Introduction:
Low-code form builders have made it easier for developers to create applications without a lot of manual coding. But did you know you can make these forms even better by connecting them to other services through third-party APIs? This means you can not only send data from your forms to external servers but also bring in data from external sources to display directly within your forms. In this article, we’ll look at how using third-party APIs with low-code forms can open exciting possibilities and make your applications more powerful.
How do Third-Party APIs Supercharge Low-Code Form Functionality?
1. Making Data Exchange Smoother:
By connecting third-party APIs to your low-code forms, you can effortlessly send your form data to other servers for processing or storage. Additionally, you can fetch information from third-party APIs and use it to fill in your forms, making the user experience more interesting.
2. Enabling Two-Way Communication:
With third-party API integration, your low-code forms can communicate back and forth with external systems. You cannot push data from your forms to external servers but also pull data from third-party APIs and show it directly in your forms.
Fig.1: Scheduling Workflow for fetching Data from External server
Fig.2: Integrating Third-Party APIs from Scheduler into Our Forms
Fig.3: Integrating a Third-Party API to Send Data from Our Forms to an External Server
3. Enhancing Form Functions:
Integrating third-party APIs lets you go beyond basic data entry in your low-code forms. You can add advanced features like location services, payment processing, social media connections, and more directly into your forms.
4. Implementing Grid Operations:
One of the powerful things you can do with third-party API integration is perform grid operations in your forms. This means you can get, manipulate, and display tabular data from external sources, making it easy for users to interact with complex datasets.
Real-World Examples:
- Database Operations: Link to external databases through APIs to get or update data dynamically in your forms, giving you powerful data management capabilities.
- Social Media Integration: Bring in social media data like user profiles or posts and display them in your forms for social login or content sharing.
The Bottom Line:
Integrating third-party APIs into low-code forms brings endless possibilities to enhance the functionality and usability of your applications. Whether you want to make data exchange smoother, enable two-way communication, or implement advanced features like grid operations, third-party API integration helps you create dynamic and interactive forms effortlessly. By using external data sources and services, you can elevate your low-code applications, providing unmatched value to users and fostering innovation in your development process.
Author: Kowsiya Nagarajan, Software Engineer