This is my first post on the forum. Let me introduce myself. My name is Pankaj Sharma and I have been using Node-RED for the better part of 5 years. We recently went on an endeavor to simplify node creation using scaffolds and modify code using Agentic pipeline. We are releasing an early version and would love to get some feedback from the community. You can sign up for a 2 month free trial (no Credit Card required). We are excited to introduce iTheta Nodebuilder.
With Nodebuilder, developers can: Scaffold a new Node-RED node package (Free - no subscription required) Ask the agent for implementation help Review a structured development plan Execute local edits Run tests Revert changes when needed
You can find more details here.
We are working on a demo video and we will post that as well. Thank you and looking forward to hearing your feedback.
So what you're selling is a vendor lock-in solution to creating nodes? If I create my nodes using your solution then for the first 2 months I get to do that for free and after that, it's revenue for you?
Is there an open source version so that I don't have to start paying? Is there any open source code that I can have a look at?
I say this as someone who also created a node builder package - NodeDev which is a visual approach to the same things that you're offering. What I wanted was a solution that solely used Node-RED to create Node-RED node packages. The assumption I make is that a user who wants to create node packages knows how to use Node-RED and not much more, i.e., they don't have a developer background. They are probably engineers or hobbyists who are using Node-RED because they don't have a developer background and won't know how to code JS code.
So giving those users the ability to create node packages would be nice. Is your tool aimed at those kinds of users or developers who know how to install a JS "scaffolding" and have an editor (something like VSCode) installed to create node packages?
The latter set of users are probably not going to migrate to a vendor lock-in solution.
Thank you for feedback. It was very helpful. You pointed out something very important. The different interest levels in Node-RED and my message did not address it.
Our intention was to provide a quick way to get a custom node up and running for developers (both experienced and beginner) and support end to end development, including pushing the node to a private or public catalog (this is on our roadmap). For someone who wants to learn node development I believe this plugin can help take the next step to see what is involved with development of a custom node, including testing, version control and publishing.
Regarding vendor lock-in. You made some great points. Installing the plugin is free. We have now made creating a node scaffold free as well. No sign up is required. Anyone can use their favorite coding assistant to make changes. Our coding assistant service requires subscription to cover our hosting costs. It involves quite a bit of infrastructure. The coding assistant is optimized for Node-RED development and we will continue to improve it.
I respect your decisions to market a paid service and have no problems with that.
However, for the record and for folk who may see this thread in the future ... It is very simple to get up and running with a custom node and to publish it. Node-RED even has a simple example to follow.
Of course, that is not to say there isn't room for a commercial offering that makes more complex nodes simpler, that is normal commercial decision making - make or buy. So I'm not saying that people shouldn't consider this, but just putting the record in balance.
Scaffold a new Node-RED node package (Free - no subscription required)
Ask the agent for implementation help
Review a structured development plan
Execute local edits
Run tests
Revert changes when needed
