Almost every organisation uses Microsoft files for at least one process. This works well until several people need to work on it at the same time and nobody knows which version is correct.
With low-code, you can create an app from such a file without programming. You import the Excel file, drag the screens together and publish the result as a web or mobile app. Read on to find out how it works in six steps, using Mendix as an example. You can use that platform for simple apps for free.
Step 1: Install Mendix and create an account
Mendix is a low-code platform, a visual environment in which you can create pages, buttons and calculations instead of writing code. It works with a drag-and-drop interface, so even people without developer knowledge can build an app. Download Mendix Studio Pro for free to create your application.
Step 2: Import your Excel file into an app
Open Mendix en klik op ‘App maken’. Select the option ‘Start from a spreadsheet’ and choose your file.
Once you have selected the Excel file for import, your data will be analysed and converted into a domain model containing entities, attributes, and associations. If you use your spreadsheet to keep track of customers and orders, for example, ‘customer’ becomes an entity. Name, age, and address are attributes of that customer. The link between an order and the relevant customer is called an association.
Once all the data has been imported and the domain model has been created, you can use this structure in your app. This allows you to display data in tables, graphs and forms. You can also use it for search, filter and sort functions.
Mendix offers various options for working with data so that you can adapt the app to your needs.
Step 3: Design your Excel spreadsheet app
Once the domain model is in place, you can determine how the app will look. Mendix has many templates for a user-friendly design. Use the styling options to customise the app to your own brand guidelines.
Step 4: Adding functionality
An app that only shows data does not do what your Excel spreadsheet did. In this step, you add what makes the process work, and the drag-and-drop interface comes in handy here.
With this interface, you can easily add buttons and forms to your app. Select the element you want and drag it to the right place, without programming.
In addition to individual elements, you can add logic with microflows. This allows you to perform complex calculations or build in data control, for example. You don’t need to write any code for that either: Mendix has the building blocks ready.
Step 5: Testing and implementing the Excel app
Before you launch the app, you can test it. Mendix has a test environment where you can easily test on different devices and browsers.
Good testing helps you find and solve errors before launching the app. This will save you time and effort later.
Step 6: Publish your ‘Excel app!
The final step is to publish your Excel app. Mendix offers various options, including web, mobile and desktop. If multiple people are going to work with the app, publish it in the Mendix App Store.
Current image: app created based on an Excel file.
In six steps, your Excel file becomes an app that colleagues can work on simultaneously, without writing a single line of code. Does that app then grow to include more users or connections to other systems? Contact us, and we will help you plan the next step. You can read more about Mendix on our Mendix page.
In conclusion
In six steps, your Excel file becomes an app that colleagues can work on simultaneously, without writing a single line of code. Does that app then grow to include more users or connections to other systems? Contact us, and we will help you plan the next step.
