Codebots + Frames Putting Figma to Shame

A brief overview of the new features and updates of the Codebots platform engineering tool.

What is Codebots?

Codebots is a platform engineering tool that allows users to design and build software systems using visual models, diagrams, and pipelines. Codebots generates high-quality code from reference implementations, empowering users to follow the organisations standards and best practice. Codebots also provides users with the ability to customise and extend the generated code, giving them full control and ownership of their applications.

As a platform engineering tool, it’s vital the platform team focus on enabling and empowering the WorkingMouse delivery teams. To this extent, the team heard it is difficult to use Visual Diagrams and set out to enhance this. The following video and article showcases the new update that are now in the toolset and how they will assist customer projects.

What are the new features and updates of Codebots?

Here's the full video of all the features, TL;DR below:

1. Frame and Grids

Allow users to define the outermost frame of their shapes and break it into a grid, providing more control and flexibility when positioning shapes.

2. Container Layouts and Multiple Containers

Allows users to define individual container areas and specify which containment references go in which container, providing greater separation and organisation of different elements within a shape.

3. Bulk Editing

This feature allows users to bulk swap out shapes and update their default containers, making it easier to update and maintain their models for use them in new ways and on new projects.

Together, this enables easier meta/modelling of any system. Like Figma, you can design what you like but this is linked to other models, the reference implementation, and pipelines to make them useful.

Bulk editing means it’s easier to copy organisational models’ forwards. WorkingMouse has several Codebots that enable system development. Reusing these is now a matter of mintues as opposed to hours of setup and relinking models.

What are the next steps for Codebots?

Codebots also hinted at some exciting next steps, including:

1. Logic-based models

These models will allow users to define the logic and behaviour of their applications using visual diagrams. This will enable business logic to be modelled as opposed to having to be designed into the target application or source code controlled.

2. Metrics

These metrics will provide users with insights and feedback on the quality and performance of their applications. This means not only will platform, but target application data be available at an organisational level.

3.Single Diagram Visuals

These visuals will allow users to see the entire structure and flow of their applications in a single diagram.

These upcoming changes promise to provide even more power and flexibility to users of the Codebots platform.