"I'm studying Java, but I don't know what to make."
"I want to build my confidence by creating an app that actually works."
This is perfect for those with such concerns.Building your own bulletin board appis.
In this app,Posting, Listing, Saving, LoadingThrough basic functions such as
JavaClass design, file operations, list processing, string operationsYou can learn a wide range of subjects, including:
In this article,A simple bulletin board app that even beginners can useWe will carefully explain the steps to create this, with code included.
- What is a bulletin board app?
- Considering the functional design of a bulletin board app
- Creating the Post Class
- Main class: BulletinBoard implementation
- Common errors and how to fix them
- Level up with application ideas
- Complete code summary and configuration
- Summary: You can learn all the basics of Java on the message boards
What is a bulletin board app?
This is a learning task that anyone can create and apply.
Conclusion: Message boards are the best learning material for learning the basic structure of "input → save → display."
By experiencing the flow of posting, list display, and saving and loading to a file,
You will learn the basics of Java in a natural way.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's "information literacy" training policy also states:Understanding the mechanisms for storing, sharing, and utilizing informationis recommended.
(Source: https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/shotou/zyouhou/detail/1375607.htm)
Considering the functional design of a bulletin board app
There are only three features you need
Conclusion: You can create a functional bulletin board that is easy to learn with just the basic functions listed below.
- Post (Enter your name and message to add)
- List view (display past posts)
- Save/load (record posted content to a file)
The class structure is as follows:
1 | Post.java // Class that represents one post BulletinBoard.java // Main class that handles all posts posts.txt // Text file for saving |
Creating the Post Class
A structure that holds a name, message, and date and time
1 | import java.time.LocalDateTime; import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter; public class Post { private String name; private String message; private String timestamp; public Post(String name, String message) { this .name = name; this .message = message; this .timestamp = LocalDateTime.now().format(DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern( "yyyy/MM/dd HH:mm:ss" )); } public String toText() { return "[" + timestamp + "] " + name + ": " + message; } public String toDataLine() { return name + "##" + message + "##" + timestamp; } public static Post fromDataLine(String line) { String[] parts = line.split( "##" ); if (parts.length != 3 ) return null ; Post p = new Post(parts[ 0 ], parts[ 1 ]); p.timestamp = parts[ 2 ]; return p; } } |
Main class: BulletinBoard implementation
Consolidating posting, display, and storage functions
1 | import java.io.*; import java.util.*; public class BulletinBoard { private static final String FILE = "posts.txt" ; private static List posts = new ArrayList<>(); public static void main(String[] args) { loadPosts(); Scanner sc = new Scanner(System.in); while ( true ) { System.out.println( "\n--- Message board ---" ); System.out.println( "1. Post" ); System.out.println( "2. View list" ); System.out.println( "0. Exit" ); System.out.print( "Select:" ); String input = sc.nextLine(); switch (input) { case "1" : System.out.print( "Name:" ); String name = sc.nextLine(); System.out.print( "Message:" ); String msg = sc.nextLine(); Post newPost = new Post(name, msg); posts.add(newPost); savePosts(); System.out.println( "Posted!" ); break ; case "2" : System.out.println( "\n--- List of posts ---" ); for (Post p : posts) { System.out.println(p.toText()); } break ; case "0" : System.out.println( "Quitting." ); return ; default : System.out.println( "Invalid input." ); } } } private static void savePosts() { try (BufferedWriter writer = new BufferedWriter( new FileWriter(FILE))) { for (Post p : posts) { writer.write(p.toDataLine()); writer.newLine(); } } catch (IOException e) { System.out.println( "Saving failed." ); } } private static void loadPosts() { File file = new File(FILE); if (!file.exists()) return ; try (BufferedReader reader = new BufferedReader( new FileReader(FILE))) { String line; while ((line = reader.readLine()) != null ) { Post p = Post.fromDataLine(line); if (p != null ) posts.add(p); } } catch (IOException e) { System.out.println( "Read failed." ); } } } |
Common errors and how to fix them
Notes on files and input
- Be careful with line breaks and spaces
- When saving, unify the character code (UTF-8)
- If your post isn't showing
split()
ornull
Check the check
Level up with application ideas
You can also add a GUI and keyword search.
Swing
Transform it into a GUI bulletin board- Add a delete function by adding an ID to a post
- Keyword search (partial match) and posting date sorting
Complete code summary and configuration
Post.java
: Post data management classBulletinBoard.java
: Posting, listing, and savingposts.txt
: The text file where the posts are actually saved
Summary: You can learn all the basics of Java on the message boards
In this article,Bulletin board app made with JavaWe explained how to create it.
Skills you will acquire:
- Division of roles between classes and methods
- List processing and data persistence (storage)
- Practical file manipulation and pretty output
Customize this app to your liking."The only bulletin board in the world"Let's grow it into a great success!