Java Book Class Challenge

Introduction

Welcome to the JavaTown Library, the most advanced digital library in the programming world! As a newly hired software developer, your first task is to help create a digital catalog system for the library's vast collection of programming books.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to complete the Book class that will be used to represent each book in the library's system. This class will store important information about each book and provide methods to interact with this information.

Are you ready to bring the JavaTown Library into the digital age? Let's start coding!

Skills Graph

Complete the Book Class

In this exercise, you'll be creating a fundamental building block for a library management system. This task will help you practice object-oriented programming concepts in Java, including class design, method implementation, and state management. By completing this challenge, you'll gain valuable experience in creating practical, real-world applications. Let's dive into the world of virtual books!

Tasks

• Open the pre-created file Book.java in the ~/project directory.
• Find the TODO comments in the code.
• Add the missing code to complete the Book class as per the requirements.

Requirements

• The file Book.java should already exist in the ~/project directory.
• Complete the constructor to initialize all the fields (title, author, publicationYear, and isAvailable).
• Implement the borrowBook() method:
  • If the book is available, set isAvailable to false and return true.
  • If the book is not available, return false.
• Implement the returnBook() method:
  • Set isAvailable to true.
• Implement the getBookInfo() method:
  • Return a string containing the book's title, author, and publication year.
  • The format should be: "Title by Author (Year)"

Example

When completed correctly, the following code in the main method:

Book book = new Book("Java Programming", "John Doe", 2023);
System.out.println(book.getBookInfo());
System.out.println("Is book available? " + book.isAvailable());
boolean borrowed = book.borrowBook();
System.out.println("Book borrowed successfully? " + borrowed);
System.out.println("Is book available now? " + book.isAvailable());
book.returnBook();
System.out.println("Is book available after return? " + book.isAvailable());

Should produce output similar to this:

cd ~/project
javac Book.java
java Book

Sample Output:

Java Programming by John Doe (2023)
Is book available? true
Book borrowed successfully? true
Is book available now? false
Is book available after return? true

Summary

In this challenge, you've created a Book class that demonstrates key concepts of object-oriented programming in Java:

1. Encapsulation: The Book class encapsulates data (title, author, publicationYear, isAvailable) and behavior (borrowBook, returnBook, getBookInfo) related to a book.
2. Constructor: You implemented a constructor to initialize the book's properties when a new Book object is created.
3. Methods: You created methods that represent actions a book can undergo (borrowing and returning) and a method to retrieve information about the book.
4. State management: The isAvailable property and the borrowBook and returnBook methods demonstrate how an object can manage its internal state.

This Book class forms the foundation of a library management system. In a real-world application, you might expand on this by creating a Library class that manages a collection of Book objects, or by adding more sophisticated borrowing rules.

Remember, object-oriented programming is about modeling real-world concepts in code. As you continue your journey in Java programming, look for opportunities to represent things as objects with both data and behavior.

Keep practicing and experimenting with your code. Try adding more methods to the Book class, such as a method to update the book's title or author. Or create a Library class that can store and manage multiple Book objects. The more you code, the more comfortable you'll become with Java and object-oriented programming concepts.