What is low-code development?

Low-code is a visual development approach to application development. Low-code enables developers of varied experience levels to create applications for web and mobile, using drag-and-drop components and model driven logic through a graphic user interface.

Low-code platforms relieve non-technical developers from having to write code while still supporting professional developers by abstracting tedious plumbing and infrastructure tasks required in application development.

Working together, developers in the business and IT create, iterate, and release applications in a fraction of the time it takes with traditional methods. This low-code application development enables production of a full range of app types for disparate use cases. These app types range from upgrading legacy applications to IoT-enabled smart apps.

Components of a low-code platform

Continuous Integration

DevOps: Out-of-the-box

Merge model changes into a version control repository upon task completion. Committing changes triggers the automated build system to grab the latest version from the repository, build, test, and validate the master branch before deploying. Read more here.

Reusability

Rome wasn’t built in a day, but your app could be

Reusability makes it easy for developers to ramp from one project to another with ease, isolate problems and resolve them quickly for all apps using a component and increase application portfolio quality. Read more here.

Omni-channel App Development

Build one code base for all devices

Rather than support independent code and tooling for each incompatible target, developers are looking for ways to unify development activities and serve many targets from a single, modular code base. Read more here.

Openness and Extensibility

Fast integrations, complete control

Responsive development environments support building for any form factor without having to maintain dedicated code or logic. Package and deploy applications in one-click using cloud native architectures and integrated tools for app store publication. Read more here.

Guaranteed Performance

Go fast without worrying about risk

Built-in automated testing, proactive quality monitoring, and real-time performance management. Read more here.

Smart and Connected

Access next generation technologies

Connect to IoT, AI, machine learning, blockchain, and cognitive services without needing to be a domain expert. Read more here.

Deployment

Deploy to the cloud of your choice with just one click

Take advantage of a public cloud that automatically manages application reliability and scalability with simple configuration, reducing cost and effort to maintain infrastructure. Or deploy to a private cloud or on premises for total control. Read more here.

What can you create with a low-code platform?

Innovation apps
Unlock the value from emerging technologies like IoT, AI, machine learning, and blockchain following a test and learn approach. Low-Code makes exploring and integrating next generation technologies accessible for business users and developers with drag and drop ease, enabling them to create functional prototypes and iterate toward their next great application at scale.

Customer engagement apps
Improve satisfaction, retention and revenue with user experiences that delight customers and partners. Low-Code platforms include UI frameworks with patterns, building blocks, and widgets developers leverage to build engaging applications without needing a UX background. In addition, these assets are customizable to match the design language of your organization.

Operational efficiency apps
Automate manual and paper-based processes to increase accuracy and quality while reducing costs. Low-Code platforms make it easy to create applications for capturing information and include connectors out of the box for integrating your applications to core systems.

Legacy migration apps
Unlock the value from emerging technologies like IoT, AI, machine learning, and blockchain following a test and learn approach. Low-Code makes exploring and integrating next generation technologies accessible for business users and developers with drag and drop ease, enabling them to create functional prototypes and iterate toward their next great application at scale.

The low-code developer continuum: featured tools

Mendix Studio

No code featured tool for citizen and business developers

Mendix Studio is a web-based, no-code developing environment for business developers. Design and build great apps using an intuitive “What You See is What You Get” page editor in conjunction with Atlas UI, a flexible design system for creating engaging user experiences. Mendix Studio also offers a visual Microflow editor to add business logic to your app without the need for code.

Mendix Studio Pro

Low-code featured tool for business and professional developers

Build sophisticated apps and microservices with a fully integrated development environment. In addition, low-code development makes connecting services and applications as intuitive as possible with reusable modules. By making use of Connector kits, developers can add connectivity to any data source xREST and SOAP consumption configuration, and consumes those services along with OData with ease. In addition, creating REST, SOAP, and OData services is a snap, enabling developers to create versioned APIs in a couple of clicks.

Traditional IDEs to Build & Extend

Experienced programmers can build anything

Experienced developers can build applications from scratch and extend their Low-Code platform using third party IDEs and APIs. With Mendix, developers can use Eclipse to code applications using the Model SDK and platform APIs, or use VS Code to build front-end widgets that become accessible through the Desktop Modeler.

Mendix’s low-code platform brings app development into the future

FEATURED DEMO: A Tour of theMendix Platform

From ideation and development through deployment and operations, see how the Mendix low-code platform manages the entire lifecycle of your application portfolio.