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Pengfan Chang (John)

My hand has shaped software for GNU/Linux, macOS, iOS, watchOS, iPadOS, visionOS, Android, and the open web. What began as a desire to understand how systems are ordered has become a devotion to practical craft — building tools that serve the people who use them.

I live and work while journeying. Wherever I set my feet, I give my hands to native applications for desktop and mobile, and to the open web.

When I am not at the workbench, I walk in the mountains, carry my pack through wild country, and give what I can to the commons of open source.

Education & Research

Dwelling & Journeying
Between East and West, moving where the work calls
Research Focus
Native craft (Java, Kotlin, Swift) across platforms, and the discipline of data (Excel, SQL, Python)

Skills & Expertise

Programming Languages
Pascal C Go Java Kotlin Swift Python SQL
Platforms
GNU/Linux Apple Android
Technologies
SwiftUI Jetpack Compose Excel Modeling SQL Analytics Python Plotly

These are the instruments of my craft, put to work across every platform the hand can reach.

Logos shown above are trademarks of their respective owners (Free Pascal Team, ISO/IEC, The Go Authors, Oracle, JetBrains, Apple Inc., Python Software Foundation, Oracle/MySQL, The Linux Foundation, Open Handset Alliance, Google, Microsoft, Plotly). They appear here for identification only and do not imply endorsement. Brand icons via Devicon (MIT). Microsoft Excel icon used under fair-use identification.

My Philosophy

Let every tool serve a purpose, and let every purpose serve a person. This is the foundation upon which I build. I join research to practice and keep the one who uses the work at the center of it.

The hills and far places have taught me this: the finest ideas are born not before the screen, but away from it. The trail gives clarity; the open sky returns what the workbench takes.

I hold that knowledge shared is knowledge multiplied. The strongest work rises from many hands building upon one another.

Current Focus

The labors that presently occupy my hands:

•
GNU/Linux Development — Fashioning tools for systems built on freedom
•
Android Craft — Kotlin and Java, shaped with Jetpack Compose
•
Apple Platforms — SwiftUI across macOS, iOS, and watchOS

Technology Interests

• Native Android craft in Kotlin and Java
• SwiftUI and the Apple platform arts
• The ordering and revealing of data
• Excel and SQL in the service of research
• Systems that bring clarity to decision and report

Outdoor Interests

• Mountain Hiking
• Backpacking
• Nature Photography
• Wayfinding and Orienteering
• The Watch of Dawn and Dusk

Let's Connect

If you are a builder, a researcher, or one who walks in wild places — let us speak. Whether you carry a question, a partnership, or simply an idea worth sharing, my door stands open.

Get in Touch View GitHub

Colophon & Copyright

© 2026 Pengfan Chang (John). All rights reserved. The text and original artwork on this page are proprietary and may not be reproduced, redistributed, or modified without prior written permission. Decorative paintings (e.g. Van Gogh's Sunflowers) are in the public domain. Third-party brand names and logos referenced under "Skills & Expertise" are trademarks of their respective owners and are shown for identification only; their use does not imply endorsement. Brand iconography served from Devicon (MIT) is used under the terms of its own license.