Why program an app when you can draw it: this is how Microsoft’s new “No-Code” AI works

Yesterday the Microsoft Build 2022 event aimed at developers began, and among the novelties there was a particularly curious one: a new “No-Code” system that allows the user interface of applications to be developed not programming it, but drawing it.

The system is part of the Power Apps platform, a series of tools for developing applications without having to deal with their code —what is popularly known as “No-Code”—. The idea is certainly striking, and allows transform for example forms from paper to forms in a mobile app.

No-Code, No-Code, No-Code

That famous “Developers, developers, developers” of Microsoft has evolved a bit since an exalted Steve Ballmer uttered those words – the ‘mix’ they dedicated to him was also epic.

It is true that the programming segment has gained a lot of integers and is now an increasingly reputable and demanded profession, but it is also true that more and more tools appear to help those who do not program to start doing it.

Among them are all those belong to ‘Low-Code’ and ‘No-Code’ programming that precisely try to greatly facilitate the creation of applications.

Microsoft’s latest in ‘No-Code’ tools is the ‘Express Design’ feature of the Power Apps platform. With her it is possible draw the interface of an application even on paper and in very basic mode to then take a photo and import it into this tool.

From there, the artificial intelligence integrated in this platform for developers is capable of recognizing the design and transforming it into the user interface of an application automatically and transparently. Power Apps does use of object detection thanks to Azure Cognitive Services.

The operation of the function, as can be seen in the video -don’t miss it- is really surprising, and allows a simple form drawn on paper ends up being a form of a mobile application which we can then fine-tune with various customization options.

This type of solution joins others that, thanks to artificial intelligence, have begun to save time and effort for developers around the world. CoPilot, GitHub’s automatic code generation systemis being another of the recent successes of this new paradigm.

Thus, although traditional application development certainly remains the main way of creating software, these new platforms uncover a striking alternative for other types of users and developers.