Brief history and future trend of codeless software

translator |  Bugatti

Reviser |  Sun Shujuan

Traditional computer programming faces a steep learning curve , Need to learn a programming language （ such as C/C++、Java or Python）, To build a simple application , Like a calculator or tic tac toe . Programming also requires a wealth of debugging skills , It's easy for new learners to feel frustrated . Learning time required 、 Energy and experience often prevent non programmers from building software from scratch .

No code is one that does not require the use of code or scripts （ Command set ）, Can be a website 、 Methods of mobile application and game programming . People can easily learn from visual cues , This leads to ​​ As early as 1970 It was developed in the s “ What you see is what you get ”（WYSIWYG） Document and multimedia editors .WYSIWYG Editors allow you to work in documents , Because it appears in the form of finished products . The concept of 1990 The s extends to the field of software development .

There are many codeless development platforms that allow programmers and non programmers to create software with a drag and drop graphical user interface rather than traditional line by line coding . for instance , Users can drag and drop labels onto the web site . The codeless platform will show what the label looks like , And create the corresponding HTML Code . Codeless development platforms often provide templates or modules that allow anyone to build applications .

Early stage

stay 90 years , Website is the most familiar interface for users . However , Building a website requires HTML Coding and script based programming , This is not easy for people who lack programming skills . This led to the early codeless platforms , Include  Microsoft FrontPage and Adob​​e Dreamweaver, To help non programmers build websites .

follow WYSIWYG idea , Non programmers can do this without HTML Code case drag and drop site components , Such as tag 、 Text boxes and buttons . In addition to local editing sites , These tools can also help users upload built websites to remote sites Web The server , This is a key step in getting the website online .

The web sites created by these editors are basically static web sites . No advanced features , Such as user authentication or database connection .

Website development

At present, there are many codeless website construction platforms , such as Bubble、Wix、WordPress and GoogleSites, They overcome the shortcomings of the early codeless website building tools .Bubble Allow users to design interfaces by defining workflows . Workflow is a series of actions triggered by events . for instance , The user clicks the Save button （ event ） after , The current game state is saved to a file （ A series of operations ）.

meanwhile ,Wix Launched a web site template library HTML5 Website builder . Besides ,Wix Support many modules , For example, analyze visitor data （ Such as contact information 、 news 、 Buy and book ）, Reservation support for hotel and Resort Rentals , And a platform for independent musicians to market and sell music works .

WordPress Originally developed for personal blogging , Only after that can we support the forum 、 Member website 、 Learning management systems and online stores . And WordPress equally ,GoogleSites It also allows users to use various embedded functions from Google to create websites , such as YouTube、 Google Maps 、Google Drive、 Calendar and online office applications .

Games and mobile apps

In addition to the website construction platform , There is also a codeless platform for game and mobile application development . This kind of platform is aimed at designers who have no knowledge of game development or programming 、 Entrepreneurs and enthusiasts .

GameMaker Provides a user interface , The built-in editor can be used to work with raster graphics 、 Game level design 、 Script 、 Path and representing light and shadow “ Shaders ”.GameMaker It is mainly used to make the products with 2D Graphics and 2D Game of bone animation .

Buildbox Is a kind of no code 3D Game development platform .Buildbox The main functions of the system include image drop wheel 、 Assets column 、 Options bar 、 Collision editor 、 Scene editor 、 Physical simulation and even currency realization options . In the use of Buildbox when , Users can also access rich game assets 、 Sound and animation . Besides ,Buildbox Users can write game scenarios . Then the user can edit the game character and environment settings , Such as weather conditions and time of day , And change the user interface . They can also animate objects 、 Insert video ad , And export the game to PC And mobile devices .

Can be 《 My world 》 and 《 Sim city 》 And other games as tools to create virtual worlds without programming .

The future without code

In an era of increasing need for software development , Codeless platforms help increase the number of developers . No code is in e-commerce 、 Areas such as education and health care have sprung up .

I expect that no code will also play a more prominent role in the field of artificial intelligence . The core of training artificial intelligence ： Machine learning models take time 、 Energy and experience . Codeless programming helps reduce the time it takes to train these models , Thus, it is easier to use artificial intelligence for multiple purposes . for instance , A codeless AI tool that allows non programmers to create chat bots , It was unthinkable a few years ago .

Original title ：​​A brief history of no-code software — and its future​​​, author ：Tam Nguyen​