Today marked a significant milestone in our Java journey as we reorganized our project structure and took our first steps into desktop UI development.

The code changes from this session can be found here.

Day 11 Summary

Overview

Restructured the entire project to use Maven multi-module architecture and began implementing a JavaFX-based user interface for the library system.

Project Restructuring

  • Migrated from single-module to multi-module Maven project
  • Created dedicated modules:
    • data-structures: Stack, Queue, and Tree implementations
    • library-system: Library management application
    • card-game: Card game implementations
  • Set up parent POM with common configurations
  • Established proper package organization

JavaFX Integration

  • Added JavaFX dependencies to library-system module
  • Set up Scene Builder for UI development
  • Created initial UI structure:
    • Main application window
    • FXML-based layout design
    • Basic controller implementation

UI Components

  • Menu system with File and Books options
  • Search functionality placeholder
  • Book table view structure
  • Action buttons for common operations

Key Takeaways

  • Maven multi-module benefits for project organization
  • Clean separation of concerns through module structure
  • FXML advantages for UI development
  • JavaFX application architecture understanding
  • Resource management in Maven projects

Next Steps

Ready to explore:

  • Connecting UI to existing library system logic
  • Implementing book management dialogs
  • Adding data binding for book display
  • Enhancing user interaction flows

Master’s Reflection

The apprentice demonstrated excellent judgment in project organization, recognizing the need for proper separation of concerns through Maven modules. The transition to JavaFX showed a good understanding of UI architecture principles, particularly in keeping the domain logic separate from presentation concerns. The systematic approach to building the application structure suggests a strong foundation for the more complex features to come.