Top 10 Code Generation Tools for Application Development

Code generation tools are now necessary in the quickly changing software development industry to increase output, preserve code quality, and follow best practices. These tools aid developers by producing boilerplate code, automating tedious coding chores, and guaranteeing consistency throughout big codebases. The top 10 code generating tools that may greatly improve your application development process are covered in this article. Fab Builder is a standout tool among these due to its special features and skills.

1. Fab Builder

Overview

Fab Builder is a powerful code generation tool designed to streamline the development process. It allows developers to define code templates and generate code based on predefined patterns. Fab Builder supports various programming languages and frameworks, making it a versatile tool for any development team.

Key Features:

• Support for multiple languages and frameworks
• Easy integration with existing projects
• Cloud And Local File Storage
• Flexible Security

Use Cases:

• Enterprise Applications: Fab Builder can be used to quickly generate standard components across various enterprise applications, ensuring consistency and adherence to company coding standards.
• Microservices: It can greatly minimise the initial setup time by automating the generation of standard code for microservices.
• REST APIs: All required code, such as controllers, routes, and models, may be generated by developers along with specifying API endpoints.

2. JHipster

Overview

JHipster is a platform for building and distributing Spring Boot + Angular/React/Vue web apps as well as Spring microservices. The greatest features from the Java and JavaScript ecosystems are combined.

Key Features:

• Full-stack code generation
• Microservices architecture support
• Integration with popular tools like Docker and Kubernetes

Use Cases:

• Full-Stack Applications: Generate complete Spring Boot and Angular/React/Vue applications with a single command, allowing developers to focus on business logic.
• Microservices: JHipster’s support for microservices architecture makes it easy to create and manage multiple interconnected services.
• DevOps Integration: Seamless integration with Docker and Kubernetes helps in deploying applications to production with ease.

3. Yeoman

Overview

Yeoman is a feature-rich, free and open-source scaffolding tool for contemporary websites. It offers boilerplate code for several frameworks and libraries as part of its generator ecosystem, which might assist you in getting new projects off the ground.

Key Features:

• Extensive library of generators
• Easy to extend and customize
• Integration with popular frameworks like Angular, React, and Vue.js

Use Cases:

• Web Applications: Yeoman can quickly set up new web applications with all the necessary boilerplate code, saving developers hours of manual setup.
• Project Prototyping: Ideal for rapid prototyping, Yeoman allows teams to generate the basic structure of a project and start development immediately.
• Educational Purposes: Beginners can use Yeoman to learn about different frameworks by generating projects and exploring the generated code.

4. CodeSmith Tools

Overview

With CodeSmith Generator, you can automatically generate code for any .NET application using a template-based code generator.

Key Features:

• .NET-specific code generation
• Highly customizable templates
• Integration with Visual Studio

Use Cases:

• Entity Framework: Generate Entity Framework models and configurations from database schemas.
• Custom Templates: Develop custom templates for specific business needs, ensuring all generated code meets your requirements.
• Code Consistency: Maintain consistent code structures and practices across all .NET projects.

5. Swagger Codegen

Overview

Using an OpenAPI Specification, developers may use Swagger Codegen to automatically produce client libraries, server stubs, API documentation, and settings. This tool helps in creating APIs quickly and ensures consistency.

Key Features:

• Support for multiple programming languages
• Generation of client SDKs and server stubs
• Easy integration with CI/CD pipelines

Use Cases:

• API Development: Swagger Codegen can be used to generate server stubs for new APIs, providing a solid starting point for further development.
• Client SDKs: To facilitate other developers’ integration with your service, automatically produce client SDKs for your APIs in a variety of programming languages.
• Documentation: Generate documentation straight from the OpenAPI Specification to ensure it is current.

6. Rails Scaffold

Overview

With the Ruby on Rails framework, files and folders may be created automatically with the help of Rails Generators. By adhering to Rails principles, these generators may provide views, controllers, models, migrations, and more.

Key Features:

• Built-in Rails support
• Customizable templates
• Helps maintain DRY principles

Use Cases:

• CRUD Applications: Quickly generate all necessary components for a new CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) resource.
• Database Migrations: Automatically create and manage database migrations, ensuring schema consistency.
• Rapid Prototyping: Ideal for quickly setting up new Rails applications and prototyping new features.

7. Hibernate Tools

Overview

Hibernate Tools is a suite of tools for Hibernate and JPA development. It includes features for code generation, reverse engineering, and database schema synchronization.

Key Features:

• Extensive collection of templates
• Easy to create and share templates
• Supports both Python and other languages

Use Cases:

• Python Packages: Generate the boilerplate code for new Python packages, including setup scripts, documentation, and test configurations.
• Data Science Projects: Create consistent project structures for data science projects, making it easier to manage and share your work.
• Custom Templates: Develop and distribute custom templates for your team, ensuring all new projects adhere to company standards.

8. Angular CLI

Overview

The official command-line interface for Angular is called Angular CLI. It streamlines the Angular application development, scaffolding, initialization, and maintenance processes.

Key Features:

• Angular-specific code generation
• Built-in support for unit testing and end-to-end testing
• Integration with Webpack

Use Cases:

• Component Generation: Quickly generate new Angular components, services, and modules, ensuring they follow Angular’s best practices.
• Project Setup: Set up new Angular projects with all necessary configurations, saving time on initial setup.
• Testing: Generate test configurations and run unit tests with built-in commands, promoting test-driven development.

9. Plop

Overview

Plop is a micro-generator framework that helps you create files, templates, and boilerplate code. It’s highly configurable and can be integrated into any project.

Key Features:

• Simple and lightweight
• Highly customizable
• Works with any project setup

Use Cases:

• Component Generation: Automatically generate React components, Redux actions, and reducers, following your project’s conventions.
• Code Consistency: Ensure consistent structure and coding standards across your project by using predefined templates.
• Template Management: Manage and reuse templates across different projects, reducing redundancy.

10. Microsoft Power Automate

Overview

Microsoft Power Automate, formerly known as Microsoft Flow, is a service that helps automate workflows and tasks across applications and services. It includes capabilities for code generation and workflow automation.

Key Features:

• Rapid application development
• Integration with the Spring ecosystem
• Customizable code generation

Use Cases:

• Spring Applications: Quickly generate the structure and necessary components for new Spring applications.
• Code Consistency: Ensure consistent coding standards and architecture across all Spring projects.
• Prototyping: Rapidly prototype new features and applications using predefined templates and commands.

Conclusion

Choosing the right code generation tool can greatly enhance your development efficiency and code quality. Fab Builder stands out among these tools with its versatility, multi-language support, and powerful features. By incorporating Fab Builder and other tools mentioned in this blog into your development workflow, you can streamline your processes, reduce manual coding efforts, and focus on creating innovative solutions.

Each tool has its strengths and is suited for different scenarios, so consider your project requirements and workflow preferences when making a decision.

Happy Coding!