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80% of tech could be built outside IT by 2024, thanks to low-code tools

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Re: 80% of tech could be built outside IT by 2024, thanks to low-code tools

#152

Low code tools like Excel and UI builders has existed for many decades now, whatever IT work they can replace has already been replaced.

CSV IS low-code.

Excel spreadsheets massively rely upon (usually tricky, sometimes network-enabled) macros.

Re: 80% of tech could be built outside IT by 2024, thanks to low-code tools

#153
post #150

2016: - Some day, we won't even need coders any more. We'll be able to just write the specification and the program will write itself. - Oh wow, you're right! We'll be able to write a comprehensive and precise spec and bam, we won't need programmers any more. - Exactly - And do you know the industry term for a project specification that is comprehensive and precise enough to generate a program? - Uh... no... - Code,…

I lol'd in real life at that one. Nice.

Re: 80% of tech could be built outside IT by 2024, thanks to low-code tools

#154
post #62
post #42

I'm the co-founder of Budibase, an open source low code platform, and 70% of our signups 30,000) are from IT. Low code abstracts a lot of the coding effort, but it's still inherently complex to build applications. The code is only one part of the puzzle. For us, it's more about speeding up the dev process for IT profs and removing the repetitive, grunt work. For ref: https://github.com/Budibase/budibase

I thought that’s what IDEs are for.

IDEs are for speeding up dev too. From our perspective, we were vexed with continually having to repeat ourselves, building the same CRUD tools time and time again. Budibase removes a lot of that repetitive grunt work, and in many cases, you end up with a better, well-designed internal tool.

Re: 80% of tech could be built outside IT by 2024, thanks to low-code tools

#155
Few low-code marketing materials seem to mention support for unit testing.

In fact, a few seem to claim that low-code products remove the need for unit tests altogether.

That makes me worry a bit about the stability of the infrastructure that will be introduced when low-code is sold to organizations.

It also gives me a concern that low-code could be a territory and cash grab that does not genuinely care for long-term customer value.

Re: 80% of tech could be built outside IT by 2024, thanks to low-code tools

#156
The problem with programmers' perception of low-code tools is that it's dominated by tools and promises that didn't deliver. But low code is here, and it's here right now. Wordpress, Squarespace, and Wix make personal websites and portfolios easy. Google Forms let you intake data and process it easily; it's perfect for (event/organization) registration, surveys, mailing lists, and more. Then there's Doodles to help folks agree on scheduling. Google Forms and Doodles are already used ubiquitously outside of IT. Let's not forget Excel and Google Sheets, the low-code tools that make the world go 'round.

Note that this has nothing to do with the number of programmers. Other industries and regular folks using tech more says nothing about the number of software specialists needed in the future. The demand for software specialists is likely to increase.

Re: 80% of tech could be built outside IT by 2024, thanks to low-code tools

#157
post #152

Low code tools like Excel and UI builders has existed for many decades now, whatever IT work they can replace has already been replaced.

CSV IS low-code. Excel spreadsheets massively rely upon (usually tricky, sometimes network-enabled) macros.

I don't understand your comment. Do you disagree with my statement that excel is low code?

Re: 80% of tech could be built outside IT by 2024, thanks to low-code tools

#159
post #47

This idea gets recycled every generation. I can’t count how many “low code” no-programming-skills-required tools I’ve seen come and go in the last four decades. Both COBOL and SQL got presented in these terms. I’ve yet to see a “non-technical manager” write a non-trivial SQL query, much less know how to confirm they got the correct results. The various 4GL tools that proliferated in the 90s led to complex amateur spa…

I've looked at a whole bunch of low code tools in the last two years and my opinion has shifted from high grade bullshit sold by the clueless to the even more clueless ('Now: coding for managers') to where I believe that the current crop of low code/no code platforms has something real to offer and has staying power for some use cases. Specifically: lots of forms based processing backed by relational DBs with occasio…

As someone still in the skeptic camp: what's a good example of a small, effective application that one of those products could help someone to build?

Re: 80% of tech could be built outside IT by 2024, thanks to low-code tools

#160
post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, those basic computers were fun, but having an entry level computer you could write basic programs on wasn't going to help you automate business processes, whereas writing an office macro would. That's kindof the point - to embed the functionality with the data and existing applications, so you can think of these "low code" interfaces built into online apps as the cloud version of those old MS visual basic macro…

Well anything can happen. Approaching the end of my career after 40 years programming, I’ve heard for decades (no exaggeration) how low code/no code tools would make me obsolete. For the last decade or two I’ve also heard that AI would be taking my job any day now. I don’t hold my breath. I’ll be writing code until I stop, and I predict that in ten years businesses will have more work for skilled programmers, not les…

Extending programmability does not make programmers obsolete, anymore than putting better cameras into iPhones makes photographers obsolete. It's just more tools, and it will even increase the ranks of developers by giving them more onramps. A friend of mine started out writing ActionScript and now he's a full fledged developer. These scripting languages and drag and drop interfaces are useful and so they will be used. No one will be obsoleted by them.
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