Low-Code/No-Code Development: Revolutionizing Software Development in 2024 with React Native

Low-Code/No-Code (LC/NC) development is transforming how we build software by reducing the need for extensive coding knowledge and enabling faster development cycles. While many LC/NC tools are standalone platforms, developers can also apply these principles within frameworks like React Native using TypeScript (TSX).

In this article, we will explore how to create a dynamic form builder as an example of LC/NC development in React Native TypeScript. This form builder will allow users to define the form structure through JSON configuration, effectively making it a no-code solution for generating forms.

1. What We’re Building

We’ll create a React Native TypeScript app that:

1. Dynamically generates forms based on a JSON configuration.
2. Validates inputs using prebuilt rules.
3. Submits form data to an API endpoint.

This approach demonstrates how LC/NC principles can be applied to a React Native project, enabling quick adjustments to the form structure without modifying the codebase.

2. Setting Up the React Native Project

1. Initialize the Project:

npx react-native init FormBuilderApp --template react-native-template-typescript
cd FormBuilderApp        

2. Install Required Libraries:

• Formik: For form management.
• Yup: For validation.
• Axios: For API calls.

npm install formik yup axios        

3. JSON Configuration

Here’s the JSON structure for the form configuration:

formConfig.json:

{
  "title": "User Registration Form",
  "fields": [
    {
      "type": "text",
      "label": "Full Name",
      "name": "fullName",
      "placeholder": "Enter your full name",
      "validation": {
        "required": true,
        "minLength": 3
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "email",
      "label": "Email Address",
      "name": "email",
      "placeholder": "Enter your email",
      "validation": {
        "required": true,
        "email": true
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "password",
      "label": "Password",
      "name": "password",
      "placeholder": "Create a password",
      "validation": {
        "required": true,
        "minLength": 6
      }
    },
    {
      "type": "button",
      "label": "Submit"
    }
  ]
}        

4. React Native Code

FormBuilder.tsx:

This component dynamically generates the form based on the JSON configuration.

import React from 'react';
import { View, Text, TextInput, Button, StyleSheet } from 'react-native';
import { Formik, Field } from 'formik';
import * as Yup from 'yup';

import formConfig from './formConfig.json';

const generateValidationSchema = (fields: any) => {
  const shape: any = {};
  fields.forEach((field: any) => {
    if (field.validation?.required) {
      let validator = Yup.string().required(`${field.label} is required`);
      if (field.validation.minLength) {
        validator = validator.min(field.validation.minLength, `${field.label} must be at least ${field.validation.minLength} characters`);
      }
      if (field.validation.email) {
        validator = validator.email('Invalid email address');
      }
      shape[field.name] = validator;
    }
  });
  return Yup.object().shape(shape);
};

const FormBuilder: React.FC = () => {
  const validationSchema = generateValidationSchema(formConfig.fields);

  const renderField = (field: any, handleChange: any, handleBlur: any, values: any) => {
    if (field.type === 'text' || field.type === 'email' || field.type === 'password') {
      return (
        <View key={field.name} style={styles.fieldContainer}>
          <Text style={styles.label}>{field.label}</Text>
          <TextInput
            style={styles.input}
            placeholder={field.placeholder}
            onChangeText={handleChange(field.name)}
            onBlur={handleBlur(field.name)}
            value={values[field.name]}
            secureTextEntry={field.type === 'password'}
          />
        </View>
      );
    }
    if (field.type === 'button') {
      return (
        <View key={field.label} style={styles.buttonContainer}>
          <Button title={field.label} onPress={() => {}} />
        </View>
      );
    }
    return null;
  };

  return (
    <Formik
      initialValues={{ fullName: '', email: '', password: '' }}
      validationSchema={validationSchema}
      onSubmit={(values) => {
        console.log('Form Submitted:', values);
      }}
    >
      {({ handleChange, handleBlur, handleSubmit, values, errors, touched }) => (
        <View style={styles.container}>
          <Text style={styles.title}>{formConfig.title}</Text>
          {formConfig.fields.map((field) =>
            renderField(field, handleChange, handleBlur, values)
          )}
          {Object.keys(errors).map((key) => touched[key] && <Text key={key} style={styles.error}>{errors[key]}</Text>)}
          <Button title="Submit" onPress={handleSubmit as any} />
        </View>
      )}
    </Formik>
  );
};

const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: {
    padding: 20,
  },
  title: {
    fontSize: 20,
    fontWeight: 'bold',
    marginBottom: 20,
  },
  fieldContainer: {
    marginBottom: 15,
  },
  label: {
    fontSize: 16,
    marginBottom: 5,
  },
  input: {
    borderWidth: 1,
    borderColor: '#ccc',
    borderRadius: 5,
    padding: 10,
  },
  buttonContainer: {
    marginTop: 20,
  },
  error: {
    color: 'red',
    marginTop: -10,
    marginBottom: 10,
  },
});

export default FormBuilder;        

5. Testing the App

Steps to Test:

1. Run the app:

npx react-native run-android        

2. The app dynamically generates a registration form based on formConfig.json.

3. Submit the form and observe the console logs for form data validation.

6. Advantages of This Approach

1. Reusability: The same JSON configuration can be reused across multiple platforms or form types.
2. Scalability:Adding a new field requires only a JSON update, not a code change.
3. Time-Saving: Drastically reduces the time needed to build and modify forms.

7. Conclusion

This example demonstrates how Low-Code/No-Code Development principles can be applied to a React Native TypeScript project. By dynamically generating forms based on JSON configurations, developers can deliver flexible, user-driven applications quickly. This approach is a prime example of bridging the gap between traditional coding and the simplicity of no-code solutions.