Student Manager App - Part 5: JavaFX

A JavaFX desktop application for managing student records with a graphical user interface. This is Part 5 of a multi-part Student Manager series, evolving the console-based application into a full GUI with buttons, text fields, and file dialogs for adding, removing, viewing, and persisting student data.

Overview

This project wraps the Student Manager logic in a JavaFX GUI built with GridPane layout. Users interact with the application through buttons and text fields rather than the command line. The application supports loading student records from serialized binary files (.ser), adding and removing students via form inputs, displaying the student list in a text area, and saving data back to binary files using a file chooser dialog.

Features

• JavaFX GUI -- Full graphical interface with GridPane, Button, TextField, TextArea, and FileChooser
• Load from Binary File -- Open a .ser file via file chooser to populate the student list
• Add Students -- Enter student ID, first name, and age through text fields
• Remove Students -- Delete a student by entering their student ID
• View Student List -- Display all students in a formatted text area
• Show Student Count -- View the total number of students at any time
• Save to Binary File -- Serialize the current student list to a .ser file via save dialog
• Input Validation -- Validates student ID format (G00XXXXXX), name, and age before adding

Prerequisites

• Java JDK 11 or higher with JavaFX libraries
• A Java IDE with JavaFX support (Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, VS Code) or command-line access with JavaFX SDK

Getting Started

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/danielcregg/student-manager-app-part5-JavaFX.git
   cd student-manager-app-part5-JavaFX

2. Open the project in your preferred Java IDE with JavaFX configured, or compile from the command line.

Usage

Compile and run from the command line (with JavaFX SDK):

javac --module-path /path/to/javafx-sdk/lib --add-modules javafx.controls -d bin src/ie/atu/studentmanagerpackage/*.java
java --module-path /path/to/javafx-sdk/lib --add-modules javafx.controls -cp bin ie.atu.studentmanagerpackage.Main

Replace /path/to/javafx-sdk/lib with your actual JavaFX SDK path. The application window will open, allowing you to manage student records through the GUI.

Tech Stack

• Language: Java
• GUI Framework: JavaFX (GridPane, Scene, Stage)
• Serialization: java.io.Serializable, ObjectOutputStream, ObjectInputStream
• I/O: java.io (BufferedReader, BufferedWriter, FileReader, FileWriter)
• Dev Environment: VS Code Dev Containers

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.