What is the edicos Softwarefactory and how does it work? Does it use no-code or low-code? What exactly is the difference between the two? Our customers ask us questions like these constantly. And with good reason! If you have nothing to do with software development, No-Code and Low-Code may seem very similar – after all, the two words sound almost the same. Therefore, we would like to explain what the difference between No-Code and Low-Code is and why edicos follows a Low-Code approach with the Softwarefactory.
Generate code at the “push of a button
The edicos software factory is based on the Low Code approach, or more precisely on Model Driven Architecture (MDA). MDA is the original approach on which Low Code is built. As the name suggests, the special feature of low code is that developers have to write very little code by hand. The majority of the code is generated by the software factory – up to 98 percent. This does not literally work at the “push of a button”, but it is almost as fast.
Low-code replaces “repetitive programming” – that part of the code that is the same in all software. In conventional software development, this part must be programmed line by line, even though most developers have probably written similar or identical code several times before. But developers working with low-code can make use of prefabricated “code building blocks”. These are strung together by drag and drop and finally result in (almost) finished software. You can think of the low-code principle as building with Lego bricks.
Time is money
This has one big advantage: it saves a lot of time. The developers only have to concentrate on tailoring the generated software to the requirements of the respective customer. Within a very short time, a completely individualized software is ready for the customer. In addition, the high quality of the application is guaranteed because the “building blocks” have been tested many times over due to their repeated use and therefore no errors should occur.
The ability to adapt or further develop existing code also means that internal software is no longer an inhibiting factor. Companies that have to react to market changes or generally place new demands on the application are well advised to use the low code approach: The software can be adapted to business changes at any time.
Difference: small but mighty
But how does low-code differ from no-code? Let’s admit it: the difference is small. But it has a big effect on the end product. Again, you can actually tell from the name what No-Code is all about: there is no coding. Not a single second is spent writing code by hand. As with low-code, software can be developed with “building blocks” on a visual level. The only difference is that 100 percent of the code is created at this level instead of just under 98 percent.
No-code software no longer requires professional developers – anyone can develop their own programs in this way. This is the great advantage that no-code offers. However, this brings some limitations and risks with it.
Customized software is only possible by hand
Because there is only a limited number of “building blocks”, no-code software cannot be perfectly adapted to the customer’s requirements. As already mentioned, this is possible with low-code because the generated code can be supplemented and individualized. In addition, low-code developers can create completely new “building blocks” to extend the range of possibilities.
In addition, no-code favors the emergence of so-called “shadow IT”. Because the building blocks are easily linked to form a software application, employees are able to develop their own applications – even without the knowledge of the IT department. This can lead to a hodgepodge of system applications in a company, which at some point can no longer be kept track of.
As similar as Low-Code and No-Code sound, the quality of the final software is closely related to the method chosen. For private individuals who want to develop software without programming knowledge, No-Code is certainly the right choice. But the demands we at edicos place on our services cannot be met by No-Code. With our low-code software factory, on the other hand, we can quickly develop high-quality and individual software for our customers.
