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App Maker, Google’s low-code tool for building business apps, comes out of beta

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Re: App Maker, Google’s low-code tool for building business apps, comes out of beta

#21

Post by jarfil »

cottsak wrote: post #7

How will this not become hell on earth for software developers, al-la Microsoft Access, Oracle APEX, etc.. ??

If it doesn't lock in data access like MS Access did, it could be seen as just an interface designer. Whatever data it gets fed, could be migrated from a simple database to a proper backend if such need arises. It could even coexist with other front-ends. As long as it doesn't let too much business logic to be programed into it without a simple way to extract it, it shouldn't be a problem.

Re: App Maker, Google’s low-code tool for building business apps, comes out of beta

#22

Post by bsbechtel »

morog wrote: post #11

I for one am quite excited about app maker. Finally a CRUD tool that links to just about any data source (including spreadsheets), does not require desktop software, generates properly responsive applications, needs no maintenance or upgrades to be secure and will presumably be compatible with Google forms.

I think Microsoft PowerApps does all that you described, and has been around for a while now.

Re: App Maker, Google’s low-code tool for building business apps, comes out of beta

#23

Post by Angostura »

petepete wrote: post #16
Angostura wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, its more like what Sharepoint tries to be.

It's what SharePoint is . Except that by the time you've fought through the awful tooling, horrible performance and useless documentation just to do simple things you've forgotten (or no longer care) about what the original problem you were trying to solve was. This looks much better. Hopefully it's not a Wave-esque Google hobby.

I agree with you entirely. The awful tooling and and useless documentation are exactly why it is trying yet failing.

The whole thing feels like some kind of amateur hobbyist bit of software where people have kinda-sorta implemented a feature, then got bored and wandered off.

Re: App Maker, Google’s low-code tool for building business apps, comes out of beta

#24

Post by mcroft »

rahimnathwani wrote: post #2

During my first job after university, I spent a bunch of time developing apps using Lotus Notes. Because all of the company's 2000+ employees already used Lotus Notes for email and calendering, deploying these apps was easy. And in many cases I was able to develop the basic functionality of a workflow app whilst I was talking with the main user to gather requirements. And, although the platform supported a proper pro…

I always got the impression that Lotus Notes was a great idea, but very poorly implemented. The concepts in it were good, it was just a shame it inflicted so much suffering.

Re: App Maker, Google’s low-code tool for building business apps, comes out of beta

#25

Post by royjacobs »

bigato wrote: post #17

After more than two decades in the industry, you start getting cynical towards these kind of "programming for non-programmers" tools. All of them are trying to abstract away the complex parts of the programming problem. Guess what, it doesn't matter how many layers of abstraction you pile up, you never abstract away the need for consistent logic. You end up requiring the same kind of people that have the brain skills…

But a lot of apps nowadays are essentially just forms to send data to a backend. If those apps can be 'trivially' made then that's a clear win, I'd say?

It will certainly not replace a lot of complex applications, but if you just want a quick "order a mouse at the internal servicedesk" app then what's the harm?

Re: App Maker, Google’s low-code tool for building business apps, comes out of beta

#26

Post by Pamar »

rahimnathwani wrote: post #2

During my first job after university, I spent a bunch of time developing apps using Lotus Notes. Because all of the company's 2000+ employees already used Lotus Notes for email and calendering, deploying these apps was easy. And in many cases I was able to develop the basic functionality of a workflow app whilst I was talking with the main user to gather requirements. And, although the platform supported a proper pro…

Hi, I am the guy that came in a few years later and had to reimplement a bunch of custom (undocumented) Lotus Notes applications in order to move actual documents to a proper document management system (with access profiles and searchability) integrating the apps in an intranet portal, allow them to talk with other applications and finally put everything under SSO.

Thank you for the experience.

Re: App Maker, Google’s low-code tool for building business apps, comes out of beta

#28

Post by pjmlp »

petepete wrote: post #16
Angostura wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, its more like what Sharepoint tries to be.

It's what SharePoint is . Except that by the time you've fought through the awful tooling, horrible performance and useless documentation just to do simple things you've forgotten (or no longer care) about what the original problem you were trying to solve was. This looks much better. Hopefully it's not a Wave-esque Google hobby.

I don't touch it as developer since the 2010 version, but it appears to have been rebooted multiple times.

Re: App Maker, Google’s low-code tool for building business apps, comes out of beta

#29

Post by tzahola »

Another iteration of the "managers creating programs by connecting boxes" pipe dream.

I pity the engineers in advance, whose job will be rewriting the horrendous "enterprise apps" this tool will leave behind at the end of its life.

Time is a flat circle.

Re: App Maker, Google’s low-code tool for building business apps, comes out of beta

#30

Post by wslh »

Pamar wrote: post #26
rahimnathwani wrote: post #2

During my first job after university, I spent a bunch of time developing apps using Lotus Notes. Because all of the company's 2000+ employees already used Lotus Notes for email and calendering, deploying these apps was easy. And in many cases I was able to develop the basic functionality of a workflow app whilst I was talking with the main user to gather requirements. And, although the platform supported a proper pro…

Hi, I am the guy that came in a few years later and had to reimplement a bunch of custom (undocumented) Lotus Notes applications in order to move actual documents to a proper document management system (with access profiles and searchability) integrating the apps in an intranet portal, allow them to talk with other applications and finally put everything under SSO. Thank you for the experience.

Speed vs reliability is a common tradeoff in the workplace. Everyone hates the apps or tools that were built before you start working.
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