Inspiration
What inspired me was my aptitude for math, because I have always been skilled in solving mathematical problems to help solve real world problems. Problems that I enjoy solving are ones that involve finding the maximum volume of a container that is possible to obtain given a certain amount of material, as well as the measurements of that container.
What it does
When companies have material to build any sort of container, they would like to use it so as to maximized the volume, or space inside. This program offers a user friendly interface where users can find the measurements required to maximize the volume of the container given any amount of material, measured in area,(i.e. cm squared, ft squared, etc). For example, a manufacturer of water bottles has a certain amount of metal to develop a can that contains iced tea. This program will perform the long mathematical process of finding the measurements, the radius and height, that will yield the greatest volume, allowing the manufacturer to serve more iced tea in cans using less metal, saving the company costs on metal, and increasing business outcomes.
How I built it
I build this program as a Web application using HTML for the body of the web application. Then I used CSS for the styling of the application, and finally Javascript, with the Javascript library jQuery to help my application to have more functionality with less lines of code.
Challenges I ran into
One challenge I ran into was trying to debug my Javascript code, because when testing web applications, and the javascript code does not function, there is no way for the program to tell me where and what the bug is, so I would have to search through my javascript code manually. To solve this, instead of simply going through my code line by line, I used comments to isolate parts of my javascript code to determine where exactly the bug(s) was.
Accomplishments that I'm proud of
I am proud that I have gained more experience in HTML, CSS, and Javascript to develop user-friendly, marketable web applications. Furthermore, I am proud that each time I use these technologies, I learn more about them, allowing me to add more functionality to my web application, and learn more of how the websites we take for granted every day operate at a deeper level.
What I learned
After attending numerous workshops hosted by employers such as SunLife, Canada Life, and Scotiabank, I have learned how to develop a competitive resume, and portfolio for IT positions, and perform better at interviews. More specifically, I have learned more about what to, and what not to put on a resume when applying for programming positions. Additionally, I also learned about the kind of work that developers do at their employers, such as what programming languages and problems they solve, and about what to expect at programming interviews. What I have learned at Hack Western gives me the knowledge to better prepare for when I search for jobs while I am still in university and once I graduate. Furthermore, I have also learned how to make a greater positive impact on whichever employer I work for in the furture.
What's next for Packager
For Packager, I hope to make my program capable of performing the calculations it does for other, more complex shapes. This will increase the amount of jobs it can perform for users, make it a better product, and make it a more marketable product. Additionally, I hope to create a web application that performs that of Packager, and many other Mathematical functions considered difficult and tedious by many. I would have to think about what functions to add, but doing this would make it a more marketable product, and increase the number of users it serves, therefore providing a greater service for businesses, professionals, and individuals.
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