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Asmit Mandal
Asmit Mandal

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📚 My First Java Project: A Simple Library Management System

#java #beginners #100daysofcode

📚 My First Java Project: A Simple Library Management System

👋 Introduction

Hi Dev Community! I’m Asmit, a first-year college student.

When I started learning Java, I didn’t want to just solve textbook problems — I wanted to build something real.

So for my very first project, I created a Library Management System (LMS).

It’s nothing fancy, but it’s special to me because:

  • It’s relatable (every college has a library 📖).
  • It let me practice the core building blocks of Java: classes, objects, collections, and methods.
  • Most importantly, it gave me a huge confidence boost to keep building. 🚀

🛠️ What the Project Does

The LMS is a console-based Java program with the following features:

  • 📖 Add New Books → Enter book details (ID, title, author).
  • 📋 Show Available Books → Display all books in the library.
  • 🔍 Search for a Book → Search by ID, title, or author.
  • 🎟️ Issue & Return Books → Mark books as issued or returned.
  • 👤 User Authentication → Users must log in/register before using the system.

It may sound simple, but making all of this work together took effort and patience!

💡 How I Built It

At the time, I only knew Java basics: loops, variables, and some OOP. This project forced me to connect those dots.

🧩 Structure

  • A Book class with id, title, author.
  • Constructors + getters/setters for easy access.

📂 Data Management

  • ArrayList<Book> → to store books.
  • HashMap → to manage users and issued books.

⚡ Step-by-Step Development

  1. Wrote userAuth() for login/register.
  2. Added addBook() + showBooks().
  3. Built search + issue/return functionality.

Breaking the project into small steps kept it manageable.

🐞 Challenges I Faced

No first project is complete without bugs 😅. Some I ran into:

  • Scanner Issues → nextLine() stuck in buffer.
  • ArrayList Errors → IndexOutOfBoundsException when I wasn’t careful.
  • HashMap Confusion → Trouble retrieving values with get().
  • Messy Main Method → Fixed by splitting logic into smaller methods.

👉 Each bug made me understand Java more deeply.

(And yes, I did use ChatGPT to help debug when I got stuck).

🔍 Key Takeaways

  • 🐛 Debugging = Learning → Errors are your best teachers.
  • 🧩 Divide & Conquer → Breaking into methods keeps code clean.
  • 📦 OOP Early On → Writing a Book class showed me the power of objects.
  • ✅ Finish What You Start → Completing even a small project feels amazing.
  • 🚀 Build to Learn → Don’t wait until you “know enough.” You learn by building.

🚀 What’s Next?

This was just Prototype V1. Next, I plan to:

  • Add a GUI with JavaFX or Swing.
  • Connect to a database (MySQL) so books persist.
  • Try a web version once I learn full-stack development.

Each upgrade will push me to the next level.

🙌 Final Thoughts

To all beginners:

👉 Start building now. Don’t wait until you “master everything.” Projects are the fastest way to learn.

This Library Management System may look small, but to me it’s proof that I can apply what I’ve learned to solve real problems.

I’ll keep sharing my journey here on Dev.to as I grow into a better coder. 🚀

📂 GitHub Repo

🔗 Library Management System

⭐ If you find it helpful, please star the repo — it really motivates me!

💬 I’d love to hear from you:

  • What was your first coding project?
  • Any suggestions on how I can improve this LMS?

Drop a comment below 👇

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