Warning: The WeChat Miniprogram Generator is no longer under development.
Mini Programs (小程序 - xiǎo chéngxù) is a new format of mobile application, a hybrid solution that relies on Web technologies (such as CSS, JavaScript) but also integrates with the capabilities of Native Apps. They got popular from their usage on a few super-apps such as WeChat.
Mini Programs are not aimed to replace PWA, the Web, or Native; they try to provide seamless service by sharing data and capabilities within the Native Apps, the Web, and the OS. It was born with a few characters that help to fill the gap with the Web and the Native.
- Installation free.
- Reasonable performance because of its small size.
- Provides a few mechanisms to get access to the OS capabilities or data through Native features.
- The app needs to be validated by the platform, as it is completely within the hosted super-app.
The GeneXus WeChat MiniProgram low code generator enables the creation of Mini Programs to be executed on the WeChat (微信 - Wēixìn) Platform.
The solution has a traditional three-tier architecture with a server-side (i.e., Back-end) where the services, business logic, and connection to the Database are performed. On the client-side (i.e., Front-end), we have the UI presentation, and all the necessary components to keep the session state and connect to the server-side. The Back-end can be generated using Java, .Net generators.
The Front-end responsibilities are:
- Display information.
- Maintain the local state.
- Validate the business logic.
- Interact with the server for exchanging data.
A schematic and comparison with the GeneXus Angular Generator can be checked as follows:
The code generated by the generator complies with the WeChat Mini Program specification and design guidelines, for more information check the generator overview.