CoderNoCode

Tag: no code

  • Is WordPress No Code or Low Code?

    Is WordPress No Code or Low Code?

    WordPress no code or low code? That is the question. WordPress could arguably be classified as one of the oldest no code/low code platforms around. I’ve been using WordPress since the beginning and back then, it was very much in the low code space. Its functionality was limited, which often required dropping down to the code to make a tweak, or write a full on feature. These days, it has migrated into the no code space with the help of a huge ecosystem of plugins and themes.

    Between the thousands of themes and plugins available, you can build pretty much anything you want without writing any code. That being said, you still have full access to the source code for you to modify as you require or go into full developer mode and create your own functionality.

    Why not both?

    I’d say that WordPress is both no code and low code, depending on who you are and what your use case is. Thanks to the proliferation of WordPress capable hosting companies, you can quickly get a blog, company site, online store, education site, a community and more.

    WordPress no code mode

    There are plenty of use cases that don’t require touching the WordPress code base, including this site. The majority of WordPress users have been using it in no code mode since they started their journey. Hosted options have made it quick and easy to get a blog or business site online without needing to handle hosting, security or updates. People are able to quickly launch a site, configure the appearance and get to work.

    Thanks to the likes of the many page builder plugins and themes out there, you can build pretty much any kind of site you want, all with no code. Elementor, WP Bakery, DIVI and Oxygen builder are a few of the most popular page builders available today. Form builders are another great way to add functionality to your WordPress powered site, and two of the most popular are GravityForms and WP Forms.

    With just WordPress, GravityForms and GravityView I was able to build a complete research platform for internal use, all without needing to write any code.

    WordPress low code mode

    If you require a feature for your site, there is a very high chance that there is already a plugin or theme that provides that functionality. All code free and ready to go. Sometimes, however, you’ll need to change how something functions or write an entirely new feature. This is where WordPress enters the low code mode.

    Being the founder and lead developer of a complex plugin, I wrote WC Vendors to be very extensible, both via settings and from actions and filters. This means that there are times when our users need to drop to code and modify how something works with a code snippet. I’d classify small, easy to copy code-snippets as low code options.

    My Setup

    I’m going to keep this site as lean as possible. For that reason, I’m using the awesome GeneratePress theme from Tom Usborne. I’ve used GeneratePress on my sites for many years. It doesn’t get in the way, doesn’t require a page builder, and it is insanely fast.

    I’m currently hosting this site on SiteGround as I already have an account with them. So it was a matter of minutes to get this site online. Almost all decent WordPress capable hosts these days make creating a site easy. SiteGround is no exception.

    I will be attempting to not touch a single line of code on this site. I’m going the WordPress No Code route with this site. This will be difficult for me as a developer and someone who knows their way around WordPress. My aim will be to do everything with only the help of my theme and plugins. That doesn’t mean that I’ll install 100 plugins to get the functionality I need, but I’ll do my best to stay away from any and all code.

  • What is no code?

    What is no code?

    No code in its simplest form takes the complexity of building an application from code and moves this to, usually, a visual editor.

    It enables you, even as a non-developer, to build an application without writing any code. Once you have learned your no code platform of choice, you can quickly build applications to solve all kinds of problems.

    No code platforms came about as a solution to speed up the development process and release cycle. It allows your marketing or admin teams to build solutions to their problems without having to wait on internal or external IT teams to build the solutions for them.

    No code vs Low Code

    The main difference between no code and low code is the required knowledge to build the solution. While no code platforms require no previous coding or software design experience, low code platforms allow for minimal code adjustments.

    No Code Examples

    No code platforms have been around for over 20 years. There is a chance that you have already used a no code solution without realising it. Here are a few no code examples that you might have come across and some you might not have.

    WordPress

    This blog runs on WordPress, which in its essence is a no code platform. You can build a blog, a multivendor marketplace like Amazon or a training platform. All without writing a single line of code.

    Zapier, Make (Integromat), IFTTT

    Automation tools like Zapier, Make and IFTTT allow you to build automated workflows by joining multiple software sources together to build a solution without writing any code.

    Bubble

    Bubble is an advanced no code tool that has been around for over 10 years. It enables you to build complex applications for both desktop and mobile. There are a number of dedicated agencies that provide application development for Bubble. You can build social networks, marketplaces, communities, training platforms and many other kinds of applications. There aren’t many things you can’t build with Bubble.

    Webflow

    Webflow is a website builder that is an alternative to the likes of WordPress or Wix. It is a fully hosted solution that allows to build great looking websites without relying on 3rd party plugins and themes. You can rapidly build a solid web presence with Webflow.

    Shopify

    If you need to build an online store, Shopify is how you can do it without the need of hiring a developer or agency to do it. You can get your store up and running in a matter of minutes. From experience, if you have less than 100 products, this is a solution you should consider.

    Should I use no code?

    In short, yes. No code allows you to get your idea out of your head, off the paper and into action. It’s better to get your idea online and testing it with real users as soon as possible and with minimal expense.

    But I’m a software developer!

    If you’re a software developer, there is plenty of room for no code in your toolbox. Sure, you can spin up an application in your favourite framework, but that doesn’t mean you have to for every problem.

    There are times when you need to test something quickly or demonstrate an idea, and this is where no code is a great addition to our skill set.

    Conclusion

    No code is gaining more traction as more and more people are wanting to upskill, change careers, solve problems and build cool stuff. No code platforms enable this, and every day there are more tools to build applications.

    Is no code going to replace developers in the near future? Probably not, but the role of developers will change. What and how applications are built will change, just as technology rapidly does every year.