The document discusses low-code and no-code development platforms, which allow both technical and non-technical users to build applications through graphical interfaces and configuration instead of traditional programming. It provides information on key capabilities and differences of low-code versus no-code, potential benefits including faster development and reduced testing needs, as well as potential drawbacks like vendor lock-in. The document also introduces the Mendix low-code platform, covering its architecture, development tools, deployment options, integration support, and pricing models.
3. WHAT IS A NO-CODE/LOW CODE DEVELOPMENT
• Low-code development platforms focus on ease-of-use and a visual
app building approach so business professionals can utilize them for
creating their own solutions. This means that those closest to business
problems can be empowered to quickly turn ideas into action, with
point-and-click simplicity.
• No-code is a set of tools, applications or platforms that allows you to
build a relatively complex application without the knowledge of
programming language. But Wikipedia gives another, more concise
definition: “No-code development platform (NCDPs) allows
programmers and non-programmers to create application software
through graphical user interfaces and configuration instead of
traditional computer programming.”
4. LOW-CODE AND NO-CODE
• Low-code and no-code have similar capabilities and goals. Both use visual
modelers and templates to automate processes without (ideally) writing any
code. The difference is becoming more to do with who the users are.
• No-code is generally the domain of citizen developers building simple and
more limited applications. Ideally without coding.
• Low-code focuses on professional developers creating enterprise class
applications. Ideally without coding.
7. POTENTIAL LOW CODE BENEFITS
• Low-code platforms may significantly speed up software development. Leading to faster
ROI and increased productivity.
• Low-code platforms can be self-documenting. They provide a graphical representation
of the processes they are performing. This can substantially reduce the need for external
documentation.
• Low code reduces testing. Templates and components are pretested and used by many
companies, in many scenarios.
• Tooling includes visual modelers, pre-built modules and templates typically supported
by drag and drop environments.
• One click application delivery. Simplified and accelerated deployment.
• Support for several third-generation languages for customisation beyond a platform’s
existing capabilities.
• Ability for citizen developers to create (simple) applications without coding. But be
mindful: low-code does not always mean ‘fit for non-technical’ users.
8. POTENTIAL LOW CODE DRAWBACKS
• Vendor lock-in may present significant problems depending on your
situation. Portability across platforms can be difficult or impossible
without a full rewrite.
• Pricing models can be complex and opaque. None of the vendors in
the Forrester Wave scored highly in this regard.
• Visual components and model driven logic trade ease of use and
speed of development. This may currently be less flexible than code-
based platforms although the gap is closing as low-code platforms
evolve.
• Hand development may be required to integrate LC/NC apps with
other systems.
• Complexity and controllability limitations of apps may not meet some
long-term business objectives.
9. WHAT ARE THE ANALYSTS PREDICTING?
• By 2024, three quarters of large enterprises will be using at least
four low-code development tools for both IT application
development and citizen development initiatives. [Gartner]
• By 2024, low-code application development will be responsible for
more than 65% of all application development activity. [Gartner]
• By 2020, at least 50 percent of all new business applications will be
created with high-productivity toolsets, such as lowcode and no-
code application development platforms.[Gartner]
• The global Low-Code Development Platform Market is Set to Reach
USD 53.0 billion by 2024, Observing a CAGR of 80.0% during 2019–
2024. [VynZ Research]
• Through 2021, market demand for app development will grow at
least five times faster than the IT capacity to deliver it. [Gartner]
11. WHAT IS MENDIX?
• The Mendix Platform is designed to accelerate enterprise app delivery
across your entire application development lifecycle, from ideation to
development, deployment, and the ongoing management of your
application portfolio in the cloud or on premises.
• Mendix offers both no code (visual-modelling) and low code (highly
extensible, integrated tooling to support crossfunctional teams
working collaboratively).
• Business-domain experts such as analysts and citizen developers can
work alongside expert developers to achieve much greater levels of
business agility and consequently accelerated delivery.
• the platform's cloud-native architecture and automation tools support
the deployment, management, and monitoring of highly-available
enterprise-grade applications.
14. KEY ARCHITECTURAL PRINCIPLES
• The Mendix Platform is architected for the demands of
enterprise-ready applications, which are applications that are
maintainable, highly performant, and scalable, and can cope with
the complex nature of enterprise systems.
• Model-driven development
• Model interpretation over code generation
• Microservices, containers, and deployment standardization
• Statelessness
• Openness and extensibility
• Twelve-Factor App principles
15. TWELVE-FACTOR CLOUD-NATIVE APPS?
• While not strictly a set of architectural principles, the Twelve-Factor App methodology is a
set of best practices for cloud-native applications covering the following points:
• Codebase – one stored codebase and deployments via packages
• Dependencies – all dependencies are part of the app model
• Configuration – defined in the app model via constraints
• Backing Services – configurable at deployment time
• Build, Release, Run – separate build and run
• Processes - stateless
• Port Binding - the app should be self-contained
• Concurrency – scale via processes
• Disposability - runtime instances can be stopped and started as required
• Development/Production Parity – consistent environments across test and production
• Logs – collect logs via CF Firehose
• Admin Processes – ship the admin and app code in one model
16. MENDIX SUPPORT AGILE DEVELOPMENT TEAMS
• Development teams
• End-users and other stakeholders
• All the stakeholders
The Mendix Platform provides various channels of engagement for different stakeholders:
• Developer Portal
• Mendix Studio and Mendix Studio Pro (IDE)
• Mendix mobile app
• Notification emails
• Buzz
23. HOW CAN I MAKE SURE THE LOGIC FITS MY BUSINESS
NEEDS?
• Nanoflows are used to build client-side logic (for example, mobile app logic). Using
nanoflows makes it possible to support offline logic and low latency, which results in
super fast apps that are offline-capable.
• Microflows and business rules are used to build server-side logic, because
microflows allow you to express the logic of your application. microflow is composed
of the following element types:
• Events represent the start and end points of a microflow and the special operations in a loop
• Input parameters provide the microflow with input from its context
• Activities are actions that are executed in a microflow
• Connectors can be downloaded from the Mendix App Store to connect your app to other
systems
• Flows form the connection between elements
• Splits enable making choices and merging different paths again
• Error handlers can be set on an activity, split, or loop to define how to handle an error
• Add Custom Code to My Application
• On the server side, Mendix provides out-of-the-box microflow logic and integration features
based on REST, OData, and SOAP web services.
27. DEPLOYMENT
• Mendix applications run on the platform's cloud-native stateless
runtime architecture that conforms to Twelve-Factor App principles
with support for modern cloud platforms such as Docker, Kubernetes
and Cloud Foundry.
• Mendix apps benefit from auto-scaling, auto-provisioning, auto-
healing, low infrastructure overhead, CI/CD, and cloud interoperability
out of the box.
• Mendix applications run on a variety of deployment options, including
public cloud, virtual private cloud, private cloud, hybrid cloud, multi
cloud, and traditional (virtual) servers.
• Mendix applications are packaged and deployed to the cloud provider
of your choice using our one-click deployment.
• Mendix also supports the creation of build packs for deployment on
28. CI/CD TOOLING WITH MENDIX
• The Mendix Platform comes with an
extensive range of APIs to help
developers integrate the platform into
their existing DevOps pipeline. With
tools for CI/CD like Jenkins, Visual
Studio Team Services, GitLab-CI, and
Bamboo, you can leverage these APIs to
build, test, and deploy applications
automatically.
• These apps can be deployed on any
public or private cloud or on premises,
using either Docker or a Cloud Foundry
container, and they can run on any
29. QUALITY MONITORING APPLICATION QUALITY
MONITOR (AQM)
• Mendix AQM performs a static analysis of Mendix
application models according the ISO/IEC
25010:2011 standard for maintainability. By
proactively monitoring quality on a daily basis,
customers can improve maintainability and reduce
lifecycle costs.
Mendix APM provides this experience through the
following tools:
• Trap Tool – continuously records all levels of
logging and stores it when an error occurs
• Statistics Tool – identifies trends by gathering
statistics on application performance
• Performance Tool – analyzes individual functions
and visualizes where improvement is possible
• Measurements Tool – monitors the CPU and
memory, performs measuring queries, and alerts if
a limit is exceeded
30. INTEGRATION
• Mendix supports connections to other apps and services through
industry-standard interfaces and protocols such as REST, SOAP, JDBC,
and OData. The platform offers many solutions for ensuring that new
applications can both consume and expose data and services in
heterogeneous environments
• There are several ways that we enable integration, ranging from
consuming and exposing REST APIs, SOAP web services, and OData.
• Mendix Platform with integrations such as Kafka event streams, Redis,
MQTT, Slack, Twitter, and Salesforce. Many connectors already exist in
the Mendix App Store.
• data mapping functionality that automatically maps incoming
message structures (such as JSON, WSDL, or XML) in order to create
31. DATA MANAGEMENT
• The data required to build new enterprise applications is derived from
many sources, such as existing SQL databases, service calls, web APIs,
and local application-specific databases.
• Mendix applications sit on top of their own SQL database, which is
created and managed by the platform and without the need for a
dedicated database administrator.
• For integration purposes, Mendix supports integration with any
database via the JDBC protocol.
• Mendix provides a comprehensive security DSL that enables your team
to create fine-grained security controls across your application's
navigation, UI, logic, and data.
32. DATA SECURITY
• Data security in Mendix is handled by defining the data access rules on your entities.
Per entity, you can define who can see what data and who can create or delete data.
• You can use the Encryption module available in the App Store to encrypt your Mendix
application data. You can encrypt your data with the Advanced Encryption Standard
(AES).
Mendix Security Basics
Authentication
• Standard protocols like OpenID, SAML and configure single sign-on (SSO).
• You can use the Mendix SSO module so users can log in using their Mendix
account.
Authorization
• Project Security and the Module Security.
• Project level you configure general security settings like password policy.
33.
34. WHICH CLOUD PROVIDERS CAN I USE?
Mendix supports all the major cloud providers:
• IBM Cloud
• SAP Cloud Platform
• Microsoft Azure
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• Red Hat OpenShift
• Google Cloud Platform
Mendix offers formal partnerships with IBM, SAP, Microsoft, Google,
Redhat and AWS
35. PRICING
• Pay for what you need Starting
from $1,917 per month (billed
annually)
• Single App - per month $5,375
(Gold Support)
• Professional - per month $7,825
(Gold Support)
• Enterprise(Platinum Support)
• 1) Monthly cost based on a 3-
year commitment. Limited up to
50 internal or 500 external users.
• 2) By default, applications are
deployed on the Mendix Cloud.
• The Enterprise Edition is required
if applications need to be
deployed on cloud platforms
other than the Mendix Cloud.