We're a quarter of the way through 2017, and already the number of large updates to Photon is extraordinarily high. The ability to see equations graphically rendered is a dream come true for me - it lets people know whether they are typing equations correctly. The addition of summations, sequential plotting, 3D parametric surfaces, vector fields, line integrals, and a huge reference library full of math equations are just the new additions to Photon's abilities, all added within the past few weeks. Before these new updates, I'd estimate that Photon's source code was around 5,300 lines of code. Now, it's at 6,236 lines. Naturally, there are line spacings, comments, etc. that take up some space, but still - whew!
Naturally, all these new lines of code are the least tested, and therefore the most prone to error. So far, things seem stable, but you never know what sort of bugs are destined to bring productivity to a halt, so here's to catching problems as quickly as possible. Many things have been found and fixed already, so most likely, future problems are going to just be small annoyances at worst.
I think the thing that blows me away the most is that Photon's core functionality (not including the equation-to-image piece) is barely over 400 kilobytes in size. The installer is larger, but that's because it comes with the text rendering software and an uninstaller, which take up a bit more space. 400 kilobytes with all the functionality packed into a little program is something I'm quite proud of. I appreciate the fact that the small size of the program contributes to a fast startup time - something I find creates a very "usable" feel to the program. I get the same feeling when using Notepad to jot some text down - it starts up fast and doesn't get in my way.
At this point, I'm starting to ramble, so I guess I'll sign off. I keep joking that maybe when Photon doesn't receive any updates for a month (or maybe two or three months), I can finally call it finished. But what would be the fun in that?
Keep enjoying math,
- Matt VB
Naturally, all these new lines of code are the least tested, and therefore the most prone to error. So far, things seem stable, but you never know what sort of bugs are destined to bring productivity to a halt, so here's to catching problems as quickly as possible. Many things have been found and fixed already, so most likely, future problems are going to just be small annoyances at worst.
I think the thing that blows me away the most is that Photon's core functionality (not including the equation-to-image piece) is barely over 400 kilobytes in size. The installer is larger, but that's because it comes with the text rendering software and an uninstaller, which take up a bit more space. 400 kilobytes with all the functionality packed into a little program is something I'm quite proud of. I appreciate the fact that the small size of the program contributes to a fast startup time - something I find creates a very "usable" feel to the program. I get the same feeling when using Notepad to jot some text down - it starts up fast and doesn't get in my way.
At this point, I'm starting to ramble, so I guess I'll sign off. I keep joking that maybe when Photon doesn't receive any updates for a month (or maybe two or three months), I can finally call it finished. But what would be the fun in that?
Keep enjoying math,
- Matt VB