Low-code and no-code tools at the moment, but many professional developers still consider these tools as ‘toys”. But for a , low-code continues to gain traction as more businesses learn about the technology’s extensive benefits over traditional coding practices. It allows you to keep the important elements of traditional coding solutions – such as flexibility and customization – while saving your organization considerable amounts of time and money. are in vogue myriad of reasons is a pioneer in the low-code development market. Here’s why…. Linx Not All Low-Code Platforms Are Created Equal Low-code, like so much other software jargon, is somewhat ambiguous. Under this umbrella term exists a plethora of various tool types—website generators, form builders, API connectors, database builders, workflow automation, and more, each requiring varying levels of technical proficiency. While most low-code environments tend to use a visual metaphor to describe logical program flow, your ‘diagram’ breaks down very quickly when things get even slightly complicated. Linx follows a free-form functional programming approach, allowing you the tackle the deep complexities of backend development. Most low code tools target a specific domain or subset of technologies and use a visual process flow to handle custom logic. and uses visual abstractions of programming concepts to make the building of complex logic easy and maintainable. Linx is a general-purpose platform with no limitations on the technology it can connect to By sticking to generic programming concepts, it has created a unique approach that addresses many of the common pitfalls and limitations of typical low-code platforms. True Programming Flexibility A common concern for programmers considering low-code tools is the lack of flexibility. Most low-code tools are based on a workflow paradigm. Linx differs by following a programming paradigm that makes it more all-rounder and easy for developers and IT professionals to pick up. It does not stipulate a “golden path” or provide templates or any of the process flow concepts offered by many of the other tools. Instead, Linx combines the speed and efficiency of drag and drop functionality with the expressiveness and capabilities of traditional development. By doing so, it covers nearly any scenario or requirement. You can almost say they’re a low-code Visual Studio for backend development. Programming in a Different format Linx abstracts programming concepts, so our tools naturally work like common programming tools. The Linx Designer is an IDE that allows you to program and debug at a higher level and saves the program specification to files deployed to one or more Linx Servers to run the application. Building solutions in Linx should be no different from how you would do it with low-level programming; it’s just with bigger pieces, more visual help, and lots of ready-made functionality available on the server-side. Setting properties Your Stack Matters We recognize that very few application development projects start with a clean slate; most have to integrate with existing databases, legacy code, and other applications already in production. For this very reason, Linx is designed to be “tooling agnostic,” allowing you to combine your business logic with the services of your choice. The result: fast iterative development, using new or existing resources, and deployment to a production environment with built-in management and monitoring. Linx Server Comparing Low-code Tools Low-code tools that can be used to build APIs, automations, and integrations fall into several broad categories. Building APIs, any backend automation or integration. Building user interfaces. General-purpose: Linx Best use case: Not suitable for: (Zapier, IFTTT) Simple automations by non-technical users. Anything slightly complex or building APIs. Consumer Application Integration Best use case: Not suitable for: (UIPath, Automation Anywhere) Automating business processes by automating the user interface. Automation or integration where APIs are available or building APIs. RPA Best use case: Not suitable for: (Kissflow, Creatio) Best use case: Automating business processes. Not suitable for: Integrating systems or building APIs BPM (Mendix, Outsystems) Best use case: Building applications. Not suitable for: Integrating systems or businesses on a budget. Enterprise Low-code Platforms (Mulesoft, Boomi) Large scale enterprise integration. Small to medium automations and integrations or getting something done quickly. Enterprise Application Integration Best use case: Not suitable for: The Key to Platform Development: Extensibility Most low-code tools make working in a specific domain very easy but have difficulties working with systems and concepts that do not form part of the main use-case the tool was designed for. Often (more than not), Linx can fill the gaps when domain-specific low-code tools hit their limits. Combine Linx with tools like.... for complex automation or integration with legacy or on-premise systems. Zapier, IFTTT for hosting APIs or Microservices for use by the RPA. UIPath, Automation Anywhere for hosting APIs or microservices for use by the BPM, integration to legacy or unsupported systems, and high volume processing. Kissflow, Creatio for integration to legacy or unsupported systems, building microservices, and high volume processing. Mendix, Outsystems for integration to legacy or unsupported systems, fast prototyping, and microservices. Mulesoft, Boomi Today’s competitive environment is driving organizations’ digital transformation. In a fast-paced, ever-changing marketplace, the organizations that cannot keep up will fall behind. Hence, speed to market and speed to change are key competitive differentiators in a digital economy. Linx allows businesses to meet three development imperatives for success in the digital age: Build it fast, build it right (for you!), build for the future.
