[HN Gopher] Show HN: Lowdefy - Build internal tools with YAML on...
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       Show HN: Lowdefy - Build internal tools with YAML on an open-source
       framework
        
       Author : gervwyk
       Score  : 12 points
       Date   : 2021-02-25 20:33 UTC (1 days ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (lowdefy.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (lowdefy.com)
        
       | gervwyk wrote:
       | Lowdefy is an open-source (Apache-2.0) low-code framework that
       | lets you build web apps with YAML configuration files.
       | 
       | We have developed a simple application schema that is easy to
       | understand, write, remember and of course version control. Yet,
       | flexible enough to create UIs that require advanced logic. This
       | makes it easy to learn how to write applications and easier to
       | maintain consistency from one application to the next.
       | 
       | Lowdefy only provides the application layer and connects to your
       | external data sources or APIs, allowing you to access data where
       | it is stored.
       | 
       | Lowdefy uses webpack module federation as a micro-frontend
       | strategy to load blocks on demand. This enables developers to
       | further extend the functionality by building custom Lowdefy
       | blocks.
       | 
       | Our story:
       | 
       | We have been building Lowdefy since May 2019, and have been using
       | it internally for client software projects since January 2020. We
       | planned to sell it as a SaaS product but decided that an open-
       | source approach is more in line with our ultimate vision for
       | Lowdefy.
       | 
       | Why open-source?
       | 
       | It is important for us that our clients are not locked into a
       | single provider when building a tool.
       | 
       | Building a community and trust is one of our primary objectives,
       | since Lowdefy apps can be shared and open-sourced with ease, we
       | hope to see many open-source Lowdefy apps in the future.
       | 
       | On our roadmap:
       | 
       | We plan to monetize Lowdefy by providing optional, nice-to-have
       | services, that integrate well and empower the community.
        
         | Zaheer wrote:
         | Hey Thanks for building this - looks really cool! This may be a
         | more basic question but I'm curious how we would lock down the
         | application for internal use alone. Ex. is there any built in
         | authentication / user management?
        
       | gervwyk wrote:
       | Why build in YAML?
       | 
       | - All Lowdefy apps use the same structured config schema, which
       | makes it easier to debug large apps or pick up where others left
       | off.
       | 
       | - Nothing is hidden in a GUI. This allows you to do the basics
       | (copy, paste, find, replace, etc.), which makes developing apps
       | more productive.
       | 
       | - Lowdefy app config is simply data, so you can even develop
       | scripts to create and manage your apps.
       | 
       | - YAML files work with your favorite developer, source control,
       | and CI tools.
       | 
       | - Building a GUI to build Lowdefy apps is possible but resource-
       | intensive, so for now, our primary focus is to develop a really
       | powerful and stable application engine.
        
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       (page generated 2021-02-26 23:01 UTC)