A NoCode Crash Course on Bubble

Intro

If you’re reading this now, chances are you’ve heard about the No-Code craze that is taking over the internet right now. The goal of this article is to dive into Bubble: a low-code platform that allows users to build web applications without writing any code. We’ll give you just enough to get understand the platform and get started. It uses a visual drag-and-drop editor to design and build the layout and functionality of the app, making it accessible to people with little to no coding experience. Bubble offers a variety of features and integrations to help users create interactive and dynamic web apps, such as databases, workflows, and APIs. At the end of this you can try building your first AI app using Bubble.

Setting up a Bubble account:

To get started with Bubble, you’ll need to sign up for an account on their website. If you’re just starting out, I’d just stick to the free plan so you can try everything out risk free. Then once you’re a pro, you can switch over to one of their paid versions so you can deploy the app to the world. Once you’ve created an account, you can create a new project by giving it a name and selecting a template or starting from scratch. You’ll then be taken to the Bubble editor, where you can begin building your app.

The Bubble editor:

The Bubble editor is the main interface for building and designing your web app. It includes a canvas where you can layout and move around the different elements of your app, such as text, images, and data input fields. You can use the toolbar at the top of the editor to access various tools and options for styling and formatting these elements.

You can also use the editor to add functionality to your app. For example, you can add buttons that allow users to submit forms or trigger other actions. You can also add interactive elements, such as dropdown menus or slider bars, to allow users to input and interact with data.

To add an element to your app, you can simply drag it from the toolbar onto the canvas. You can then customize the element by setting its properties and behaviors using the editor’s sidebar. For example, you can specify what data a form should collect, or what should happen when a button is clicked.

The Bubble editor also includes a range of other tools and features to help you build and design your app, such as the ability to preview and test your app, and access to a range of integrations and APIs. You can use these tools to add additional functionality and customize the behavior of your app to meet your specific needs.

Data and database:

In Bubble, data types are used to store and manage information within your app. A data type is a template that defines the fields and properties of a specific type of data. For example, if you were building an e-commerce app, you might create a “Product” data type to store information about individual products, such as their name, price, and description.

Once you have created a data type, you can create data elements of that type to store specific pieces of data. For example, you could create a data element for a specific product, such as a t-shirt, and specify its properties, such as its name, price, and description. Here’s a screenshot below where I built out the backend for a CRM tool. You can see that I made accounts and associated any activity and contact directly up to it.

You can also link data elements together to create relationships between data. For example, you might link a “Product” data element to a “Category” data element to specify that the product belongs to a particular category.

In addition to creating data within your app, you can also create database connections to external sources of data, such as a spreadsheet or another web service. This can be useful if you want to import or export data, or if you want to access data from another source within your app.

Overall, data types and data elements are a key part of building and managing an app in Bubble, and can be used to store and organize information in a flexible and scalable way.

Workflow and logic:

Bubble offers a range of workflow and logic features that allow you to automate and control the behavior of your web app. These features are a key part of building interactive and dynamic applications, and allow you to specify how your app should behave in response to different events or actions.

One of the primary tools for controlling the behavior of your app is the use of conditions and actions. Conditions are used to specify when a certain action should occur, while actions are the specific things that should happen when the condition is met. For example, you might specify that when a user clicks a button, a form should be displayed.

Conditions and actions can be combined to create more complex behaviors. For example, you might specify that if a user submits a form with certain data, a message should be displayed and an email should be sent. You can also use loops and variables to manipulate data and perform calculations within your app.

Overall, the workflow and logic features in Bubble provide a powerful and flexible way to automate and control the behavior of your web app, and are an essential part of building interactive and dynamic applications.

Integrations and API:

Bubble allows you to connect your app to other services and APIs to add additional functionality. For example, you can use integrations to access external data sources, send emails, or handle payments. You can also use the Bubble API to create custom integrations or build custom functionality using code. Honestly this is pretty hard to explain more without just doing it yourself — I made this step by step guide on how to do a pretty basic one: https://sonnyhuynhb.medium.com/build-your-own-chatgpt-using-bubble-ai-with-no-code-6ad7f9792cc0

Deployment:

Once you have finished building your Bubble app, you have a few options for deploying it. You can host your app on Bubble’s servers, or you can export the code and host it elsewhere. If you choose to host your app on Bubble’s servers, you can also integrate it with a custom domain name. Bubble also offers a range of tools and resources to help you manage and maintain your app, including analytics, debugging, and user testing.

Keep in mind, until you upgrade your subscription, you’re stuck on the free plan. See what you get with each below.

Best practices:

Some tips and best practices for building and maintaining a Bubble app include:

• Plan ahead: Make sure to thoroughly plan and design your app before starting to build it. This can help you avoid issues and mistakes later on. Seriously, the way they laid this out you HAVE to plan or else you’ll get your stuck in a mud pit.
• Keep your data organized: Properly organizing and structuring your data can make it easier to manage and use within your app. Naming everything as Thing1, Thing2, etc will really mess you up.
• Test, test, test: Be sure to test your app thoroughly to catch any issues and ensure that it works as intended. Religously hit that preview button at the top so you don’t get wrecked mid way.
• Stay up to date: Keep an eye on updates and new features from Bubble, and consider using them to improve your app.
• Follow security best practices: Make sure to follow good security practices, such as using secure passwords and keeping your app and data secure. DO NOT EXPOSE API KEYS TO THE PUBLIC!!!!

Next steps:

To learn more about Bubble and continue improving your skills, there are a number of resources available, including:

• I’ll have a bunch more articles diving into some project I’ve worked on and give you some step by step on how to set it up. Here’s one to get you started: Building a ChatGPT type AI Bot using Bubble and OpenAI’s API
• Bubble’s documentation and tutorial materials: Bubble’s website includes a range of documentation and tutorials to help you get started and learn more about the platform.
• The Bubble community: Bubble has a large and active community of users and developers who share tips, resources, and support. You can join the community forums or join a Bubble meetup group to connect with other Bubble users.
• Online courses and resources: There are a number of online courses and resources available that cover Bubble and low-code development in general. These can be a great way to learn more and build your skills.

Thanks for reading yall!

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