VirtualWorld (Java Console App)

SNHU IT-511 — Object-Oriented Application Development (Final Project)

This project is a command-line “virtual world” application written in Java.

In 2026 it gained a browser-friendly UI and a tiny Java HTTP server so it can run as a small website. All of the web + deployment details are grouped in the 2026 Updates section below.

It walks the user through creating a “clone” profile, optionally creating a dog profile, and then interacting with a ShoutBox that can output either canned or randomly generated messages.

The code is intentionally object-oriented and interactive (console version uses Scanner on System.in), showcasing:

• constructors and method overloading
• encapsulation via getters/setters
• input validation
• collection usage

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Features

1) Create a person “clone” (MyClone)

• Prompts for first name, last name, age, gender, height, weight, hair color, and eye color
• Validates inputs (e.g., numeric ranges, word validation)
• Prints a confirmation summary

The app also introduces a preset clone (“Frank”) before prompting the user.

2) Optional dog profile (MyDog)

• Asks whether you own a dog
• If yes, prompts for dog name, breed, age, gender, size, weight, hair color, eye color
• Prints a confirmation summary

The app also introduces a preset dog (“Baby”) before prompting the user.

3) ShoutBox (ShoutBox)

The ShoutBox supports two modes:

• Preset mode: includes pre-filled canned messages and word lists
• Custom mode: lets the user enter:
  • a chosen number of canned messages
  • a chosen number of words per list (subject/verb/adjective/object/adverb)

During interaction you can choose:

• Canned Message: select from the list
• Random Message: generated from the word lists (Subject + Verb + Adjective + Object + Adverb)

You can continue shouting messages until you answer “N”.

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Requirements

• Java JDK (a javac compiler)
• A terminal capable of interactive input

No third-party libraries are required.

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2026 Updates (Web UI + Deployment)

In 2026, this project gained:

• A browser UI (index.html, app.js, styles.css) served from the project root
• A tiny Java HTTP server (VirtualWorldWebServer) that serves the UI + /api/*
• Subpath-safe frontend routing for hosting at /projects/2016VirtualWorld/
• Production deployment guidance (Apache/Webuzo reverse proxy + optional systemd service)

Project Layout

• Java sources in VirtualWorld/
  • VirtualWorld.java — console entry point
  • VirtualWorldWebServer.java — tiny HTTP server (static UI + API)
  • MyClone.java, MyDog.java, ShoutBox.java — models + ShoutBox logic
• Static website files in the project root
  • index.html, app.js, styles.css
• Optional Apache examples in apache/
• VS Code tasks in .vscode/tasks.json

All Java source files declare the package:

package VirtualWorld;

Java Version Notes

• The codebase is written to be Java 8 compatible for production hosting (AlmaLinux in 2026 was running OpenJDK 8).
• If you compile with a newer JDK locally, either compile on the server or target Java 8 (e.g. -source 1.8 -target 1.8).

Build & Run (Windows)

Open a terminal in the project folder and run:

cd /d d:\Websites\2026FCJamison\projects\2016VirtualWorld

rem Compile
mkdir bin
javac -d bin .\VirtualWorld\*.java

rem Run console app
java -cp bin VirtualWorld.VirtualWorld

Browser UI

Run the web server (localhost only):

mkdir bin
javac -d bin .\VirtualWorld\*.java
java -cp bin VirtualWorld.VirtualWorldWebServer --host 127.0.0.1 --port 8093

Open:

• http://127.0.0.1:8093/

What it supports:

• View preset profiles (Frank + Baby)
• Create a clone and dog via forms (no console prompts)
• Guided ShoutBox flow (tab hidden until needed)
• ShoutBox: random, canned, and custom typed messages

Implementation notes:

• The frontend is subpath-safe: it computes a base URL from window.location and builds API calls relative to that base.
• The Java server serves only the allowlisted static files from the project root.

API Endpoints

• GET /api/health → {"ok":true,...}
• GET /api/preset → preset clone, dog, and canned messages
• POST /api/clone → accepts application/x-www-form-urlencoded
• POST /api/dog → accepts application/x-www-form-urlencoded
• GET /api/shout/random
• GET /api/shout/canned?i=<1-based index>
• POST /api/shout/custom → form body message=<text>

Production Deployment Notes

Recommended production shape:

• Serve the project root (static UI files) via Apache
• Run the Java service as a separate process bound to localhost
• Reverse-proxy API requests from Apache to the Java service

If the Create Clone call returns 404 in production, it usually means the reverse-proxy is missing or pointing at the wrong port.

Example proxy config is included here:

• apache/virtualworld-proxy.conf

Local dev hostname: virtualworld.localhost

If you want to open the app at:

• http://virtualworld.localhost/

Run Apache and use the example vhost in apache/virtualworld-proxy.conf, and add this to your Windows hosts file:

127.0.0.1  virtualworld.localhost

Then run the Java server on 127.0.0.1:8080 (or update the proxy port).

Production hosting (subpath)

This project is commonly hosted under:

• https://fcjamison.com/projects/2016VirtualWorld/

In that case, proxy:

• /projects/2016VirtualWorld/api/* → http://127.0.0.1:8093/api/*

Webuzo / waitress catch-all

On the 2026 production host, fcjamison.com had a catch-all reverse proxy to a Python waitress app (localhost port 8010) defined in:

• /var/webuzo-data/apache2/custom/domains/fcjamison.com.conf

To ensure VirtualWorld is handled by Apache/Java instead of waitress, add early exit rules above the catch-all proxy rule:

# Allow VirtualWorld paths to be handled by Apache/Java
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} ^/projects/2016VirtualWorld/api/ [NC]
RewriteRule ^ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} ^/projects/2016VirtualWorld/ [NC]
RewriteRule ^ - [L]

And in the fcjamison.com vhost blocks (both :80 and :443 in /usr/local/apps/apache2/etc/conf.d/webuzoVH.conf), ensure these appear:

ProxyPreserveHost On
ProxyPass        /projects/2016VirtualWorld/api/  http://127.0.0.1:8093/api/
ProxyPassReverse /projects/2016VirtualWorld/api/  http://127.0.0.1:8093/api/

Configure Host/Port

The Java web server supports:

• Environment variables: VW_HOST, VW_PORT
• Args: --host <host> --port <port>

Example (bind only to localhost on port 8080):

set VW_HOST=127.0.0.1
set VW_PORT=8080
java -cp bin VirtualWorld.VirtualWorldWebServer

Important:

• Put Apache (HTTPS) in front for TLS and public access.
• Keep the Java service on 127.0.0.1 (not publicly exposed) when using a reverse proxy.

Production: Run Java as a systemd service (recommended)

If your server uses systemd, create:

• /etc/systemd/system/virtualworld.service

Example unit (compiles on start using Java 8 and runs on 127.0.0.1:8093):

[Unit]
Description=VirtualWorld Java Web Server
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=frankjamison
WorkingDirectory=/home/frankjamison/public_html/fcjamison.com/projects/2016VirtualWorld

ExecStartPre=/usr/bin/mkdir -p bin
ExecStartPre=/usr/bin/javac -source 1.8 -target 1.8 -d bin VirtualWorld/MyClone.java VirtualWorld/MyDog.java VirtualWorld/ShoutBox.java VirtualWorld/VirtualWorld.java VirtualWorld/VirtualWorldWebServer.java
ExecStart=/usr/bin/java -cp bin VirtualWorld.VirtualWorldWebServer --host 127.0.0.1 --port 8093

Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=2
SuccessExitStatus=143

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Enable/start:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now virtualworld.service
sudo systemctl status virtualworld.service --no-pager -l

If you see UnsupportedClassVersionError, it means the bin/ class files were compiled with a newer Java. Rebuild on the server with Java 8 (javac 1.8) or target Java 8.

Notes for Contributors

• The bin/ directory is a build output and is safe to delete/recreate.
• When deploying, prefer compiling on the server (avoids Java class version mismatch).

Clean build artifacts:

rmdir /s /q bin

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What to Expect When Running

The app is interactive. It will:

1. Introduce a preset clone
2. Ask for your personal details and confirm them
3. Introduce a preset dog
4. Ask whether you own a dog; if yes, collect dog details and confirm them
5. Ask whether you want a custom ShoutBox or a preset one
6. Let you shout messages (canned or random) until you stop

For Y/N prompts, enter Y/y or N/n.

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Notes / Known Quirks

• The code compares some strings using == (e.g., checking presets and message types). In Java, string equality should typically use .equals(...). Depending on the JVM and how strings are created, this may cause certain checks to behave unexpectedly.
• Several methods create new Scanner(System.in) instances instead of reusing one shared scanner. This is fine for a small console app, but it’s generally cleaner to share a single scanner.

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License

Educational project (coursework). If you want an explicit open-source license added (MIT/Apache-2.0/etc.), say which one and I can add it.