Backendless

Overview

Backendless is a mobile backend as a service (MBaaS) platform designed to streamline the development of mobile and web applications by abstracting away server-side infrastructure. Founded in 2012, it provides a suite of pre-built backend services that developers can integrate into their applications through SDKs and APIs. The platform aims to accelerate the development cycle, particularly for projects requiring real-time data synchronization, user management, and serverless logic.

The core offerings of Backendless include a real-time database, which supports both relational and non-relational data models and features real-time data synchronization capabilities. This is particularly relevant for applications that require immediate updates across connected clients, such as chat applications or collaborative tools. User management services provide authentication, authorization, and user directory functionalities, reducing the need for developers to implement these features from scratch. File storage allows applications to store and retrieve various types of digital assets, while push notifications enable direct communication with users on mobile devices.

Backendless also incorporates serverless functions, termed Cloud Code, allowing developers to execute custom business logic on the backend without managing servers. These functions can be written in JavaScript or Java and are deployed directly through the Backendless console. This approach aligns with serverless architectures, where code execution is event-driven and resources are provisioned on demand. The platform automatically generates REST APIs for all backend services, facilitating integration with various frontend technologies.

The platform is often utilized for rapid application development (RAD) due to its visual console and low-code/no-code capabilities. Developers can define data schemas, manage users, and configure APIs through a graphical interface. This can be beneficial for prototyping and developing minimum viable products (MVPs) quickly. Backendless supports a range of client-side SDKs, including those for iOS, Android, JavaScript, .NET, and Flutter, making it adaptable for diverse development environments. For example, its support for Flutter makes it a viable backend option for cross-platform mobile applications built with Dart, as detailed in the Flutter documentation on backend integration.

While Backendless offers a comprehensive set of services, it requires developers to understand its specific API structures and data models. The platform handles server provisioning, scaling, and maintenance, allowing developers to focus on application logic and user experience. Its compliance with regulations like GDPR addresses data privacy concerns for applications deployed in regions requiring such adherence.

Key features

• Real-time Database: A NoSQL database with real-time data synchronization capabilities, supporting data persistence and retrieval for connected clients.
• User Management: Comprehensive services for user authentication, registration, login, password recovery, and role-based access control.
• File Storage: Cloud-based storage for various file types, accessible via API, with support for file management and access control.
• Serverless Functions (Cloud Code): Allows developers to write and deploy custom server-side business logic using JavaScript or Java, executables on demand without server management. These functions can be triggered by API calls or scheduled events.
• API Generation: Automatically generates REST APIs for all backend services and custom Cloud Code, enabling integration with any client-side technology. The Backendless REST API documentation provides details on available endpoints.
• Push Notifications: Enables sending targeted push messages to iOS and Android devices, facilitating user engagement and communication.
• Location Services: Provides tools for managing and querying geospatial data, useful for location-aware applications.
• Visual Console: A web-based interface for managing data, users, files, APIs, and serverless functions, offering a low-code development environment.
• Custom Business Logic: Beyond Cloud Code, includes features for API event handlers and timers to automate backend processes.

Pricing

Backendless offers multiple pricing tiers, including a free developer plan and various paid cloud and managed options. The pricing structure is based on resource consumption, such as API calls, data storage, and push notifications.

For detailed and up-to-date pricing information, refer to the Backendless pricing page.

Common integrations

• Mobile SDKs: Native SDKs for iOS (Swift) and Android (Kotlin/Java) for direct integration of backend services.
• Web SDKs: JavaScript SDK for web applications, compatible with frameworks like React, Angular, and Vue.js.
• Flutter SDK: Specific SDK for Dart-based Flutter applications, enabling cross-platform mobile development.
• .NET SDK: For applications built with Microsoft's .NET framework, including C#.
• REST API: Direct integration with any platform or service capable of making HTTP requests, using the Backendless REST API.
• Third-party services via Cloud Code: Serverless functions can be used to integrate with external APIs, such as payment gateways like Stripe or communication services.

Alternatives

• Firebase: Google's mobile and web application development platform offering a NoSQL database, authentication, cloud functions, and hosting.
• Supabase: An open-source Firebase alternative providing a PostgreSQL database, authentication, instant APIs, and real-time subscriptions.
• Nhost: Another open-source backend for web and mobile apps, built on PostgreSQL, GraphQL (Hasura), authentication, and storage.

Getting started

To initialize the Backendless SDK in a JavaScript application and perform a basic data operation, you would typically configure the SDK with your application ID and API key, then interact with the data service. This example demonstrates saving an object to a database table.

import Backendless from 'backendless';

const APP_ID = 'YOUR_APPLICATION_ID';
const API_KEY = 'YOUR_JAVASCRIPT_API_KEY';

Backendless.initApp(APP_ID, API_KEY);

async function saveNewItem() {
  try {
    const newItem = {
      name: 'Example Item',
      description: 'This is a test item stored in Backendless.'
    };

    const savedItem = await Backendless.Data.of('YourDataTableName').save(newItem);
    console.log('Item saved successfully:', savedItem);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error saving item:', error);
  }
}

saveNewItem();

This code snippet initializes the Backendless JavaScript SDK with your specific application credentials. It then defines an asynchronous function saveNewItem that creates a new data object and attempts to save it to a table named 'YourDataTableName' using the Backendless.Data.of().save() method. Error handling is included to catch potential issues during the save operation. Before running, replace 'YOUR_APPLICATION_ID', 'YOUR_JAVASCRIPT_API_KEY', and 'YourDataTableName' with your actual Backendless application details.