Table of Contents
  • Keep your instructions simple to avoid mistakes.
  • Follow step-by-step ETL logic.
  • When mistakes prevent you from executing instructions, locate the problem so you can learn to avoid it in the future.
  • Only learn one low-code ETL language at a time.
  • Keep a record of ETL code you and your team members might need in the future.
  • Check your no-code library first so you don’t waste time recreating instructions.
  • Ask more experienced coders for help. An expert could answer your question in a few minutes. Searching for a solution could take hours.

ETL platforms use specific ETL codes that tell them what data to extract, how to manipulate the information, and where to load the transformed data. Someone with years of coding experience could write the information manually. Not everyone has this skill, though. No-code and low-code environments make it possible for practically anyone to use ETL tools.

With no-code ETL, you benefit from greater business agility, lower IT costs, and democratic use for anyone in the organization. Instead of learning to code, users just need to know how to build a data pipeline by adding the functions they want onto their ETL interface.

No-code platforms have some limitations, though. For example, it doesn’t offer much flexibility and it usually only performs the most basic functions. Low-code ETL solutions make more sense for many businesses because they scale easily, offer more control, and let users write creative instructions for their projects.

Low-code does force your team members to learn some new skills. Luckily, most users adapt quickly--especially when they have access to a knowledgeable support team to help them get their ETL code right.

  1. Benefits of Low-Code ETL
  2. Best Practices for Using Low-Code ETL
  3. Popular Languages for Low-Code ETL
  4. Tools for Improving ETL Code
  5. Integrate.io Gives You the Freedom to Use No-Code and Low-Code ETL

Benefits of Low-Code ETL

Low-code development platforms offer several benefits that can help businesses succeed. Within an ETL solution, low-code often means that employees without technical backgrounds can contribute to research. Your marketing staff, for instance, can use existing instructions to load data into applications that help them understand emerging trends. But the benefits of low-code don’t end there.

Save Money on IT Costs

Hiring a full-time computer programmer can cost $86,550 per year, plus benefits. But low-code ETL may not require a full-time programmer. After interviewing people about how well they understand ETL logic, you can likely find someone to write simple instructions when required. Depending on your business needs, you might decide to hire the person part-time or consult them when you want help. Either way, your business saves money.

Improve User Experiences

New technology can intimidate people. Choosing tools that require less training can help reduce their anxiety, making them feel more confident when they need to use your ETL platform. By choosing the right solution, you make it easier for everyone in your organization to contribute to group efforts without making mistakes.

Employees with more tech experiences will probably be able to complete higher-level work while your marketers will stick to more basic tasks. Regardless, you will have the ability to spread the work throughout your workforce without asking people to move beyond their role or skills.

Make Your Business More Agile

In general, most people with some technical literacy can pick up the basics of low-code ETL relatively quickly. Once they become proficient, you can trust them to use your ETL platform to explore new ideas that could lead to better decisions within your organization.

Best Practices for Using Low Code ETL

You can write ETL code manually. Manual ETL code can give you impressively unique instructions that manipulate data in unique ways. Unfortunately, writing ETL code from scratch takes a lot of training and experience. You have to understand everything from the database’s architecture to documenting your ETL process.

Few of your team members will devote enough time to learn ETL coding from scratch. That’s fine, though, because you can get great results by following these best practices for low-code ETL.

Some of the best practices to keep in mind when writing low-code ETL logic include:

Your best practices may differ slightly depending on your projects. Regardless, these tips will put you on the right path to get the most from your low-code ETL platform.

Popular Languages for Low-Code ETL

Low-code ETL functions a lot like other types of coding, in that you can write ETL instructions in several different languages. If you want to write fairly simple, low-code ETL, though, you should focus on learning the basics of:

  • Python
  • Java
  • Scala

Python

Python is a general-purpose language that has been around since 1991 (although it has received some updates since then). It makes sense to learn Python for low-code ETL codes because the language has an extensive library that contains more than 200,000 packages. Once you know how to read Python and understand the basic functions described in the code, you can go through the library’s list of databases, data analytics, and similar packages to find code that meets you needs.

Python’s general-purpose use also makes it handy to know in other situations. When you learn some Python, you gain a deeper understanding of how technology works.

Java

Java, which you should not confuse with the web-oriented JavaScript language, has 25 years of development experience that makes it useful for ETL code.

Countless online tutorials will teach you the basics of Java. The coding language has a lot of rules and commands. Don’t worry. No one expects you to memorize them all. When you can’t recall a command that you want to use, consult a resource like the Java Programming Cheatsheet.

Eventually, the commands and elements that you use will become more familiar to you. Realistically, you won’t need a diverse Java vocabulary for most ETL code.

Scala

Scala’s developers made it as a retort to Java, which can seem a bit convoluted at times. Scala is one of the most concise coding languages that you can use for ETL coding.

Programming Methods Laboratory made Scala to scale with your needs. In fact, Scala is a combination of “scalable” and “language.” This is great news for beginners using low-code ETL. You start learning at a basic level. As you improve, you can tackle bigger challenges. As long as you keep working at your level of comfort, you will develop skills that help you write unique low-code ETL instructions.

Integrate.io Uses an Easy, Straight-Forward Syntax

Integrate.io lets users create unique ETL instructions with an easy, straight-forward syntax. Although it doesn’t rely on Python, Java, Scala, or other popular coding languages, it does share common functions with those languages. If you have experience writing code, then it shouldn’t take long for you to learn Integrate.io’s syntax. If you don’t have coding experience, look no further than the low-code and no-code features to get the results you want.

Tools for Improving ETL Coding

The coding community has numerous tools that will help you identify and solve problems with your ETL instructions. You can also use message boards to get answers from experts. Expect a bit of ribbing from them, but they usually point you in the right direction.

Tools for Python

Since you want to write short instructions for ETL, you can use practically any of the following tools to check your Python scripts for accuracy and ETL logic problems. Some favorite online tools include:

Spend a few minutes browsing these tools to help you decide which one you like most.

Tools for Java

Java can feel a little finicky compared to other coding languages. If your ETL logic is off slightly, then you will not get accurate results. The good news is that it will probably tell you to correct your syntax mistakes before trying again.

Some popular Java code analysis tools include:

UC Detector is particularly useful for new ETL coders because it points out unnecessary commands and helps you streamline your approach to writing commands. Elegance matters quite a bit when other people want to use your code.

Tools for Scala

Scala isn’t the most popular language on this list, but developers have built plenty of tools to help newbies and experts improve their skills. If you struggle with Scala, visit online tools like:

Some of these tools require more experience than others. Try them all to see which one fits your level of knowledge. Eventually, you may find that your coding becomes advanced enough to use sophisticated tools.

Integrate.io Gives You the Freedom to Use No-Code and Low-Code ETL

Integrate.io lets you choose between a no-code and low-code ETL environment. You can also combine the two, which lets you add simple instructions with the click of a button. Many low-code instructions only require a few lines of programming. A few minutes of work can give you unique results that match your project’s needs perfectly.

Experience the benefits of a no-code/low-code ETL platform by scheduling an introductory call with one of Integrate.io’s experts. Once you have answers to your questions and a chance to browse the platform, you can decide whether you want to bring Integrate.io into your organization.