A Java console application that connects to the EventBoard TCP Server and allows users to manage events interactively.
Includes a fully implemented import-from-URL feature for bulk event loading with detailed validation.

• TCP client for the EventBoard Server (port 5550 by default).

• Clean console interface with a simple command menu.

• Supports the full text-based event protocol:

  • add; date; time; description
  • remove; date; time; description
  • list; date; -; -
  • STOP

• Extra feature: HTTP import from a remote .txt file using:

  import; https://example.com/events.txt
  

• Performs validation on each line before sending to the server:

  • Wrong number of fields.
  • Empty fields (date, time, description).
  • Time not matching the expected format (6 pm or 7.30 pm).
  • Description containing a semicolon.
  • Lines ending with a trailing ;.

• Prints per-line reasons for skipped events.

• Ensures only valid, sanitised events are sent to the server.

eventboard-client/
└─ EventClientMain.java   # Console UI, TCP logic and URL import

Compile (from the folder that contains the eventboard package):

javac eventboard/*.java

Run the client:

java eventboard.EventClientMain

Make sure the EventBoard Server is already running on localhost:5550.

When the client starts, it displays a small help menu:

• add; date; time; description
• remove; date; time; description
• list; date; -; -
• import; http://.../events.txt
• STOP

Examples:

add; 12 December 2025; 6 pm; Winter Choir Event
remove; 5 January 2026; 1.30 pm; Paper Lantern Colouring
list; 3 March 2026; -; -
import; https://example.com/events.txt
STOP

Every command is sent over TCP to the server, and the client prints the server’s reply.

The most interesting feature of this client is the import command:

import; https://example.com/events.txt

Internally, the client:

1. Extracts the URL from the command.
2. Opens an HTTP connection using URL + URLConnection.
3. Reads the file line by line via a BufferedReader.
4. For each non-empty line:
   • Splits by ; and expects exactly 3 fields:
     • date
     • time
     • description
   • Trims all fields.
   • Rejects lines where any field is empty.
   • Rejects lines where the description contains a semicolon.
   • Rejects lines where the original line ends with ;.
   • Uses looksLikeTime(time) to validate format (6 pm, 7.30 pm, etc.).
5. If a line passes all checks:

   • Builds a valid server command:

     add; date; time; description
     

   • Sends it to the server over TCP.

   • Prints the server response.

   • Increments the imported counter.

6. If a line is invalid:

   • Prints a message like:

     Skipped line 112: wrong number of fields
     Skipped line 114: invalid time format
     

   • Increments the skipped counter.

At the end, the client prints a summary such as:

Imported: 100; Skipped: 12

The helper method looksLikeTime(String time) checks:

• The time string is composed of two parts separated by whitespace:
  • numberPart (e.g. 6, 7.30)
  • ampm (am or pm)
• ampm must be exactly am or pm.
• numberPart may contain a dot:
  • If it does, it is split into hour and minute parts.
• Both hour and minute must be valid integers.
• Hours and minutes must be within valid ranges.

This ensures the client does not send obviously invalid times to the server.

• Building a TCP client that communicates using a custom protocol.
• Implementing a console-based UI with clear commands.
• Reading from remote HTTP resources in Java.
• Performing robust input validation before pushing data to the backend.
• Handling error scenarios gracefully and reporting skipped lines.
• Interoperating cleanly with a multi-threaded Java TCP server.

• Allow server host/port to be set via command-line arguments.
• Add support for local file import (e.g. import-file; events.txt).
• Improve console UX:
  • Command history.
  • Coloring for errors vs success.
• Add basic unit tests for looksLikeTime and the import logic.
• Wrap the client in a simple shell script or batch file for easier launching.

Leandro Crisol — Student No. 23156503
BSc (Honours) in Computing — National College of Ireland