No code News September 2023: Flutterflow, Bubble, Webflow, Notion, Power Apps and Glide

No Code News for September 2023: Major Feature Updates in No-Code PlatformsExploring tech beyond boundaries, the month of September has brought numerous advancements in the domain of No-Code development. Here's an overview of valuable updates made by popular platforms.

FlutterFlow's Major enhancements

We are excited to announce that FlutterFlow has released its latest version, FlutterFlow 4.0, packed with new features to enhance your development experience, during their Developer Conference. In this article, we will highlight the key updates that make FlutterFlow even more powerful and user-friendly.

Branching: One of the most requested features is now available in FlutterFlow. You can now use git-style branching to experiment with new features or collaboratively develop new functionality without immediately merging them into your project. The branch creation workflow is simple, and FlutterFlow remembers your progress on each branch, making it easy to pick up where you left off. The visual merging view displays accepted changes alongside main and branch changes, ensuring full visibility during merges. Any conflicts can be accepted or resolved manually, empowering you to build incrementally and merge changes to the main branch frequently.

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Automated Test Creation: Testing is a crucial part of delivering smooth experiences to users, but building tests can be time-consuming. FlutterFlow's new automated testing feature simplifies the process. With the visual test builder, you can define testing steps and add preconditions effortlessly. Once complete, you can download the generated code to run the tests on your device or through a service like Firebase Test Lab. This feature ensures quality assurance on autopilot.

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FlutterFlow AI Assistant (Coming Soon): FlutterFlow is developing an AI assistant trained on their documentation. This assistant can answer your FlutterFlow questions in more than 150 languages. It can provide guidance on when to use a row versus a column, steps to implement specific widgets, and help troubleshoot errors. Additionally, the AI assistant can write code for custom functions, widgets, and actions based on your descriptions.

Cloud Functions: FlutterFlow now allows you to write and deploy Firebase Cloud Functions directly within the platform. The integrated code editor makes it fast and easy to write your own cloud functions in JavaScript. Each cloud function comes with essential settings like region and timeout, which can be customized according to your needs. You can call cloud functions via an action and use the result throughout your project, opening up unlimited possibilities for creating dynamic and powerful functionality.

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Upgraded FlutterFlow Marketplace: The FlutterFlow Marketplace has undergone a complete redesign and now supports paid items. You can buy and sell items, starting with paid template applications. Improvements to search, tags, and categories make it easier to find exactly what you need. Marketplace creators have a dedicated dashboard to track sales and manage items. Becoming a verified marketplace seller is now possible, with more information available in the new Marketplace.

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Screenshot Generator: Creating appealing images for the App Store and Play Store is effortless with FlutterFlow's new Screenshot Generator. It captures screenshots automatically in all recommended device sizes, and you can customize display values for variables. Downloaded screenshots are automatically organized into folders by device size, saving you time and effort.

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These new features in FlutterFlow 4.0 empower you to build more efficiently and with greater flexibility. Whether you're experimenting with new ideas, automating testing, leveraging cloud functions, exploring the marketplace, creating eye-catching screenshots, or seeking AI-powered assistance, FlutterFlow has you covered.

Bubble's Enhanced Security Standards

Aiming for greater security and scalability, Bubble introduced its new Bubble for Enterprise feature. This incorporates stringent security standards, including investments in its first-ever SOC 2 Type II report and further commitment to GDPR compliance. The new plan includes options like single sign-on to Bubble's platform and centralized billing and account management.

Webflow's Exciting Announcements

There's a powerful shift happening at Webflow, undoubtedly fueled by their ambitious mission—to empower everyone with development superpowers. It's inspiring to note that they don't intend to achieve this alone, leveraging the knowledge and expertise within the Webflow community. Today, a significant stride toward this noble cause is marked with the launch of the next generation of Webflow Apps, and a revamped platform for developers who seek to build their own Apps for the Webflow community.

The Enhanced Webflow Apps

Webflow, since launching Apps in beta last year, has been keen on lending more power and flexibility to this vital component in successful website building and launching. Here's a round-up of what's new:

• Apps Directly in the Webflow Designer: Apps are now accessible and launchable directly from the Designer, not only making it easier to find and use them but also introducing new methods for Apps to boost your workflows in the Designer, such as real-time editing of forms, images and text.
• Seamless Tool Integration: Apps are now more interconnected with vital Webflow features like asset management, forms, and custom code, facilitating more potent integrations with essential tools in your stack—CMS, marketing automations, and analytics platforms.
• Transparent Authorization and Permissions: Webflow also introduces a much more seamless installation and permission granting process for teams, allowing more granular permissions during the App installation to a site or workspace—breathing an extra layer of trust.

Excitingly, over 20 new Apps from partners like HubSpot, Finsweet, Unsplash, Jasper AI, Typeform, etc., are now available in the Webflow Marketplace. Let's dive into what some of these new apps entail:

• HubSpot: The revamped integration enables you to embed and style HubSpot forms in the designer and connect your HubSpot assets to your Webflow site.
• Unsplash: Now be spoilt for choice with over 5M+ images from Unsplash! Browse the collection from Webflow Designer and insert beautiful images into your designs.
• Monto: Hone your ecommerce journey with Monto's suite of ecommerce Apps—Abandoned Cart Recovery, Product Reviews, Subscriptions, Affiliates & Referrals, and Multi-Currency Converter.
• Make: Connect Webflow with other data sources using Make, and execute data transfer and transformation seamlessly.

For Developers

Beyond the power of Apps for Webflow users, the updated developer platform unlocks opportunities to create more robust products for a fast-growing community of agencies and freelancers. It’s also suitable for marketing teams working for the likes of the New York Times, Dropbox, and Rakuten. Key enhancements for developers include:

• Designer Extensions: These allow your App to interact directly with a site's Canvas, creating a smooth, native experience for users.
• New REST APIs: Complementing Designer Extensions, four new APIs reinforce a deeper integration with Webflow's core features.
• Improved Authentication Flows: You can now specify the permissions your app will need, giving users more control over their data and actions an application can execute.

Notion 2.32: New Features for Project Management, AI, and More

Notion, the popular no-code platform, has released version 2.32 with a set of exciting new features. Here are the highlights:

More Sharing Options: You now have the ability to configure access before sharing or publishing a page link. This gives you greater control over who can view and collaborate on your content.

Connect Tasks to Google Drive and Figma: Notion now allows you to view content from other tools directly within tasks. You can connect tasks to your files in Google Drive and designs in Figma, making it easier to keep everything organized in one place.

Smart Task Dependency Shift: When you update the due date of a task, all its dependent tasks will be automatically rescheduled. This saves you time and ensures that your project stays on track.

Save AI Instructions: You can mark specific AI instructions as favorites, making it easier to reuse them later. This feature brings more efficiency to your AI-powered projects.

Faster Page Loading: Notion has made improvements to page loading speed, with pages on iOS now loading 10% faster. This enhances the overall user experience and allows you to work more efficiently.

New Integrations and Integration Galleries: Notion has expanded its list of integrated tools, including popular platforms like Miro and Canva. This means you can connect Notion seamlessly with a wider range of tools to enhance your workflow.

Minor Fixes, Major Improvements: Notion has also introduced some small yet impactful improvements. Here are a few notable ones:

• Quickly add an end date in a date picker by holding the Shift key and clicking.
• Sort values of a selection or multi-selection property in alphabetical or manual order.
• Share a Notion page directly with your Slack contacts.

Power Apps: Modern Controls Updates in Canvas Apps

Power Apps, another leading no-code platform, has made significant progress in modernizing its controls. Here's a recap of the August updates:

New Control: Table - Power Apps has released the first iteration of a responsive Table control. You can connect the Table to your data, select the columns to display, and it will automatically adapt its format based on the control's width. This initial version supports connecting to Dataverse entities, with support for other connectors coming soon.

Control Improvements: Power Apps has also made key improvements to existing controls:

• Text Control: You can now highlight text in the text control for easier copy and paste. Auto height is also available in the properties panel.
• Date Picker: The date picker control has been updated to align with Fluent 2. It also introduces new date format properties, making it more compatible with different regions. Additional properties for customizing the date picker have been added as well.

Noodl: Open Source Documentation Site

Noodl fulfilled a long-awaited feat in the month of September by making its documentation site Open Source.

Weweb's Update on Xano Integration

WeWeb, a no-code platform, now supports Xano data sources and branches. This feature allows you to work with different Xano data sources and branches, depending on your specific needs. Here's an example of how it works:

Different Data Sources: You can choose to work with different Xano data sources within the WeWeb editor, on the app published in the WeWeb staging environment, or on the published app in production. This is particularly helpful when iterating on your app with test data without affecting your live app.

Different Branches: Similarly, you can choose to work with different Xano branches in the WeWeb editor and the app published in the staging environment. This allows you to test new features or changes in a separate branch without impacting the live app.

Glide

Glide has recently launched Glide AI, a set of building blocks that enable the creation of AI-powered apps using your business data. With Glide AI, you can add native AI features to your apps without the complexity of API keys, model configuration, or managing prompts. Here are the highlights:

• Native AI Features: Glide AI provides several native AI features, including generating text, converting audio to text, extracting text from images, and converting text into structured formats. These features can be used as columns or actions, and they can be added in the data editor, layout editor, or action editor.
• No API Keys or Model Configuration: Glide AI eliminates the need for API keys or complex model configuration. You can access AI features directly within Glide, making it easy to harness the power of AI without technical expertise.
• Available on Pro Plans and Up: Glide AI is available on Pro plans and above. If you're on a lower plan, you can upgrade today to experience the native AI features.

Glide has also officially released Single Sign-On (SSO) for all Enterprise customers. SSO allows you to connect your Glide apps to your organization's identity tools, such as Okta, Azure AD, Google, and many more. Here's what you need to know:

• Compatible with Any IdP: SSO in Glide is compatible with any Identity Provider (IdP) and supports both SAML and OIDC protocols. You can easily connect Glide apps to your preferred IdP for seamless user authentication.
• Available to Enterprise Customers: SSO is now available to all Glide Enterprise customers, providing enhanced security and control over user access.

To enable SSO in Glide, simply navigate to the Integrations tab in Glide and select your preferred identity provider. Glide's documentation provides detailed instructions on configuring SSO.

Noxcod : Nox Makers

This month, we also released the second episode featuring Benoit de Montecler, the founder of "Ncscale." Benoit has creatively utilized No-Code tools to significantly improve the efficiency and productivity of his business.

In this captivating episode, Benoit will share his journey and elucidate how he succeeded in transforming his business through the utilization of No-Code tools. He will also unveil the various steps he took to achieve this outcome.

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The month of September has witnessed an abundance of innovations in the world of No-Code. These new features and enhancements empower developers and businesses to create more efficient and personalized applications and websites.

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