Which low-code UI framework? Part 2: Budibase
The second candidate in my low-code UI framework test is Budibase. It launched out of beta a year ago, and the “second most popular” according to Github metrics after Appsmith.
Setup: copy docker-compose.yaml file, fill in some sample passwords, docker-compose up
and done.
Evaluation
Out of the box I am kind of guided through a wizard that asks me to add a datasource first. Okay, can do, I would prefer drawing the interface first. There is also something internal called a “Budibase DB” that I don’t really understand.
CSV editor
GET query: works fine. I set up a “REST” datasource with a GET query. I can parametrize it with “root” and “path”
There is also a way to apply custom JS to the result. However I cannot import libraries. So I’m googling for a snippet to parse CSV, and use it in the Transformer. I also add a row number that can be used later in the editor. The “JSON” view only shows one record but “Preview” shows them all.
Now I add a table in the “Design” view. Then I need a “Data provider” which takes the getCSV query as “data”. However, I can still not select my new data provider in the table. It took me a while to understand that I need to move my table into the data provider.
I manage to make a form getting the scheme from the getCSV query, now I would have to get the currently selected row in there.
Probably, to implement the update functionality, I would have to put the data into the internal Budibase DB and work on that. I made a table called “data” with a JSON column, and I am trying to make a “Refresh” button that executr
However at this point it is already clear for me that I am not the target population of Budibase. It has a lot more predefined structure and order than Openblocks. From my understanding, Budibase is a system to build a complete app with as little code as possible and as much support from the framework as possible (see below: actions on a button). I am looking for a way to make a quick frontend by drag&drop and make it do what I want. It’s probably possible to make “my app” in Budibase, but I will work around the system rather than with it.