menu-builder-console

About the package

This is a simple menu builder for java console apps that create a navigable menu

Usage

Create the whole logic in the instanciation of the menu

The very simple way to make the first menu with only one menu item that does nothing would be:

Menu menu = new Menu("Main Menu", new ArrayList<Menu.MenuItem>(){{
    add(new Menu.MenuItem("1", "Say Hello", null, null));
}});

menu.showMenu();

Here, we have created a menu named "Main Menu" that have only one menu item #1 Say Hello Even if we chose that option, it will do nothing.

the result if that piece of code would be:

[Main Menu]
    #1 Say Hello
    #q Quit
? :

We can see thet another option is added automatically so you don't need to add the option to close the menu, the library have already thought about it :)

Now let's try to make one of the options open another Menu, here's the process:

Menu menu = new Menu("Main Menu", new ArrayList<Menu.MenuItem>(){{
    add(new Menu.MenuItem("1", "Say Hello", null, null));
    add(new Menu.MenuItem("2", "Open Me", new Menu(
        "Opened Menu",
        new ArrayList<Menu.MenuItem>(){{
            add(new Menu.Item("1", "Do nothing", null, null));
        }}
    ), null));
}});

menu.showMenu();

Here, we have created a menu named "Main Menu" that have two menu items #1 Say Hello and #2 Open Me The second option have inside anothor Menu called "Opened Menu" with one option #1 Do nothing that does nothing :)

the result if that piece of code would be:

[Main Menu]
    #1 Say Hello
    #2 Open Me
    #q Quit
? : 2
[Main Menu] > [Opened Menu]
    #1 Do nothing
    #q Quit
? :

Did you see the Menu Builder making a path in the title bar so you can always know where are you now ?

What if I want to do specific action when an options in that menu bar is chosen ?

Good question! Let's see how we can achieve that.

Make a static method

First, create a method with no param and returns nothing inside a class:

public class HeyNinjas{
    public static void sayThanks(){
        System.out.println("Thank You Sooo Much!");
    }
}

Add the static method to the MenuItem

Then, we use the reference of that static method to pass it inside the MenuItem constructor :

Menu menu = new Menu("Main Menu", new ArrayList<Menu.MenuItem>(){{
    add(new Menu.MenuItem("1", "Say Hello", null, null));
    add(new Menu.MenuItem("2", "Open Me", new Menu(
        "Opened Menu",
        new ArrayList<Menu.MenuItem>(){{
            add(new Menu.MenuItem("1", "Do nothing", null, null));
            add(new Menu.MenuItem("2", "Give a Dirham", null, HeyNinjas::sayThanks));
        }}
    ), null));
}});

menu.showMenu();

We have added a second menu item in the inner menu #2 Give a Dirham that execute HeyNinjas::sayThanks when chosen:

[Main Menu]
    #1 Say Hello
    #2 Open Me
    #q Quit
? : 2
[Main Menu] > [Opened Menu]
    #1 Do nothing
    #2 Give a Dirham
    #q Quit
? : 2
--------
Thank You Sooo Much!
--------
[Main Menu] > [Opened Menu]
    #1 Do nothing
    #2 Give a Dirham
    #q Quit
? :

The method is executed and printed within the two lines of eight dashes