Why it's Clicks and Code, not Clicks or Code

In the world of tech, there has been a conversion thread (debate?) over the last 5ish years about whether it's better to use clicks or code when developing software and solutions. Clicks and code are not mutually exclusive. Both are necessary for effective software development.

It’s about using the most appropriate approach, dependent on what needs to be built - which option delivers what’s needed in the most efficient way and which option represents the best decision for avoiding technical debt in the future.

I’m a huge fan of no-code tools and platforms that can deliver solutions at speed and allow you to be agile and iterate at pace, but the reality is that no-code tools don’t allow for every eventuality or requirement to be built (which you have to revert to code for).

In my current role I work very closely with both the Salesforce and ServiceNow platforms, they both do a great job of offering a choice of clicks and/or code to build business solutions - they offer the ability to make a choice based on what’s appropriate.

It’s not just a developer vs non-developer thing either. Even a developer who is experienced in writing code may decide to use clicks rather than code because it allows them to deliver what they need to in the best way possible. Factors will include but not be limited to design, security, scale, performance, complexity, cost, timelines etc. More times than not it’s likely to be a combination of clicks and code.

There should always be a focus on creating solutions that meet the needs of users and solve real-world problems, whether those solutions are created using clicks and/or code.

Ultimately, clicks and code are better together than apart.