Node-RED

Node-RED is used for the intent handling in our project. Node-RED is described as flow-base visual programming as a part of the Internet of Things.

Advantages

Node Red is super powerful and flexible
Easy to install with an installation script
Can be secured with password so that the user only will have access on it
Has numerous nodes that offer applications in various fields
Has a large community behind it
Own nodes can be developed and used without having to publish them.
Flows can be easily shared to others by Node-REDs export function
Pre-installed packages to control Raspberry PI GPIO pins
Possibility to install a UI dashboard to trigger actions in the browser with switches and buttons.

Disadvantages

The system sometimes crashes when different nodes are installed that get in each other’s way
Programming skills are required for effective use, e.g. JavaScript programming skills are often required to get the flow working as you want to

Conclusion

Node-RED is more advantageous to the developers in comparison to its disadvantages. As a flow based programming language, Node-RED allows a good visualisation and extendable with nodes from the community. The big community behind it helps users to get answers to their needs.

In our eyes, Node-RED is a very powerful tool that is easy and quick to use even for inexperienced users.