As a custom software development company, we create a broad range of software, applications, websites, and mobile apps such as iPhone™ and Android™ apps. This means that whenever a new tool or resource is released, we get pretty excited about it – especially if we can use it to operate more efficiently and serve our clients better.

One interesting idea that has seen multiple appearances recently is the "do-it-yourself app creator," which seems to advertise the ability for people with no previous programming experience to create market-worthy applications for the web, mobile devices, and desktop computers. The idea of accessible programming options is not new, but newer and more powerful options have made them into an intriguing opportunity.

The Good

These are GREAT learning tools for novice programmers and can be very helpful for building your own learn-as-you-go type of regimen. But expect to do a lot of learning. The tutorials are helpful and can get you started and figuring out some of the basics. There are some reference tools to help you figure out how to do some things not listed in the tutorials, although you may need to rely a bit on discussion forums and general Internet searches to find the information you need.

The structured approach also helps create simple applications within a controlled environment. This means that you only need to worry about a limited number of commands, or a limited number of potential features. For quickly creating simple applications or web pages, this can be a useful option.

The ‘neither good nor bad’

There are many features that may be good or bad, or that may have no effect at all.

Specifically, will the final product be compatible with the medium in which you are publishing. For example, Google’s™ App Inventor does not allow you to publish your apps on the Android app market. If you wanted to make an app to sell, or to promote a current business, then the App Inventor is the wrong choice. But if you just wanted to create an app solely for your own use, then the App Inventor is a fine choice.

Other forms of "publication" may or may not be supported as well. For many web-based applications or websites, actually publishing it to the web can be challenging and requires a bit of outside work. However, other do-it-yourself programs make this fairly easy, so you can save yourself a bunch of time and hassle by ensuring that it makes publication easy for what you want to do.

The Bad

The biggest downside to these tools is that people tend to expect too much from them. They will not be able to create commercial quality applications without a significant time investment, and without significant learning. However, they can definitely help you learn a lot, and they can create some neat things without needing a lot of background knowledge. Just realize that you will be limited in what you can create or modify without delving into the program’s code.

Another issue is software support. Since your tools are limited, supporting and troubleshooting your application can be very difficult, and it can be a very manual and time consuming task to find and fix bugs. This makes it a very unwise choice for commercial applications (such as creating an app to sell, or a website to promote your business and engage your customers), but can still be suitable for more personal use.

In terms of helping you learn programming, requiring you to find and fix bugs can be very helpful, as you must learn and understand what is going on. But for people looking to quickly create something useful, this can be time consuming and frustrating.

Also listed under "the bad" is the over-estimation of what you can build with little or no programming experience. These tools allow you to build the core framework of very basic applications, with strict limitations on the features you can include (although some allow elements to be added at the code level, but that requires an amount of expertise). What many users find missing is the ability to manage the final look and feel of an application, which can be almost as important as the functionality of an application.

Overall

Do-it-yourself programming tools can be a great way to learn and experiment, but require a lot of learning and have many limitations which restrict your ability to create professional-quality applications.

As a custom software development company based in Boulder, Colorado, we are often asked if these types of tools are a threat to our core business. The answer: definitely not. These tools help people better understand the time and expertise required to make quality applications, and they help build interest in the technology itself.

Many people and small companies are interested in do-it-yourself options because they hope it will save money over hiring someone else to do it. However, there are many other options that may be better suited to commercial needs, that won’t break the bank. Some of these include semi-custom websites, and simple mobile apps which are designed from a prebuilt template, but then customized to fit a specific need.

These other options can also benefit from customization by experienced programmers, which can help ensure that it meets all of your needs and can be easily expanded as your company grows. One example of this is the Virtuoso Website Builder and Support which offers not only customized websites, but also 24/7 support, cloud hosting, SEO, and many other benefits. The sites are based off common templates but still benefit from an entirely customized look and feel. This saves time and money without reducing quality.

As a custom software company, we appreciate anything that helps people understand technology and become a part of the creation process. As people continue to imagine and experiment, we will continue to specialize in helping people translate those dreams into reality.