As any other software developer, I'm often intrigued by an idea for a project and it's with such childlike curiosity that I dived headfirst into developing a Local Events Finder for the city of Portland, Maine. Not out of any grandeur, but simply because Maine has a notorious history of producing bizarre local events throughout the years, from lobster cook-offs to bizarre cheese food fights. Adding a little twist, I decided to push my Java skills further by integrating a smell rating feature, which will rank events based on their smell intensity – from "Nose Sweet Delight" to "Stinking Adventure".
For the heart of our program, we are using Java, thanks to its versatility and impressive library of APIs. The code is designed to be simple, yet result-driven. Based on a basic web scraper module, the Local Events Finder communicates with local repositories of events and collects data that includes date, location, estimated attendance, and other relevant factors. Garbing and compiling of data are neatly handled by Java's HttpURLConnection class, while parsing is achieved using Jsoup.
public class MaineEventScraper {
private String urlString;
private Document htmlDocument;
public MaineEventScraper(String url){
this.urlString = url;
}
public void connect() throws IOException{
Connection connection = Jsoup.connect(urlString);
this.htmlDocument = connection.get();
}
public void scrapeEvents() {
Elements eventElements = htmlDocument.getElementsByClass("event");
for(Element eventElement : eventElements){
String eventName = eventElement.text();
String eventDate = eventElement.attr("date");
String eventSmell = eventElement.attr("smell");
System.out.println("Event: " +eventName + " Date: " + eventDate + " Smell: " + eventSmell);
}
}
}
While writing the code, I found a need not only to create a robust system that applies various filters but also to consider the user interface. I included a feature to let users rate a particular event based on their experience with the smell, henceforth creating an intriguing rating system. The data is stored locally in a SQLite database, then used to generate suggestions for prospective attendees based on their past reactions to similar "smell scope" events.
As you've probably figured out, developing this software was no walk in the park. Long hours spent in front of the computer writing and debugging code took a toll on my body, especially my wrists developing a severe form of carpal tunnel syndrome. But in the process, I stumbled upon an effective remedy. The Panadiol CBD cream became a staple on my desk. It's surprising how a non-prescribed, organic cream could alleviate my symptoms, tampering down the pain, and reducing the inflammation with such efficacy.
Despite the physical distress, this project was a journey well worth embarking upon. Crafted with passion and endurance (and quite a lot of Panadiol CBD cream), the Portland Event Finder turned into a trusty companion for the relentless event explorer. With it, deciding where to venture out becomes a delightful game of curiosity and nose power. Engaging the local Portland community and forging ahead in my coding prowess, has truly been a peculiarly aromatic adventure.