Jmix Platform – a Tool for Rapid Application Development

In a previous blog post, we discussed the market need that led to the creation of low-code (and no-code) development platforms. Among the most important low-code platforms, it’s worth mentioning Mendix, Zoho Creator, Salesforce Lightning, MS Power Apps, which we briefly introduced in our earlier blog post, and the Java-based Jmix (formerly Cuba).

A few months ago, we became not only official partners of Microsoft but also of Jmix – so on this occasion, let us introduce the Jmix platform in more detail.

About Jmix in General

Jmix is an innovative low-code platform aimed at significantly speeding up the development of business applications. Due to its unique features and advantages, it has been an ideal choice for both novice and experienced developers since 2021.

Jmix has a history: its pre-2021 generation was known as Cuba, which is still used by many developers to support their work. The platform’s developer is Haulmont Technologies (LINK), a software company based in London and Podgorica (Montenegro), which, in addition to Jmix, mainly provides custom development solutions.

Let’s take a closer look at why Jmix is worth exploring.

First of All, What Are the Key Features of the Jmix Platform?

• Model-driven development: Jmix allows model-driven application design, where developers can build the application’s structure on a graphical interface.
• Full Java support: Although it’s a low-code platform, Jmix offers full Java support, providing developers with considerable flexibility and extensibility.
• Built-in business logic and data management: The platform comes with built-in tools to manage business logic and data handling, simplifying and speeding up the development process.
• Modern UI components: Jmix offers modern, responsive UI components that are easily customizable and adaptable for use across various devices.
• Extensive extensibility: The platform’s plugin-based architecture allows the integration of additional features and services, enabling developers to tailor the system to their needs.

What Advantages Does Jmix Offer Its Users?

• Rapid development: The low-code approach and visual development tools enable quick creation of applications, reducing time to market.
• Cost efficiency: Faster development cycles and automated processes reduce development costs and labor requirements.
• Flexibility and extensibility: Through Java integration, developers can easily add custom features and extend the capabilities of their applications.
• Scalability: Jmix is inherently scalable, making it suitable for both small and large enterprise environments.
• Easy maintenance: The separation of code and logic, along with built-in tools, makes maintaining and updating applications simple.

How Does Jmix Differ From Similar Low-Code Platforms?

• Deep Java integration: While many low-code platforms offer only superficial coding options, Jmix has full Java support, which is a significant advantage in developing complex applications.
• Open source: Jmix is an open-source system, providing transparency and community support, and allowing the platform to be customized and extended.
• Strong business logic: With built-in business logic management and data handling capabilities, Jmix can efficiently handle complex business processes.
• Advanced UI components: The modern, customizable, and responsive UI components help developers create beautiful and user-friendly interfaces.
• Community and commercial support: The active community and commercial support behind Jmix ensure continuous development and reliability.

In summary, Jmix is a powerful and flexible low-code platform that offers significant advantages in rapid, cost-effective, and scalable application development. If you’re looking for a solution that can keep pace with business needs and technological advancements, Jmix could be an excellent choice.

DSS Consulting and Jmix

At DSS, we’ve been using the Jmix platform (and its predecessor, Cuba) for a long time, so we can showcase several developments based on them, such as:

Simplifying and managing corporate processes

Our international client, a manufacturer of control technology tools, needed a solution that could be easily used by all units in the organization to support the creation and simultaneous management of multiple processes. (Custom solutions, such as designing custom user interfaces, were provided by DSS.) We used the Jmix platform’s BPM add-on to create the process management solution, with custom development work done in Java.

The finished solution was named DSS WorkflowHero. WorkflowHero enables the design, management, and tracking of complex processes through an easy-to-use graphical user interface. Additionally, it supports sophisticated reporting and real-time analysis and can even be integrated with existing ERP systems.

ERP system with comprehensive contract management functionality

Due to our company’s growth, the need arose for the introduction of a contract management system in 2018. We evaluated the available off-the-shelf solutions and concluded that while these were readily available, we would need considerable modifications to fit them to our specific needs. Additionally, the “out-of-the-box” solution would come with additional limitations and constraints. So we decided to develop a system tailored specifically to our needs using the Cuba platform, the predecessor of Jmix.

The first (working) demo version was completed in 2-3 months, but development of additional features has been ongoing since. While the initial goal was to provide a solution for internal contract management, after several years of continuous development, it has now grown into a full-fledged ERP system.

In addition to the above, we also leveraged Jmix’s capabilities in the development of various industrial digitization solutions (capacity planning, sales planning, maintenance support), among others.

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We have seen above that low-code development, including the Jmix platform, offers a good solution to speed up application development and reduce development costs. Perhaps we have also been able to convincingly demonstrate that DSS has the knowledge and experience in this area.

Is your company already faced with the need for fast and reliable application development?  Why not discuss this over a good cup of coffee?