I have created a box in which users can type in their comments as a response to an image I will show them on the screen.

My objective is to accumulate all the different users comments (sentences) in a text file and then later, randomly load some of the words in each user's comments and paste them on the canvas in random locations (so a bit like an "exquisite cadaver") to create a poetic word association.

Currently, I can save one comment in a text file by typing in my box and pressing RETURN, but if I type another comment, the first is overwritten by the second one (so I lose the first one).

I am assuming that the solution is to use an array list. Am I correct and if so, what direction should I take with this strategy to achieve my goal?

Here is my code so far:


TextField textbox;

void setup() {
  size (screen.width, screen.height);
  textbox=new TextField (100, height-200, 400, 100, color (100));
}

void draw() {
  background (204);
  textbox.display();
  textbox.rollOver();
}


// mouse and keyboard events

void mousePressed () {
  textbox.press(mouseX, mouseY);
}

void mouseDragged() {
  textbox.drag (mouseX, mouseY);
}

void mouseReleased () {
  textbox.release ();
}

void keyPressed () {
  textbox.keyPressed();
}


abstract class InteractiveBoxes {

  int boxPosX, boxPosY, boxPosW, boxPosH;
  int boxPosXOff, boxPosYOff;
  boolean over = false;
  boolean pressed = false;

  InteractiveBoxes (int tempBoxPosX, int tempBoxPosY, int tempBoxWidth, int tempBoxHeight) {

    boxPosX=tempBoxPosX;
    boxPosY=tempBoxPosY;
    boxPosW=tempBoxWidth;
    boxPosH=tempBoxHeight;
  }

  // methods of the abstract InteractiveBoxes class

  void rollOver () {
    if ((mouseX>=boxPosX) && (mouseX <=boxPosX+boxPosW) && (mouseY>=boxPosY) && (mouseY<=boxPosY+boxPosH)) {
      over=true;
    }
    else {
      over=false;
    }
  } // end of the rollOver function


  void click (int mX, int mY) {
    boxPosX=mouseX;
    boxPosY=mouseY;
    boxPosW=mouseX-boxPosX;
    boxPosH=mouseY-boxPosY;
  } // end the click function


  void press (int mX, int mY) {
    if (over==true) {
      pressed=true;
      boxPosXOff=mX-boxPosX;
      boxPosYOff=mY-boxPosY;
    }
  }  // end of the press function


  void drag (int mX, int mY) {
    if (pressed==true) {
      boxPosX=mX-boxPosXOff;
      boxPosY=mY-boxPosYOff;
    }
  }  // end of the drag function


  void release () {
    pressed=false;
  }  // end of release function
}



class TextField extends InteractiveBoxes {

  PFont fontA;

  String userInputText= "";  // declare and initialize the variable to store text while it is being typed
  String captureText= "";  // declare and initialize the variable to save typed text when return key is hit
  String[] fullComment;

  int spacing;
  int fontHeight;
  color boxClr;

  // constructor of the TextField class

  TextField (int boxPosX, int boxPosY, int boxPosW, int boxPosH, color tempBoxClr) {
    super (boxPosX, boxPosY, boxPosW, boxPosH);
    fontA = loadFont("ArialMT-48.vlw");
    boxClr=tempBoxClr;
    spacing = 5;
  }


  void display () {

    // Display everything

    fill (boxClr);
    strokeWeight(4);
    strokeJoin(ROUND);
    rect (boxPosX, boxPosY, boxPosW, boxPosH);
    fontHeight=16;  // set the font size
    textFont(fontA, fontHeight);   // Set the font type and size at Arial 14 for text instructions
    fill(240);   // Set the fill for text instructions
    text("Type a few words that describe your impression. \nHit return to save what you typed. ", boxPosX+spacing, boxPosY+fontHeight);
    fontHeight=20;  // reset the font size
    fill (255);  //set the fill for the user's input text
    textFont(fontA, fontHeight);   // Set the font type and size at Arial 20 for text instructions
    text(userInputText, boxPosX+spacing, boxPosY+4*fontHeight+spacing);
    text(captureText, boxPosX+spacing, boxPosY+4*fontHeight+spacing);
  }


  void keyPressed() {
    fullComment = splitTokens(captureText, ", ");
    userInputText = userInputText + key;  // add each character typed by the user to the end of the userInputText String variable.
    // If the return key is pressed, save the String and clear it
    if (key == RETURN || key == ENTER) {
      captureText = userInputText;
      saveStrings("userCommentsFile.txt", fullComment);
      userInputText = "";  // Clear the String by setting it equal to ""
    }
  }
}