have some escape hatch if…
Good to hear the docs are clear for someone who hasn't been "living it" for years.
I understand it's hard to put your trust into something Alan right now, so we're definitely looking at making more of it available without our direct involvement.
All I can say right now is that you should just give it a go, I bet it will change the way you look at code. If you do eventually want to build something critical on Alan, get in touch with us and we'll get the contracts set up to support that properly.
Re: Show HN: Alan – a low-code application platform
#75‘M-Industries’?
Any relation to the defunct Microsoft Oslo/M-Language model-driven development platform?
Re: Show HN: Alan – a low-code application platform
#76As much as I like the idea. There seems to be a fair number of requirements. I don't particularly feel like installing an 'alan' server, or an 'alan' connector just to test out my application.
Is there any reason why 'alan run' couldn't do these things for me automatically and run it on my local host?
Re: Show HN: Alan – a low-code application platform
#77All states should be defined? Then how to write an app takes two numbers and returns the sum?
(Totally speculating here) I imagine the states would be something like "have no numbers", "have one number", and "have both numbers".
And there would be some kind of transition in-to or out-of that third state that would specify the addition.
Re: Show HN: Alan – a low-code application platform
#78Some feedback: * "low code" is confusing When I started reading I thought low code, meant low "level" code, something like assembly or rust. After reading a lot in the page I saw it meant not writing imperative code. I think the term Model Driven Engineering would be more appropriate: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model-driven_engineering * How do I model business rules? How do I model a State machine? I want to spec…
> "low code" is confusing When I started reading I thought low code, meant low "level" code, something like assembly or rust. I expected that as well from the title but at the very start they link the meaning of the term so that those of us that don’t know what it means can quickly find out on Wikipedia. I think it’s best to do like they are doing and link the Wikipedia article.
Why not just explain it in plain English right on the page? Expecting potential users to read a wiki article just to understand what your product is seems like unnecessary friction.
Re: Show HN: Alan – a low-code application platform
#79Earlier quoted context omitted.
Well you’ve launched, so you should be meeting the needs of potential customers. In your shoes I’d turn around and make a 1 minute video and upload it to YouTube within 20 minutes, showing what your system is and what these data structures look like. If you have an Apple Mac, the screen recording is built right into QuickTime, just plug your telephone headset into the machine to record some narrative as you go. Serio…
I disagree with your strategic view for what one should do after launch. I think the focus should be meeting the needs of actual customers. And an intro video for people who are still deciding if they will give a chance is not one of those needs by definition. Right after launch, you want to iterate the product for your actual users. After-launch is not growth phase, is product/market fit phase. Some friction that fi…
As I understand it, they already have customers, and are trying to promote this to a wide audience though.
In that sense trying to appeal to people that would potentially use your system sounds like a great idea.
Re: Show HN: Alan – a low-code application platform
#80I liked the developer experience right off the bat -- the way the data structures are modeled couldn't be more elegant. However, this put a crimp in my enthusiasm: "[Alan] defines all possible states of the data, and in effect all possible states of your application" We recently finished refactoring a complex algorithm that got away from us because we coded it as a state machine rather than a plain vanilla algorithm…
Both approaches have their place. If the problem you're solving is best served by an "old fashioned algorithm" you can hook up a side application to your core system. The interface you define between the side app and core ensures your data never gets into a weird state because your algorithm didn't cover a case. For instance, for some projects we hook up to the Preactor planning system specifically to use their algorithms.