Full Stack Development in a No-Code Environment?
Becoming a Full Stack Developer is hard, and being great at it is very hard.
I recently saw a study that said only about 4% of software developers can pass a basic logic test, and only about 1.5% can frame that logic in quality code. Only 40 years ago, being a coder was reserved for the realm of “geniuses”. But today, the population of software developers has exploded, and one of the most coveted roles is that of the full stack developer.
The full stack developer is called that because they can work in all the layers of the stack. At the highest level that is the data layer, the presentation layer and the logic layer. Similarly, some will call it working in the front end and working on the back end. And in high end development shops it could even mean working across an even more diverse set of specialities including middleware tools, specialized application tools, systems administration tools, cloud orchestration tools and more.
But what full stack development really comes down to is mastery of a slate of tools that will allow the developer to build, deploy and manage a sophisticated web application.
Wait… did I just say “build, deploy and manage a sophisticated web application”?
Hmm… I did, and surprisingly, that’s exactly what the CitizenDeveloper.com no-code platform does.
Use No-Code to Deliver a Full Stack Result
Quite simply, the CitizenDeveloper platform follows conventional full stack paradigms, but delivers those same capabilities in a no-code environment. A full stack developer using CitizenDeveloper can deploy greater than 10x the features per unit of time… a massive increase in productivity. AND they can do it producing features that have fewer bugs, require less testing, and require no security remediation. And if all that isn’t enough, the applications they build are massively scalable, right out of the box! And learning the tools is easy.
10x Feature Productivity!
- Fewer Bugs
- Less Testing Time
- Eliminate Security Remediation
- Massively Scalable
Why No-Code Full Stack Development?
| ||
|---|---|---|
| Traditional Full Stack | No-Code Full Stack | |
| Learning Curve | Years | Days |
| Feature Productivity | X | 10-20X |
| Bugs/Testing | Extensive unit testing and user testing | Only user testing |
| Critical Security Vulnerabilities | Every 82 lines of code | 0 |
| Database Optimization | Substantial | Few |
| Performance and Scalability | Difficult to Scale | Easy to Scale |
What does Full Stack No-Code Look Like?
It looks like full stack development, but without the code. There is a robust Data Layer, a rich Presentation Layer and a sophisticated Logic Layer. There are queries and expressions, variables and arrays. There is a front end and a back end. And there are a full slate of no-code sys admin and dev ops tools. It’s a complete no-code package!
Data Layer Development
In the Data Layer you work with Tables, Fields and Relationships just like back-end developers do… but it’s entirely no code. You create data structure without code, and you query the data structure without code.
Presentation Layer Development
In the Presentation Layer, you create interface controls and build your UX/UI just as you would using traditional full stack tools…only you work in no-code to do it! (exception: CitizenDeveloper supports your ability to interact directly with the CSS!).
Logic Layer Development
In the Logic Layer, you build the same types of structures you would using traditional full stack tools; things like Functions, APIs, Schedule Logic, Triggered Logic, Page and Field Logic and Webhooks. But, it’s all done with no-code!
What About Performance Optimization and Security?
Put simply, low level security and performance optimization are done for you. But, for higher level concepts you still need to make intelligent choices! For example, if you query a list of a hundred thousand records, don’t have one of the columns process logic as a part of its list display; otherwise users will have to wait on a hundred thousand rows of logic processing… only to be presented with a huge amount of content that they aren’t even going to look at. No. Instead, you should pre-process those values, or require a filter be given to the list by the user BEFORE displaying any results.
So, while you don’t need to write any code, or engage in any low level optimization…you still need to make good decisions!
Database Optimization in No-Code
Early in our 23 years of R&D into the ultimate full stack no-code development tool we did a study of almost 17 million queries, searching for query patterns. This resulted in a short list of query patterns that either standalone or combined together represents 99.9999% of all queries run! CitizenDeveloper optimizes around those patterns automatically so that even your complex queries will process efficiently.
In addition to utilizing optimizable query patterns, CitizenDeveloper also automatically sets indexes, caches and a range of other critical database performance variables. You still want to be smart in your choices, but you don’t need to do any other optimization.
Massive Scalability and Parallelization in No Code
Underneath that amazing ability to build full stack applications lies a network of asynchronous containerized microservices that distributes all of your work into a massively parallel infrastructure. This network of microservices can scale up and down to the point of processing literally millions of requests per second.
And, these microservices scale independently based on their specific request load and the type of work that they happen to do, and the type of work that is being requested. For example, suppose one day you are processing web-scale logic, but then the next you are processing web-scale database writes, and still the next you are generating a million pdf documents…the network of distributed microservices that underpins your application will react accordingly, scaling only those microservices needed to process your specific load request!
But, as a full stack developer using CitizenDeveloper no-code… you still have to make smart decisions! In the below example, you are processing a request to batch delete a bunch of records in a list:
On one hand, you can in less than a minute set up this logic to run, and it will run no problem. But will it be efficient? Below is an example of blocks that will delete the selected records and reload the list…all in sequence:
On the other hand, you can simply drag in a “Parallel Processing” block to process the request in parallel. AND you can even push the logic to run on the back end! This is a MUCH smarter way to process a high volume of record delete requests!
So, there is plenty of opportunity to make smart choices when doing no-code full stack development. BUT you just don’t have to waste time dealing with the minutia of writing code!
Security with No-Code
Put simply, no-code applications are far more secure than coded applications. A Department of Defense study once concluded that a critical vulnerability is introduced for every 82 lines of code written. Remediating security vulnerabilities in code is an entire industry.
It’s also not necessary. CitizenDeveloper hardens its code components behind an architecture that rejects code! This means that common attack vectors such as cross-site scripting or SQL injection are not even possible when building applications in our no-code environment.
Conclusion
Yes, no-code full stack development is here, and it’s real. More than that, it’s the future. Why spend years learning a discipline which will enable you to produce “X” features, when you can spend days learning a tool that will allow you to produce 10 times that amount of features? Your personal expertise and market value just increased dramatically. Traditional full stack development for most applications simply no longer makes sense. It’s fast becoming the dinosaur.
The time is here to embrace the Future! Checkout www.citizendeveloper.com and get your free trial today!
