A Conversation With the Creator of Ghostscript.NET, Josip Habjan

Artifex recently acquired the popular C# wrapper for Ghostscript, Ghostscript.NET. Below is a conversation between Josip Habjan, the creator of Ghostcript.NET, and Jamie Lemon, Senior Project Manager at Artifex.

JL: What was the motivation behind creating the Ghostscript.NET repo?

JH: Once upon a time, back in 2013, I found myself with some free time on my hands. Fueled by my passion for programming and a desire to explore new horizons, I embarked on a journey that would eventually lead me to create something remarkable. Inspired by the Ghostscript library and its immense capabilities, I decided to build an IDE that would provide a user-friendly interface for working with Ghostscript. I wanted to make it easier for developers and users to harness the power of this library and unleash their creativity. As I delved deeper into the project, I realized that there were two distinct components that needed attention: the visual part, which would become the IDE, and the integration with the native Ghostscript library. And so, I made the decision to separate the project into two parts, ensuring a clear and modular approach to its development. To tackle the first part, I poured my creativity into designing and building the IDE. I envisioned a space where users could effortlessly interact with the Ghostscript library, transforming their ideas into reality. Every line of code I wrote was a step closer to my dream of creating a powerful and intuitive development environment. The second part, however, required a different approach. To bridge the gap between the C# programming language and the native Ghostscript library, I began crafting a wrapper. This wrapper, which I named Ghostscript.NET, would serve as the intermediary, allowing seamless communication between the two worlds. It was an ambitious undertaking, but I was determined to see it through.Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months as I meticulously crafted the Ghostscript.NET library. I faced challenges along the way, learning the intricacies of the Ghostscript library and overcoming obstacles that stood in my path. But with every hurdle cleared, my enthusiasm only grew stronger. Finally, after months of hard work and dedication, Ghostscript.NET took shape. It became a robust and reliable bridge, empowering developers to harness the full potential of the Ghostscript library within their C# projects. It was a testament to my passion for programming and my desire to contribute something valuable to the open-source community. And so, my story of Ghostscript.NET began - a tale of a developer's determination, creativity, and love for technology. Although time has passed since those early days, the legacy of Ghostscript.NET lives on, continuing to empower developers and inspire innovation.

JL: How long did it take to write and when was the first release?

JH: The development of Ghostscript.NET took several months of dedicated work in my free time, starting in early 2013. The first public release of Ghostscript.NET was announced in September of the same year.

JL: Regarding the great developer experience, can you explain how you've obtained so many users?

JH: The significant user base of Ghostscript.NET can be attributed to a great developer experience achieved through various means. Its user-friendly design, clear documentation, and simplicity have made it easy for developers to integrate Ghostscript.NET into their projects. My active engagement in developer forums, Q&A websites, open-source collaboration, and effective promotion have also played key roles in attracting users. These factors combined to establish Ghostscript.NET as a go-to solution for C# developers working with PDFs, resulting in a growing and satisfied user base.

JL: Can you explain some of the main challenges to maintain the repo?

JH: Maintaining the Ghostscript.NET repository has come with its fair share of challenges. One of the main challenges I faced was managing my time effectively, as I worked on this project during my free time. Juggling between other commitments and dedicating sufficient time to the repository required careful planning and prioritization. Another significant challenge was keeping up with the releases and updates of the native Ghostscript library. As the Ghostscript library evolved, it was crucial to ensure compatibility and incorporate any new features or improvements into Ghostscript.NET. Staying informed about the latest releases and making the necessary adjustments to maintain a seamless integration posed an ongoing challenge. Additionally, debugging user-reported bugs presented its own set of challenges. When users encountered issues or reported bugs, it was essential to investigate, reproduce, and identify the root causes. This process often required thorough analysis and debugging to provide effective resolutions and maintain the stability of Ghostscript.NET. Overcoming these challenges required a combination of technical expertise, perseverance, and active engagement with the developer community. Despite the obstacles, the satisfaction of addressing user concerns, improving the library's performance, and ensuring a smooth user experience made the maintenance of the repository a rewarding endeavor.

JL: Now that you've sold the repo to Artifex what are your next plans? :)

JH: Despite the sale, I firmly believe in the importance of supporting and nurturing the growth of this valuable resource. Therefore, my plan is to remain an active contributor to the repository whenever my schedule allows. My goal is to leverage my knowledge and expertise to assist the Ghostscript.NET community by answering questions, providing guidance, and advocating for the usage of this solution. I am committed to ensuring that developers have the necessary resources and support to fully leverage the capabilities of Ghostscript.NET. Furthermore, I am excited about the opportunity to collaborate with Artifex Software, the new custodians of the Ghostscript.NET repository. I believe that by working together, we can further enhance the library's functionality, address any existing issues, and explore new possibilities. I am thrilled to contribute my insights and assist in driving the project's future direction.