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Web Development

What is a CRUD Application (And How Do You Build One)?

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Updated October 2026 with a step-by-step build walkthrough, a section on CRUD system design, and a new FAQ.

A CRUD application is software that lets people create, read, update, and delete records in a database. Those four operations are what CRUD stands for, and most business applications are built on them.

They’re everywhere, whether you realize it or not. Your customer database is a CRUD app. So is your company’s inventory system. Even when you post an update on LinkedIn, you’re using a CRUD app.

For an IT team, this matters because a lot of the requests in the backlog are CRUD apps. Think of a screen to maintain a price table, a form to replace a shared spreadsheet, or a web front end over an ERP table that only two people can edit today.

In this article, we’ll cover:

  • What makes an application “CRUD”
  • Real-world examples
  • The design decisions to make before you build one
  • Best practices for building them
  • How to build one with a low-code platform, step by step

Sound good? Let’s dive in.

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What is a CRUD Application (And How Do You Build One)?Read More »

What is a CRUD Application (And How Do You Build One)? Read More »

How to create a database front-end in 5 minutes

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development

What is a database front-end? As a basic definition, it’s a web interface that lets users access, modify, delete, or add data to a database table. They’re simple enough for non-technical users to work with, and typically includes role-based security to limit which users can make database changes. A business might use a database front-end to:

  • Let employees maintain customer data
  • Manage and schedule shipments
  • Maintain product data
  • Manage customer order history
  • Reduce dependence on spreadsheets
  • And much, much more…

In short, it lets you manage data in your database with a user-friendly, web interface.

The big question: How quickly can you create front-ends over your database? I believe the answer to that question should be measured in minutes, and we just created a new video to show you how it’s done. The following video walks you through a start-to-finish process used to create a front-end over any relational database…in just 5 minutes. You might be surprised to learn just how simple this process is.

Want to try it for yourself? Set up an m-Power Test Drive.

How to create a database front-end in 5 minutes Read More »

7 Web Application Development Trends to Watch in 2022

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trendsSummary: Web application development is changing and becoming increasingly important. What can we expect for 2022? How will web application development evolve and what areas should you focus on? In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the biggest web app dev trends to monitor in the coming year.
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7 Web Application Development Trends to Watch in 2022Read More »

7 Web Application Development Trends to Watch in 2022 Read More »

7 web application development trends to watch in 2021

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trendsSummary: With the move towards a remote work environment, web application development became increasingly important. Will this demand for web apps slow down in the coming year? What can we expect for 2021? How will web application development evolve and what areas should you focus on? In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the biggest web app dev trends to monitor in the coming year.
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7 web application development trends to watch in 2021Read More »

7 web application development trends to watch in 2021 Read More »

Need a web solution right away? Here are two options.

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As businesses struggle to adapt to current economic and remote work challenges, we’ve noticed that many are facing similar issues. Over the last couple of months, we’ve seen an increasing number of businesses dealing with these problems:
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Need a web solution right away? Here are two options.Read More »

Need a web solution right away? Here are two options. Read More »

7 web application development challenges you can’t ignore

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developmentSummary: As technology evolves at breakneck speed, it brings new opportunities and challenges to web application development. If businesses want to create lasting, successful web applications, they must address these challenges.
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7 web application development challenges you can’t ignoreRead More »

7 web application development challenges you can’t ignore Read More »

8 enterprise web application development trends to watch in 2020

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developmentSummary: As digital technologies transform the business landscape, web development becomes increasingly important. In the near future, those who keep up with changing development trends will have an advantage over those who don’t. So, where is enterprise application development headed in the coming year? Learn more in this article.
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8 enterprise web application development trends to watch in 2020Read More »

8 enterprise web application development trends to watch in 2020 Read More »

8 Principles of Modern Web Application Development

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Updated October 2026 with an eighth principle on AI-written code, the 2025 OWASP Top 10, Google’s current speed targets, and a new FAQ. The expert quotes are from the original 2019 article.

developmentSummary: Web application development has changed over the past few years. Some principles that applied in the past no longer make sense, while new ones have sprung up. In this article, we explore 8 principles that modern web developers should follow when building business applications. The eighth is new for 2026 and covers code written by AI tools.

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8 Principles of Modern Web Application DevelopmentRead More »

8 Principles of Modern Web Application Development Read More »

Why web application development projects fail (and what IT can do about it)

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EducationSummary: Depending on the survey you read, anywhere from 25% – 68% of development projects fail. These failures often cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, waste months (or years) of time, and usually lead to people losing their jobs. Why do these projects fail, and what can you do about it? We answer those questions (and more) in this article.
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Why web application development projects fail (and what IT can do about it)Read More »

Why web application development projects fail (and what IT can do about it) Read More »

Case Study: Breaking the application delivery bottleneck

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EducationSummary: Many businesses face an application development bottleneck. Application development efforts can’t keep up with business demands. As a result, business users are often stuck waiting around for the applications they need. Learn how one company solved this very problem, and how you can do the same.
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Case Study: Breaking the application delivery bottleneckRead More »

Case Study: Breaking the application delivery bottleneck Read More »

One way to improve your current software (without buying an off-the-shelf solution)

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Save MoneyHere’s a quick exercise to try: Make a list of all the ways you wish your company’s software or systems were better. It could be anything. Maybe you just don’t like the interface. Or, maybe you want modern features, like mobile apps or web-based reporting.

Now, what keeps you from actually addressing those issues?

In my experience, many companies face the same problem: They’re tied to their current software/system. They don’t want to bring in third party software, but they don’t have the time/resources to build the new features into their current software.

In short, they need a way to improve their current software quickly, without spending an arm and a leg.

If you’re in that situation, here’s a story you’ll want to read. It explains how a company added a much-needed web-based ordering system to their current enterprise system. The best part: They found a way to improve their current software quickly, without buying an off-the-shelf, generic solution. You can read the whole story here. …

One way to improve your current software (without buying an off-the-shelf solution)Read More »

One way to improve your current software (without buying an off-the-shelf solution) Read More »

8 questions to ask before developing applications on the cloud

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EducationSummary: It’s a growing trend in the business world: More application development is moving to the cloud. More developers are opting for cloud-based development platforms, and more businesses are moving their application development off-site and onto a cloud host. The problem is, many make the move without understanding how the cloud changes development. In this article, we explore a few of these changes and outline important questions to ask before making the move.
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8 questions to ask before developing applications on the cloudRead More »

8 questions to ask before developing applications on the cloud Read More »

Webinar Replay: Cut your web application development time in half

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EducationSummary: Is your current application development process expensive or time-consuming? Would you like to reduce your current development process and give your current employees the tools they need to develop web apps in-house? Join us for this webina rto learn how!
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Webinar Replay: Cut your web application development time in halfRead More »

Webinar Replay: Cut your web application development time in half Read More »

Learn how one company cut their development process from weeks to hours

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EducationSummary: Is your current application development process expensive or time-consuming? Would you like to greatly reduce your current development process and give your current employees the tools they need to develop web apps in-house? Learn how one company accomplished all that (and more)!
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Learn how one company cut their development process from weeks to hoursRead More »

Learn how one company cut their development process from weeks to hours Read More »

5 huge benefits of low-code development

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EducationSummary: For the modern IT department, speed is the name of the game. The business demands new solutions faster than ever. The problem is, IT is already overworked. How can they quickly deliver the applications the business needs, without expanding their team? Today, we explore the concept of low-code development, and explain how it helps businesses solve this problem (and more).
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5 huge benefits of low-code developmentRead More »

5 huge benefits of low-code development Read More »

Citizen Development 101: Understanding the Basics

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EducationSummary: Application development has long been a problem facing both the IT department and the business units. The IT department gets overwhelmed with new application requests. They can’t possibly complete every project when the business wants it done. Meanwhile, the business users get tired of waiting, and start bypassing the IT department altogether. Today, we explore the concept of “citizen development”, and explain how it helps address this problem.
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Citizen Development 101: Understanding the BasicsRead More »

Citizen Development 101: Understanding the Basics Read More »

5 common problems that create a development bottleneck

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EducationSummary: Many businesses face an application development bottleneck. Application development efforts can’t keep up with business demands. As a result, business users are often stuck waiting around for the applications they need. In this article, we’re looking for common problems that create this bottleneck, and ways to address them.
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5 common problems that create a development bottleneckRead More »

5 common problems that create a development bottleneck Read More »

6 ways to reduce application development bottlenecks

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EducationSummary: In today’s always-changing technology landscape, agility trumps size. Your organization’s ability to adapt to changing trends is critical to your success. The problem is, many still struggle with bottlenecks which hurt their agility. In this article, we explore one common bottleneck, and a few ways to address it.

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6 ways to reduce application development bottlenecksRead More »

6 ways to reduce application development bottlenecks Read More »