Alan
Dev tools
low-code application platform
SHOW HN2018
413points
173comments
#39of 2,155 in 2018
Top 2%of 2018 by points
How HN took it
CuriousMostly questions and neutral comments
10 positive, 62 neutral or asking, 5 mixed, 31 critical, out of 108 comments about the project. Thread score -0.21.
Design: 1 for, 12 againstDocs: 2 for, 9 againstIdea: 6 for, 2 againstPrivacy: 0 for, 2 againstExecution: 0 for, 1 against
The thread, comment by comment
Each row is a top-level comment and its replies, in HN's order. Select a cell to open that comment on HN.
positive neutral or mixed critical about another commenter or something else the maker
What HN said
What people liked
Declarative, model-driven approach to business software is promising
From 3 comments
I've long thought that this is the way applications should be built. 90% of what we do as app developers could be automated away. This looks really promising. That having been…
ccleve on HNSome feedback: * "low code" is confusing When I started reading I thought low code, meant low "level" code, something like assembly or rust. After reading a lot in the page I saw…
elviejo on HNHey Koen, congrats on you and Corno making front-page on HN! I can definitely confirm for others reading this that it indeed has been something like 10 years in the making; I was…
drostie on HN
Objections
Documentation is lacking, especially for getting started and customization
From 3 comments
I've long thought that this is the way applications should be built. 90% of what we do as app developers could be automated away. This looks really promising. That having been…
ccleve on HNHow do you take this from here to the next step? Let's say I want to develop a multi user todo and I've followed the examples and now have some Users who log in entering a…
WorkLifeBalance on HNIt should have a video showing the code the process and the sort of apps it builds. I’m not doing the tutorial. I’m sufficiently interested to give it a 30 second video. If that…
hguhghuff on HN
Closed-source server and no way to escape to custom code
From 1 comment
I've long thought that this is the way applications should be built. 90% of what we do as app developers could be automated away. This looks really promising. That having been…
ccleve on HN
Setup via VirtualBox image is a barrier
From 2 comments
I've long thought that this is the way applications should be built. 90% of what we do as app developers could be automated away. This looks really promising. That having been…
ccleve on HNTutorial has some issues. “from_scratch.migration” should be “from_zero.migration”, and visiting server_ip:7584 gives an invalid address error. This is after downloading the…
jf- on HN
Name is confusing or generic
From 2 comments
An oKay name ...
argimenes on HNSome feedback: * "low code" is confusing When I started reading I thought low code, meant low "level" code, something like assembly or rust. After reading a lot in the page I saw…
elviejo on HN
Requests
Video walkthrough or demo of finished apps
From 2 comments
It should have a video showing the code the process and the sort of apps it builds. I’m not doing the tutorial. I’m sufficiently interested to give it a 30 second video. If that…
hguhghuff on HNI've long thought that this is the way applications should be built. 90% of what we do as app developers could be automated away. This looks really promising. That having been…
ccleve on HN
Visual editor or UI builder
From 2 comments
"Pretty apps isn't what you'd use Alan for" Wouldn't a visual model bulder speed up the creation of all those declarative data models?
tyingq on HNIt definitely could. However, written language is really powerful. We're still developing new features for the modeling language and keeping the cost of each iteration down is…
klageveen on HN
Show the UI and source code of example apps
From 2 comments
I've long thought that this is the way applications should be built. 90% of what we do as app developers could be automated away. This looks really promising. That having been…
ccleve on HNSome feedback: * "low code" is confusing When I started reading I thought low code, meant low "level" code, something like assembly or rust. After reading a lot in the page I saw…
elviejo on HN
Questions
How are business rules and state machines modeled?
From 2 comments
Some feedback: * "low code" is confusing When I started reading I thought low code, meant low "level" code, something like assembly or rust. After reading a lot in the page I saw…
elviejo on HNis this based on the concept of StateCharts?
platz on HN
How to connect external APIs and systems?
From 2 comments
Some feedback: * "low code" is confusing When I started reading I thought low code, meant low "level" code, something like assembly or rust. After reading a lot in the page I saw…
elviejo on HNCheck this for an example: https://github.com/M-industries/AlanProjectTemplate/blob/master/interfaces/examples/application.alan#L116
klageveen on HN
How to change the data model, e.g. hashing passwords?
From 2 comments
How do you take this from here to the next step? Let's say I want to develop a multi user todo and I've followed the examples and now have some Users who log in entering a…
WorkLifeBalance on HNWell, in this particular case passwords are always hashed. So the platform deals with that for you. Other changes to the data model need a migration, which is covered here:…
klageveen on HN
In what language are custom functions written?
From 1 comment
I've long thought that this is the way applications should be built. 90% of what we do as app developers could be automated away. This looks really promising. That having been…
ccleve on HN
Alternatives named
Mendix
From 1 comment
We're still feeling out the market here, to see where we can take it. It will probably stay free for personal use and then grow from there with services like hosting, etc.…
klageveen on HN
OutSystems
From 2 comments
We're still feeling out the market here, to see where we can take it. It will probably stay free for personal use and then grow from there with services like hosting, etc.…
klageveen on HNYou could look at it like that. But because data modeling language underneath is so much more detailed and powerful, the default UI is also much more useful than what you get in…
klageveen on HN
Microsoft Access
From 1 comment
I am not sure I get it right, but is this supposed to be a modern MS Access? If it is, I think it is a very welcoming innovation. I believe there are a lot of use cases in…
soneca on HN
Excel
From 1 comment
We're still feeling out the market here, to see where we can take it. It will probably stay free for personal use and then grow from there with services like hosting, etc.…
klageveen on HN
Power Apps
From 1 comment
I guess you could compare it to the model driven Power Apps. However, Alan's modeling language is more powerful. Especially the concept of state groups that allows you to specify…
klageveen on HN