Configure.IT no-code apps

I was reading an overview of several no-code or very-little-code app creation tools, and in the comments section one guy commented that he had used many different app-creation products, including some of these no-code ones, but finally he recommended just one, Configure.IT, for both professional app creators and absolute beginners with no coding experience.

So I looked at the site:
http://www.configure.it/

Development is online, so all you need is a web browser. So, thank goodness, I don't have to run Windows!

Configure.IT creates apps for both Android and iPhone, apparently with very few changes required in a project to develop for both. The big thing about it, that sets it apart from all the other online app-creation tools that I have looked at, is Configure.IT builds true native apps, in Java for Android, and Objective-C for iOS, and the source code may be downloaded and used in Android Studio and Apple's XCode -- for a fee!

Where the real challenge is though, is the "no code" claim. Other online no-code tools that I have briefly looked at are based on templates, and seem to be very limited. But, there are so many tools out there, and I have only briefly looked at a few, and read comparative overviews.

One online tool that I did look at in some depth is MIT's App Inventor for Android (which can also be made to work offline). App Inventor requires coding, but it is "visual coding", which I personally found to be a bit painful to use after awhile, trying to create anything meaningful. It also has extremely limited layout options.

Anyway, Configure.IT has a free account, with limitations of course, so I decided to "give it a spin". Clicked the "Register" button and got this:

Secure Connection Failed



An error occurred during a connection to m.configure.it. The OCSP server suggests trying again later. (Error code: sec_error_ocsp_try_server_later)



The page you are trying to view cannot be shown because the authenticity of the received data could not be verified.



    Please contact the website owners to inform them of this problem.

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Hmmm, not a promising start for an online tool!
But, waited a few minutes, then it worked. Only the one-off hiccup.

I registered and plunged straight in, to find out how intuitive it is. Without reading any documentation, I created a new project, with a label and button, and the simple action to change the text in the label when click the button.

It was all very simple, and I downloaded an APK file for Android -- 5.1MB.

It was interesting creating the "code" for the action, simple graphical selections, but I don't as yet know whether it will extend to anything more complex, such as branches and loops.

There is a PreviewIT app to be installed on iOS and Android phones, to enable running the app on the device while developing. Haven't tried that yet.

First impressions, very positive.

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Comments

There are lots of them. Here is one:

https://www.facebook.com/Configure.ITInc/videos/vb.1453617868202284/1618288538401882/?type=2&theater

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2le904

I don't know if he has any relationship with the company!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqfwKxiXiNbsMpMR91lBrUQ

http://wikiblinks.com/20-best-app-builders-for-creating-mobile-apps/

Last Friday I made an enquiry, asking if they are planning to add encryption support to SQLite. I got a reply that my question had been escalated and forwarded to the development team. Nothing since then.

By the way, didn't they think how bad that name "Configure.IT" is for search engines?

Google finds occurrences of "configure it", zillions of them.

They really should have named their product "ConfigureIT", without the dot.

Anyway, although I find Configure.IT to be extremely interesting, I can't use it without the encrypted database.

Tags: general