GameLibrary (Java MVC)

A desktop MVC application to manage your game collection. Backed by PostgreSQL with Flyway migrations and JDBC.

Tech stack

• Java 21
• Gradle (Application + Flyway)
• PostgreSQL (via Docker)
• Flyway for database migrations
• JDBC for database access

Prerequisites

• Java Development Kit (JDK) 21 installed and on PATH
• Docker Desktop installed and running
• Docker Compose (bundled with Docker Desktop)
• Gradle or the Gradle Wrapper (./gradlew on Linux/macOS, gradlew.bat on Windows)

Quick start

1. Start the database (from the project root):

   • Linux/macOS/Windows:

     docker compose up -d
     

   Notes:

   • The database will be available on localhost:5432.
   • Default credentials:
     • Database: gameslibrary
     • User: games_user
     • Password: games_pass

2. Run database migrations (creates/updates tables):

   • With Gradle Wrapper:

     ./gradlew migrate
     

   • Or with a local Gradle installation:

     gradle migrate
     

   This executes the Gradle task under tasks > application > migrate.

3. Start the application:

   • With Gradle Wrapper:

     ./gradlew run
     

   • Or with a local Gradle installation:

     gradle run
     

   This executes the Gradle task under tasks > application > run.

The GUI should open and the application will connect to PostgreSQL using the default settings above.

Useful Gradle tasks

• migrate — Run Flyway migrations (group: application)
• run — Launch the application (group: application)

You can also run these from your IDE’s Gradle tool window.

Environment and configuration

• JDBC URL (default): jdbc:postgresql://localhost:5432/gameslibrary
• Username: games_user
• Password: games_pass

If you change any of these (e.g., in Docker or local PostgreSQL), update your Gradle/Flyway configuration and application configuration accordingly.

Stopping and cleaning the database

• Stop containers:

  docker compose down
  

• Remove volumes and data (DANGER: deletes all DB data):

  docker compose down -v
  

Troubleshooting

• Docker not running: Ensure Docker Desktop is started before running any commands.
• Port 5432 already in use: Stop other PostgreSQL instances or change the exposed port in docker compose and the JDBC URL accordingly.
• Migrations fail or app cannot connect:
  • Verify the container is healthy:

    docker compose ps
    docker compose logs db
    

  • Confirm credentials and URL match the values above.
  • Re-run migrations: ./gradlew migrate.

Project overview

• Pattern: Model–View–Controller (MVC)
• Capabilities: add, update, get, delete, and filter games in your library