DEV Community

Will No-Code Replace developers?

Vik πŸ“ˆ on November 17, 2021

Lets first understand, what even is No-Code or Low-Code? No-Code is made for people in every background to create stuff/software. No cod...
Collapse
 
momander profile image
Martin Omander • Edited

When trying to predict the future, it's useful to look to the past. We have had at least two major waves of successful no-code tools before. Let's see what happened.

The first wave was spreadsheets in the 80s and 90s. These let business analysts automate number-crunching themselves, without asking developers to write code for them. Three things happened:

  1. More people started automating number-crunching. Before spreadsheets, not everyone had access to a developer who could write code for them. In other words, the market grew.

  2. Businesses started asking for things that spreadsheets couldn't do, like workflow automation. Developers moved on to those challenges.

  3. The demand for developers grew.

A few decades later website builders arrived. Now anyone could build a static website by pointing and clicking. What happened?

  1. Businesses that didn't have a website before created their own. The market grew.

  2. Businesses started asking for things that website builders couldn't do, like complex web apps or native mobile apps. Developers moved on to those challenges.

  3. The demand for developers grew.

We can't know for sure what impact the latest wave of no-code tools will have. But the past may help us make some educated guesses.

Collapse
 
heyvik profile image
Vik πŸ“ˆ

loved the whole reply, I do agree

Collapse
 
uadson profile image
Uadson Feitosa

I agree completely

Collapse
 
sanketsarang profile image
Sanket Sarang

I would agree that no-code will not entirely replace developers. However, the total overall need for developers will significantly decrease. Only the best of the best developers will still have a job to maintain the no-code software itself and any supporting needs. Most developers as we know them today are expected to lose their jobs once no-code becomes more prominent.

Collapse
 
toxictoast profile image
ToxicToast • Edited

No i would not agree on that, no code can not handle specific niche things for what you still need even the worst developers because you still need to write code for that :D

Collapse
 
sanketsarang profile image
Sanket Sarang

Yes, I do agree with that. But you can't possibly disagree that no-code is meant to reduce the number of developers an organization needs? If companies needed the same developer's pre and post adoption of no-code tools, why would they adopt them?

Thread Thread
 
toxictoast profile image
ToxicToast • Edited

No-Code will never replace any Dev.
If the Toolset the Company uses/needs can be done with no-code, they never needed an Dev in the first place.

Collapse
 
robtaussig profile image
Robert Taussig

"Only the best of the best developers will still have a job to maintain the no-code software itself and any supporting needs."

Lol...

Collapse
 
lexlohr profile image
Alex Lohr

No, because who will maintain the no-code-environment? Developers, that's who. Also, as no-code applications become increasingly complex, you need code again to deal with the complexity. Who will write it? Developers again. Lastly, there were multiple attempts to replace writing program code with other things. Needless to say none of them worked well.

Collapse
 
heyvik profile image
Vik πŸ“ˆ

yeah I agree with that... also thats what I was trying to explain in the blog

Collapse
 
williamkennedy profile image
William Kennedy

My thoughts is that there won't be any replacing but the two will live together. I'm impressed with what people can achieve with no-code tools but I'm also impressed with what people achieve with code.

There is room for both.

It says on your Twitter that you're only 13. If that's true. Kudos to you for putting yourself out there.

Collapse
 
heyvik profile image
Vik πŸ“ˆ

yeah thats true, thanks

Collapse
 
edgaremmanuel profile image
DevByJESUS

When i see the big Tech Companies(MAANGπŸ˜‚) where their main plateform is not build on top of that . There is no problem . Low code / no code if for some problem not the big ones coming with AI , VR and others . You have a Platform with MORE than 2 millions users and you are going to build that with these tools ?
I do not think so , so no fear 🀧

Collapse
 
jayjeckel profile image
Jay Jeckel

No Code tools fill the same niche that Excel has filled for years and, just like Excel, when the No Code solution finally falls over, guess who they're going to hire to create a real solution... that's right, real developers.

Collapse
 
momander profile image
Martin Omander

I agree. In my first job in the late 90s I was called in to rebuild a global sales forecasting system for a large corporation. People in regional offices reported that they would click the button to save their data right before going to lunch. On a good day, the data would have been successfully saved by the time they got back. On a bad day, it would take longer.

What technology powered this business-critical system? Microsoft Access.

Collapse
 
damian3rd profile image
Third Rich Dude

Due to my tight schedule, I had to try #nocode tool for my project with hope to complete it earlier but in few tries I had to switch back to writting code on my own due to the complexity of the project which #nocode tools seem not to be able handle. So I guess, we developer are irreplaceable.

Collapse
 
heyvik profile image
Vik πŸ“ˆ

which tool you were using?

Collapse
 
mwmwmw profile image
Matthew Willox

No Code has helped me as a developer immensely.

1) It has removed me as a gatekeeper. More people can participate in the actual building of projects, that means we can build bigger things.

2) Even when I know a project can't work with a no-code tool, I still use one to prototype the project. It's so much easier to iterate on something when you've got it in your hands. I can try things and the cost is low.

3) I don't have a bunch of code to maintain, security patches to apply, or any other 'maintenance' type things. That means I can focus on high-value output.

Lastly, if I never had to program again, and all the tools did everything I needed, that would be amazing. Despite programming for 20 years, I'd happily hand it all over for the ability to simply create.

Collapse
 
kabindas profile image
Vitor Miguel Correia

Your having a very reductive view of what a developer is. Nowadays is much more than just coding. You have all source control tasks, pipeline management, code review, etc.
Many devs just migrated to DevOps that have much more responsibilities than a simple developer.

Collapse
 
heyvik profile image
Vik πŸ“ˆ

its a pretty small blog duh, not explaining the whole dev thing, just a part of it

Collapse
 
fbarnea profile image
fbarnea

Wish I could dislike this. Don't get me wrong, I get you're at the beginning, and kudos for starting to blog. But you need to provide enough value for your readers. And it doesn't take much as we don't pay for this, but we do expend time. I lost my time reading your blog and didn't get any value in return. The blog is shallow and riddled with gramatical errors that are distracting. This is your cue to do better on the next one. You nailed the title. Read this short how to and follow the structure and strive to be better open.ac.uk/blogs/scilab/index.php/...

Collapse
 
darshkul24 profile image
Darsh

Even if no/low code try to replace coding then even there will be need of programming..

Because the application for creating no/low code project will be created by Programming..

Which means programing is never gonna end..

Collapse
 
momander profile image
Martin Omander

Correct, but it will take a small number of developers to maintain the no-code tools. For example, 15 years ago there were hundreds of thousands of independent contractors who hand-built simple websites for small businesses. They have largely been replaced by Squarespace, which has 1,134 employees. I'd guess that only about half of them are developers.

But I do think there will be plenty of programming work for the foreseeable future. So far, every no-code tool we've created in the past (spreadsheets, Lotus Notes, Microsoft Access, website builders) has replaced some hand-crafted applications, but also increased the demand for more advanced solutions. And that, in turn, has increased the demand for developers.

Collapse
 
nocodelowcode profile image
bbahavati

No Code will do to developers what Uber did to taxi drivers. The Old developers still try to do code in snail pace ways using Java, C#, .NET to create business App for years and Decades. One screen with 2 fields and 4 buttons using Java take a week to finish. But using No Code, just 1 minute. No exaggeration, it is a real fact. Bye bye 1980s primitive style snailpace coding and welcome No Code Low Code efficient lightening speed Software Development.

Collapse
 
nocodelowcode profile image
bbahavati

No Code is like a new development which makes developers need to a minimum from current 100% to around 8%, those 8% will only do those things like maintaining the clouds, code those No Code itself using languages. So, it will be like how Uber did to taxi drivers or what Autonomous driving to drivers. The major area of software development where almost 98% developers do is Application Development, mostly grid based development of Business Software. That area where the No Code Low Code Target. So, almost 98% reduction for developer needs. All softwares which require a decade to develop earlier done in a matter of days or months. So, still developer is needed to maintain the No Code, the Databases behind No Code, the Cloud Servers. But the 98% of Developer requirement is gone. Anyone who don't know what is Java, what is JavaScript or what is HTML can create amazing applications in minutes, it will be like playing a game in mobile phone. So lot of changes and impact on developers. But still some 8% of the current developers needed to modify the platform itself, but the majority Apps will be done by Citizens Developer or common man. Great to know that the No Code is making the software development speed 100 times and reduce the development time in minutes than years using primitive Java, C#, .NET kind of 1980s style coding.

Collapse
 
gklijs profile image
Gerard Klijs

I would say low/no code would enable more people to be a 'developer'. Which is needed so other developers can solve problems with high code.

Collapse
 
divyeshkamalanaban profile image
Divyesh Kamalanaban

No-code restricts yourself to create applications with less logic, so it's not even to close to being an alternative. By the way, to add more features to no code you need a dev for that

Collapse
 
aysuozer profile image
Aysu

hey vik, I think you should take a look at this!
code2.io/blog/why-developers-love-...

Collapse
 
iprverma profile image
Pushap Raj Verma

Exactly, no code can't replace developers. But demands for developers will dramatically decrease.