Genii Weblog
Mind the Gap - A mid-level development manifesto
Thu 19 Mar 2020, 10:06 AM
Tweetby Ben Langhinrichs
Low-Code and Pro-Code Advances
HCL has done a great job building up the infrastructure for Domino 11, and has made good progress toward a micro-services architecture, basic Node.js support, and other goodies for pro coders. Simultaneously, they've been adding value for low coders/citizen developers with HCL Volt. But as they have acknowledged many times, there is too much of a gap between the two. It is difficult to make the leap from citizen developer to pro coder. If anything, the gap is widening, and HCL doesn't seem to have particularly good answers for how to fill that gap. They have plans, but not the grand vision required.
The need is great and urgent
This is a problem. As governments and companies grapple with the increasingly long-term implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on their need for running distributed enterprises, they will need developers who are closer to the business end than the tech end, or the very mid-level developers who are left out or marginalized by recent app dev efforts. There is no time to waste, and plenty of other companies trying to meet the needs with solutions and technologies no where near as mature or complete as Domino.
Defining what is needed
We need APIs and technologies to bridge the gap. They need to be powerful, yet simple. They need to be intuitive enough that somebody who didn't study software in college can pick it up, but still flexible enough that somebody who did study software in college can use it. We need APIs that focus on Domino-specific functionality, not simply general web or business tech. We need APIs that allow dynamic design, rapid evolution, and a pathway from day one to forever.
The Domino development future isn't built around LotusScript and formula language anymore, but a vast amount of LotusScript is still out there. So, we need APIs that bridge the gaps between LotusScript and formula language and the more widely accepted languages, JavaScript, Java, Python, TypeScript, Go, and so forth. We need APIs that allow mid-level and pro-coders to tap into the vast libraries of modules in NPM and Apache Maven and others. We need APIs that allow mid-level and pro-code developers to take results and logic from these shared modules and libraries and use them inside Notes/Domino quickly and completely. We need APIs that allow quick and seamless integration with other software packages and platforms. While the AppDev Pack is a good starting point, it deals with Domino as if it is nothing more than a data store, when it is really a design and application store. We need APIs that recognize those features and use them effectively, inside and outside of Domino. We need APIs that work on any device, that allow both server and client-side logic, and all within a secure framework.
If HCL doesn't meet the need, we must
The world is in chaos and will be for a long time. For the sake of our customers, our companies, and ourselves, we need to make this work. At Genii Software, we have a long history of building for the mid-level developer, and helping the citizen developer become a mid-level developer, and eventually a pro-coder. We cannot and will not wait to see if HCL can meet this need all by itself. Keeping businesses intact, functioning and moving forward is our primary goal, and Notes/Domino is the best platform for accomplishing that, but only if we can tap into its strengths. Creative, new applications built around collaboration and distributed, secure enterprises are needed now, today, perhaps even yesterday. Of course, Genii Software isn't the only ISV developing solutions in this area. If you are aware of others, please mention them in the comments so people know. Let's do this!
Update: Watch a demo of one of the API methods we are trying out in my new post: High value methods: AppendFieldsWithJSON.
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What has been said:
1118.1. Tinus (03/19/2020 08:27 PM)
I am curious about how do you defined mid-code. Obviously there will be some coding involved but to what extend ?
1118.2. Ben Langhinrichs (03/20/2020 12:39 AM)
Tinus, if you look at my second post (linked at the bottom of this one), I give an example. There is coding, but high value methods allow you to do a great deal with very simple code, while still allowing you to go more granular to meet specific needs. Let me know if that example answers your question, as I am curious if it is clear enough.