As a computer engineering student, I unfortunately do not get as much exposure to the software side of engineering as I would like. This semester I was able to enroll in ICS 314, a software engineering course, that can help me gain new skills. However, I wanted to challenge myself and apply the skills I am learning in class. By joining the TechFolio Designer as a developer, not only can I strengthen my skills but, I can also understand what it is like to work on a developing desktop application.
When I first created my professional persona through GitHub, I could understand the reason for creating a desktop application. I was surprised to find that I had to edit the bio.json file directly. I made sure to be careful when editing the file because it was very easy to mess up the syntax (I would later find out I was not careful enough). I hope that the TechFolio Designer will help take that worry away by using the application.
The first time I tried to use the TechFolio Designer I ran into an error and could not access the Simple Bio Editor. To fix this I needed to manually clone the repo and run it locally. Only then was I was able to run the Simple Bio Editor and make some changes. Another issue that I came across was the preview mode. It was really great to have but, I do have to resize my window because it extends past my screen.
A feature that I most enjoyed was the syntax error. It was really useful as I was able to catch an extra comma in my bio.json file. Another feature I liked is the star indicator at the top to let me know if my file was saved. I also liked the idea of the preview mode. It was useful to see what my markdown files would look like in real time.
Some ideas I have to help improve TechFolio Desiger is adding an option to allow the user to select the background color, font, layout. This could help the user personalized their page a little more. Another improvement could be to add a darkmode. There are a lot of platforms, such as Discord, YouTube, and IntelliJ, that have a darkmode enable. Lastly, I noticed that TechFolio Designer is able to catch spelling errors. Something that can be added on to this feature is an option to click on the error and have options of what the correct word could be.
Overall, I am excited to help develop TechFolio Designer. TechFolio Designer is a great application that will help users build their professional persona with ease. I know it is going to be challenging but, I hope to gain a lot of knowledge and skills. I look forward to the challenge ahead!