In a bid to make app development significantly easier, Google has released its App Maker application out of beta, and to the public. The app development environment is being touted as a medium for almost anyone to easily code their own apps, by use the pre-coded templates and modules to add or include services. This streamlines the entire process of developing an application, which typically takes a lot more effort, knowhow and investment if made from scratch.
Geva Rechav, Product Manager at Google describes the Google App Maker as "G Suite’s low-code application development environment that makes it easy to build custom apps that speed up workflows and make processes better." He further adds, "App Maker is flexible enough to be as useful to large companies as it is to schools and universities—and now it’s available for all G Suite for Education, Business and Enterprise customers." The Google App Maker takes a modular approach to the process of application development, by providing chunks of pre-coded modules and responsive templates that Google states will even help those with no or little coding knowledge to build, update and maintain their own, custom app. Furthermore, it also adds the flexibility of allowing more than one person to simultaneously update databases linked to the relevant apps, or make changes as necessary.
The Google App Maker includes integrated Cloud SQL support that can be accessed using the Google Cloud Platform. The service can be accessed via an enterprise, business or education G Suites-subscribed account, and comes with viewing ownership of multiple apps being developed under the same organisation, detailed usage metrics for tracking and analysis, and expanded OAuth whitelisting controls that gives moderators better control over which apps are approved under an umbrella. With the present mobile-first world commanding the use of more apps than ever, the Google App Maker also includes drag-and-drop design and UI options, which also solves the need to code in various design elements.
Google is presently aiming at App Maker being used in schools by teachers to help students learn the basics of coding and app development, or by employees of an organisation to develop a sub-app for a particular element of their business. Simultaneously, even professional app developers can use the App Maker to make their own lives easier, using the pre-coded templates to ease the process of design and development. The service is now open to the public, and you can read more about it in Rechav's detailed blog post here.