It has been a long time since I wrote something like this.
I published my first post on Djape.net on September 13, 2005. Almost 21 years ago.
Back then, I had just started making my own Sudoku software. I was learning, experimenting, creating puzzles, and putting them on this website. One thing led to another, and somehow, all these years later, I’m still doing it.
But this year has been different.
I’ve been going through a lot. Most importantly, I lost Cash, my Border Collie and my best friend for almost nine years. I don’t really want to get into all of that here, but it has been a difficult year in many ways.
And just two weeks ago, I turned 50.
That’s another one of those big milestones in life that makes you stop and think about where you’ve been and where you’re going.
And I think I need a fresh start.
Actually, I feel that I owe it to myself, to the people who have followed me and liked my puzzles over all these years, and to Cash, to make something better.
I want to make this website better. I want to make more puzzles. I want to publish more puzzle books. And I want to finally make the new puzzle app I’ve been thinking about for a long time.
That’s why I’m doing all this.
So… here we go. 🙂
I’m starting to build my puzzle software again.
The Windows application I’ve been using for many years is based on code that started around 2005. It has grown enormously since then. I’ve added puzzle after puzzle, feature after feature, and it has served me very well.
But software development has changed quite a bit since 2005. And so have I.
The old application has become complicated and difficult to extend. At some point, it makes more sense to start again rather than keep adding things to a system that has been growing for more than two decades.
So I’m going to build a completely new Windows application for myself, in C#, for generating and solving puzzles.
And this time I’m going to do things differently.
I’m going to use a much cleaner architecture, with the idea that different kinds of puzzles can be added without having to keep making the whole program more complicated.
I’m also going to use this project to learn something new: how to use AI tools such as ChatGPT and Codex as part of my everyday software development.
The first new puzzle I’m working on is… I’m not gonna tell you. Stay tuned to see what it will be! And there will be many more puzzle types after that.
I also want to document the whole process here.
Not just the finished puzzles, but the actual process of building the software, designing the architecture, solving problems, trying things, and probably making a few mistakes along the way. 🙂
And this is not the final destination.
Once I get the new Windows puzzle software working, probably in the next few months, I want to start building a new puzzle app for mobile and web. The goal is eventually to have all my puzzles available to play across different platforms.
The architecture I’m building now will be the starting point for that too. Of course, the mobile and web app will use a different programming language and technology, but I’m designing the underlying ideas so that they can be carried over.
And, of course, I still have puzzles and books to make.
The first new book I’m working on is a Madeira Friends puzzle book, which I’ve already started.
So there is quite a lot coming.
For now, though, I’m just happy to start again.
The website you’re looking at is the same Djape.net I’ve had since 2005. All the old stuff is still here — the puzzles, books, articles, and everything else I’ve accumulated over the years.
But I’ve changed the front door.
Welcome to the next chapter.
— Djape
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