What are Jan van Haasteren puzzles?
Jan van Haasteren puzzles are famous Dutch jigsaw puzzles known for their colorful, detailed, and humorous illustrations, often filled with quirky characters and hidden jokes. We love doing these puzzles together as a family—they're not just fun, but also a great way to spend time together and challenge ourselves. As puzzle and game lovers, we wanted a way to track which puzzles we've completed and which ones are still on our wishlist. That's when we realized: there wasn't an app focused specifically on Jan van Haasteren puzzles. So, we decided to build one!
Taking You Along on My First App Adventure
Welcome to the first post in my new series about building my app, "JVH Puzzle"! In this series, I'll take you behind the scenes as I develop my first real app—from the initial idea to the final release.
Each blog post will cover two versions of the app, complete with screenshots and a look at the key features and challenges for each version.
Version 1: Laying the Foundation
The journey starts with the basics. For Version 1, I focused on getting the core structure right. Here's what's new in this first build:
- Split View Navigation: I started with a classic split view layout, making it easy to browse puzzles on the left and see details on the right—especially handy on iPad.
- Live JVH Database Integration: The app is directly connected to the JVH database, so you always have the latest puzzle data. No more outdated lists!
- Basic Statistics Page: I added a simple statistics page where you can track your progress—see how many puzzles you've completed and how many are still open.
Screenshot Version 1:
Version 2: First Improvements
With the foundation in place, Version 2 was all about making the app smarter and more useful for real puzzle fans. I focused on parsing even more data from the JVH database—such as the puzzle's series, the artist (illustrator), and the number of pieces. Now, every puzzle entry is much richer and more informative!
- Detailed Puzzle Data: The app now shows extra details for each puzzle, including the series, artist, and exact number of pieces.
- Add to Collection: I created a new view that lets you add puzzles to your personal collection, making it easy to keep track of which ones you own.
- Puzzle Images: The app now fetches and displays the official puzzle image directly from the JVH database.
- Upscale Button: Because the images from the database were often low quality, I experimented with an "upscale" button that tries to enlarge and enhance the puzzle image for a better viewing experience.
These improvements made the app feel much more complete and personal. It's exciting to see how quickly JVH Puzzle is evolving!
Screenshot Version 2:
What's Next?
In the next post, I'll share how JVH Puzzle continues to evolve—showing new features, design changes, and the lessons I learn along the way. Stay tuned for Versions 3 & 4!