Build Custom Calendar Apps with Low-Code Software

Time management does not come easily. In an increasingly hectic world, many of us have to juggle multiple tasks at home and at work. There are a variety of free calendar apps available. However, many don’t meet all of our needs. Some may be ideal for recording events but aren't great with reminders for checklists.

Routine issues can include difficulty using an application across all devices, poor integration with other applications, and sometimes missed double bookings. Low-code platforms allow employees (business users) who have some technical knowledge to build customized digital calendars or scheduling applications.

A low-code platform allows you to add the features you need to build an application that works on multiple devices, and integrates effectively with other applications and systems. These platforms minimize manual coding, speed up development, and reduce an IT department’s workload.

Low-code platforms come equipped with visual interfaces with simple logic, point-and-click, and drag-and-drop modules.

You can create your very own calendar mobile, desktop, or web app for making checklists, booking appointments, adding important dates, or arranging meetings. Many platforms allow developers to add custom code to build tailored solutions to meet specific business demands.

Low-code tools enable both professional developers and business users to build solutions of varying complexity. Here are some of the features that most low-code platforms offer:

Rapid Application Development: App creation using a low-code platform's graphical interface makes this approach faster than traditional software development. Visual modeling and built-in modules ensure even employees with minimal technical background can create innovative business solutions.

Cross-Device Capability: Enterprises can use low-code development platforms on any device that runs on their core operating systems. Users can also create apps like digital calendars that work on mobile devices, on the web, desktop, and numerous other platforms.

Streamlined Software Development: Most low-code tools streamline the stages in the software development lifecycle, like testing, debugging, and deployment. They allow access to data about the apps created and enable users to go back to previous versions if required for improved lifecycle management.

Monitoring Application’s Effectiveness: Low-code apps can assess workflows and processes to keep track of their effectiveness. They can also monitor other app’s performance.

Low-code platforms have several advantages including increased productivity, agility, and require minimal hand-coding.

Professional developers play a crucial role in adding customization and in building secure, high-quality solutions.

Low-code platforms allow them to create sophisticated applications without needing to build modules from scratch.

Low-Code benefits also include:

Allow business users to develop solutions that automate repetitive tasks.
Low-code platforms allow developers to focus on more demanding and critical projects.
There are fewer bugs and integration issues on low-code platforms.

Low-code platforms encourage collaboration between professional developers, business users, and decision-makers to build applications, digitize workflows and business processes. Other benefits include:

Increased Engagement for Non-Technical Employees: Developing software solutions is no longer the exclusive domain of the experts. As more employees become familiar with low-code tools, they can create applications without much supervision. Teams work more flexibly, need minimal training, and can achieve successes in a short time.

More Digital Automation: Some low-code platforms can reduce developers’ work by as much as 80%. Ready-to-use applications can be available for use in weeks, and sometimes days.
Easier Integration: Many low-code platforms come equipped with integrated connectors or a flexible REST API that connects to legacy systems, third-party systems, or isolated applications, enabling data exchange across the entire company. On the one hand, low-code tools integrate easily into a company’s IT infrastructure. On the other hand, they extend the performance and reach of existing systems.

Low-code platforms enable companies to monitor the quality and performance of new applications. In most situations, developers can quickly identify errors and easily maintain applications.

If an app needs to be optimized or integrated with new systems, professional developers can add custom code as needed.

Other advantages of low-code platforms include:

They require minimal hand-coding which means updates, adjustments, and deployment take less effort. This helps companies increase their agility when faced with changing market requirements.

Many platforms offer role management and access controls which reduces the risk of shadow IT. There are also less confusing development processes that may adversely affect control and governance.

Low-code platforms increase the speed and simplicity of development, ease integration, and maximize resource and cost-efficiency.

Create a Workspace and Configure the Database

The First Stage in Building your Calendar App: When building applications with Alpha Anywhere, the first step is to create a workspace. A workspace includes all the files such as UX components, JavaScript Libraries, images, HTML pages, and more that you'll need. To develop a calendar application you need to configure the low-code platform database. Alpha Anywhere has a pre-built database that makes it quicker to fill individual fields with different data types.

Add Plugins: The Alpha Anywhere platform has an extensive plugin library that seamlessly integrates with applications. Plugins are an essential addition and allow businesses to achieve their brand objectives. Once you install the calendar plugin, you need to customize your database by configuring its data source. When you create a calendar app, your calendar needs to provide a preview of the event data type.

Create Workflows and Popups

Create Workflows: Once you have built the user interface (UI), you need to develop the main workflows to view, reschedule, and delete events. You'll want a function that allows the user to create events when they click on any calendar day. To allow the user to delete an event, you need to create another workflow that removes the event from the view/edit popup. You also need to make sure that the popup item does not appear when the user deletes an event.

Create Popups: The next step is to create a preview display popup element. In the popup element, we’ll optimize a combination of multiline input, text input, and data and time elements. This way enables you to add specific details to your event.

Alpha Anywhere's calendar component is built upon an easy-to-use calendar interface that allows you to develop a complete scheduling system. It only takes five to ten minutes to customize an application’s appearance instead of weeks and even months. Features include eight different views, a drag-and-drop interface, simple integration with other Alpha Anywhere components, and easy binding to SQL and DBF databases.

While Alpha Anywhere's Calendar Component makes it easy to build robust scheduling systems, Alpha Anywhere’s Calendar Control enables you to get and set values, manage events, and enter values. It works as a date picker or a starting and ending date picker and displays events in an easily adaptable User Interface (UI).

This powerful easy-to-use tool provides a selection of server-side and client-side events to create advanced, customizable functionality. You can customize the HTML of each calendar date making it easy to display events complete with hyperlinks, JavaScript, and more.

Here are some essential features that you may want to add to your calendar app.

Setting Reminders and Scheduling Tasks

CEOs and their employees have many crucial meetings and deadlines that they cannot afford to miss. Any calendar app should have reminders of these dates and should ensure people get appropriate notifications.

Scheduling tasks or mini-goals will boost your motivation when you can mark them off on your calendar application. A scheduling feature also reduces the back and forth between team members, making it an efficient time-saver.

Sharing a Link With Open Meeting Times

When you have a hectic schedule, you should save as much time as possible. Sharing a private link where others can book an appointment makes it easier to know your availability. Your app should also allow users to add recurring events or meetings.

Resource Management

Your users should be able to add all appropriate resources and assign them to a suitable booking slot by creating dependencies between them. Regardless of the number of employees or devices, with this feature you can streamline all meetings with this feature.

There are certain features that you absolutely need and there are those that you would like to have. After reviewing apps on the current app market, here are some suggestions.

Sync Capacities

Users will have multiple devices and they should be able to use a calendar app across mobile, desktop, and on the web.
Low-code platforms allow you to build an application once and automatically deploy it across multiple devices.

A User-Friendly Design

Using a UX/ UI Designer: If you want a user-friendly application, you'll need to consider outsourcing the design of your app to an expert UX/UI designer, or you may already have one on your team.
Low-Code and UX/UI Design: Low-code platforms use a visual interface that allows UX/UI designers to automate any part of the application lifecycle to build software.

Accessibility to Hardware

To enhance the usability of your application, you may want to use specific hardware similar to Force Touch or 3D touch.

Force Touch/3D Touch: This hardware distinguishes between various degrees of force that a user applies on touch screen surfaces.
Geolocation: Enables users to add geolocation to events making them easier to find.
Customization: Low-code enables you to use custom code to tailor your application to the needs of different users, for example, color-coding events.
Speech Recognition: A speech recognition feature can be essential for adding and editing events. You can use a SpeechRecognizer API for desktop or mobile or a Web Speech API for a web app.

6 Compelling Reasons To Use Low-Code Platforms to Build Your Calendar App

Of the many reasons to choose a low-code platform to build your calendar apps, we have covered six of the most compelling.

Enables employees to become citizen developers and build scheduling solutions with minimal supervision.
You can develop one calendar application that works across desktop, mobile, and the web.
Your calendar application will integrate easily with both your legacy systems and other solutions in your tech stack.
There will be fewer maintenance and security issues as low-code platforms have in-built, pre-checked modules.
You can customize your calendar application to align with your business needs for multiple industries.
Some plugins and components ensure your application is more user-friendly. Alpha Anywhere's Calendar Component enables you to create sophisticated task management systems and applications that synchronize employee schedules.