Recently, there’s been a surge of interest in visual programming models, all with varying degrees of user-friendliness. These low-code platforms utilize drag-and-drop elements to help citizen developers stitch together applications, avoiding the complexities of hard-coding connections. Such platforms are crucial amid a developer drought and shine in their usability. But, how usable is too usable?
“A low-code platform should abstract complexity, yet always offer a way under the hood,” said Jesse Orshan of WayScript. In other words, the platform should never get in the way of advanced mechanics. To do so, “some-code” platforms balance usability and customizability.
I recently spoke with WayScript co-founders Jesse Orshan and Lane Eden to see how some-code combines traditional coding and low-code. As opposed to a 100% visual no-code experience, some-code focuses on operational automation while granting a peek under the hood. Read on to see how the notion of “some-code” may set itself apart from the larger visual programming movement.
Why Just ‘Some-Code’?
To understand some-code, consider the greater industry. As I recently covered, many factors are spurring a low-code revitalization. One is the need for rapid development for internal tools. Orshan acknowledged how “cumbersome, costly, and time-consuming it is to build and maintain internal tools.”
Many developers are fully capable of, for example, programming a native iOS app. Yet, turning that into a business application with a back-end running in the cloud with the proper databases, server arrangement, access management, and continuous deployment strategy is a whole different story.
“The idea is to blend coding and low-code,” Orshan said. “Scaffolding is the most difficult part of development.” Therefore, a some-code platform provides an operational toolset—a framework that enables developers to focus on their application logic.
Some-Code Leverages Event-Driven Architecture
Event-triggering has become common within modern programming. Triggering is necessary for automating tasks and workflows involving interconnected tools.
For example, say an internal tool for a sales department must automatically update a lead spreadsheet and send a Slack notice once an email is received from a prospective client. This process requires scripting a series of API queries involving Gmail, Salesforce and Slack APIs.
Though the logic seems simple from the outset, hooking together applications is not a trivial task. “Building a robust triggering system that can scale with your load is a very complicated thing to do,” said Eden. HTTP API integration is a unique skill that not all possess. “Thereʼs an understated art to building good APIs,” according to an Increment blog post.
The hurdles of API integration have already given rise to drag-and-drop workflow services such as IFTTT and Zapier. Some-code applications, too, could quickly enable developers to mix-and-match APIs in the programming language of their choice.
Other Some-Code Benefits
Internal tooling can be a big pain point. It’s “bespoke and custom to every business,” said Orshan. Utilizing drag-and-drop components alongside an IDE, some-code could lower the DevOps barrier for constructing enterprise-grade interconnected applications that require testing, auto-build and deployment automation. Here are some other some-code benefits:
- Abstracted type system: APIs are at the heart of many low code initiatives, enabling integrations with third-party tooling to enable event-based modeling. Some-code could enable developers to program logic without hardcoding integrations, offering a “unifying system abstracted type system,” noted Orshan.
- Flexibility: A unique prospect of some-code is that it could retain the programming language developers are accustomed to.
- Aids rapid development: Some code seeks to abstract things away, making it easier for developers to quickly solve core problems.
- Fill integration talent gap: A lack of specialized talent encompasses integration engineers and IT security disciplines. According to OutSystems, 45% of businesses adopt low-code to reduce dependency on hard-to-hire technical skills.
The Reality of ‘Citizen Development’
Problem-solvers come in all skill sets. Some are programming novices with little know-how, and UIs cater well to this group. However, only 8% of companies say they have business users utilizing a no-code platform without IT intervention, according to OutSystems’ 2019 State of Application Development report. Instead, the majority of low-code users are professional IT developers, at 69%.
“There is a place for visual elements, and there is a place for coding,” said Eden. “Sometimes, writing a function in Python is just way more efficient.”
Though low-code providers may trumpet the citizen development ideal, in reality, in 2019, only 20% cited enabling citizen developers as a key reason for adopting low-code. Perhaps this need will increase subsequent a fully remote economy and a developer talent shortage. Yet, as of now, experienced software developers are the ones using and benefiting from low-code tools.
Final Thoughts
The usability of no-code empowers business technologists to build basic workflows, yet lacks deep customization abilities. Yet, pure manual programming slows when you consider the many web APIs, differing standards and DevOps tooling integrations necessary to deploy modern enterprise-grade cloud applications.
The premise behind some-code is to help skilled developers stitch the operational scaffolding around their source code, helping integrate, validate, test and deploy software in a more streamlined approach. This style could be a better balance for advanced developer teams requiring an extra push.
“Our guiding philosophy is there should always be a way to get under the hood,” said Orshan. “The platform should never get in the way.”
