I have a text file that is a string array that appends a string everytime the user types some words and hits return twice.

The strings in that array are displayed on the canvas.

However, when an user makes a new contribution it can only be displayed if I rerun the application.

What I would like is that once the user types return twice, this new string is not only appended but also displayed.

I think the problem is with loadStrings but since it is in the constructor of a class, I am assuming that it is updated everytime draw is called. Perhaps I am assuming wrong?


TextField textbox;
WordCollage wc;

void setup() {
  size (screen.width, screen.height);
  background (225, 225, 255);
  textbox=new TextField (100, height-200, 370, 100, color (100));
  wc=new WordCollage (0, 0, width, height);
}

void draw() {
  background (225, 225, 255);
  wc.display();
  textbox.display();
}


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

abstract class InteractiveBoxes {

  int boxPosX, boxPosY, boxPosW, boxPosH;
  PFont fontA;  // declare a variable that refers to the default font for all the subclasses
  int fontHeight;
  int marginSpacing;
 

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

    boxPosX=tempBoxPosX;
    boxPosY=tempBoxPosY;
    boxPosW=tempBoxWidth;
    boxPosH=tempBoxHeight;   
    fontA = loadFont("ArialMT-48.vlw");  // Load the default font that the subclasses will be able to use
    fontHeight=48;  // set a default value for the font height (determined by the font size limit)
    marginSpacing=5;
  }

  // methods of the abstract InteractiveBoxes class

 
  abstract void display();
}



class TextField extends InteractiveBoxes { 

  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;
  color boxClr;


  // constructor of the TextField class

  TextField (int boxPosX, int boxPosY, int boxPosW, int boxPosH, color tempBoxClr) {
    super (boxPosX, boxPosY, boxPosW, boxPosH);
    boxClr=tempBoxClr;
  }


  void appendStrings(String filename, String[] file) // This was a response from the processing forum on how to append text
  {
    try {
      // Create file
      FileWriter fstream = new FileWriter(sketchPath(filename), true);  // boolean where true means append
      PrintWriter out = new PrintWriter(fstream);  // // Create a new file in the sketch directory
      for (int i =0 ; i < file.length; ++i) { // go through String array
        out.println(file[i]); // write each character in the String array in the text file
      }

      out.close();  //Close the output stream
    }
    catch (Exception e) {  //Catch exception if any
      println("Error: " + e.getMessage());
    }
  }


  void keyPressed() {
    fullComment = splitTokens(captureText, "/");
    if (keyCode == BACKSPACE) {
      userInputText = userInputText.substring(0, userInputText.length() - 1); // allow the backspace key to go back and erase characters
    }
    else
      if (key != CODED) userInputText += key;  // capture characters of any keys that are pressed except for the coded ones
    // If the return key is pressed, save the String and clear it
    if (key == RETURN || key == ENTER) {
      captureText = userInputText;
      appendStrings("userinput.txt", fullComment);
      userInputText = "";  // Clear the String by setting it equal to ""
    }
  }

  void display () {

    // Display everything

    fill (boxClr);
    strokeWeight(4);
    strokeJoin(ROUND);
    rect (boxPosX, boxPosY, boxPosW, boxPosH);
    fill(240);   // Set the fill for text instructions
    fontHeight=16;
    textFont(fontA, fontHeight);   // Set the font type and size at Arial 16 for text instructions
    fill (255);  //set the fill for the user's input text
    text("Drag this box where you please. Type your graffiti as \na single phrase and hit return twice to add to wall:", boxPosX+marginSpacing, boxPosY+fontHeight+marginSpacing);
    fontHeight=20;
    textFont(fontA, fontHeight);   // Set the font type and size at Arial 20 for text instructions
    text(userInputText, boxPosX+marginSpacing, boxPosY+4*fontHeight+marginSpacing);
    text(captureText, boxPosX+marginSpacing, boxPosY+4*fontHeight+marginSpacing);
  }
}  // end of TextField class



class WordCollage extends InteractiveBoxes {

  Graffiti[] thisGraffiti;
  int nbrAdded;
  String [] retrieve;
  PFont [] fonts;
  String[] fontNames = {
    "VinerHandITC-48", "SegoeScript-Bold-48", "RageItalic-48", "Mistral-48", "VladimirScript-48", "Pristina-Regular-48", "BradleyHandITC-48"
  };

  // constructor of the WordCollage class

  WordCollage (int boxPosX, int boxPosY, int boxPosW, int boxPosH) {
    super (boxPosX, boxPosY, boxPosW, boxPosH);

    retrieve = loadStrings ("userinput.txt");
    fonts=new PFont[fontNames.length];
    nbrAdded=0;  // declare and initialize a variable that keeps track of the number of graffiti that have been added so far

    for (int i = 0; i < fontNames.length; ++i) {
      fonts[i] = loadFont(fontNames[i] + ".vlw");
    }

    try {
      thisGraffiti = new Graffiti[retrieve.length];
      for (int i = 0; i < retrieve.length; ++i) {
        Graffiti candidate;
        do {
          candidate = new Graffiti( retrieve[(int) random(retrieve.length)], fonts[(int) random(fonts.length)] );  // create each graffiti by retrieving each string in the array one by one and giving it a random font
        }
        while (!isDesirable (candidate));  // create a loop that keeps trying new candidates by checking if each are desirable...
        thisGraffiti[i] = candidate; // ...until it gets a candidate that is desirable 
        nbrAdded++;  // increment by one the variable that keeps track of the number of graffiti that have been added so far
        println ("This is the number added:" + nbrAdded);
      }
    }
    catch (NullPointerException e) {
      println("I can't find the text file that contains your array!");
    }
  }  // end of the constructor


void updateArray () {
   retrieve = loadStrings ("claudefortin_project3.txt");
}


  boolean isDesirable (Graffiti cand)
  {

    for (int i=0; i<nbrAdded ; i++) {       // create a for loop that will go through all the graffiti objects in the array

      if ((cand.detectOverlap(thisGraffiti[i]))  || (cand.equals(thisGraffiti[i])))
      {
        // check if candidate passes all desirability checks and return false if it's good, and true if it's bad
        return false;
      }
      println("duplication");
    }
    return true;
  }



  void display () {
    try {
      for (int n = 0; n < thisGraffiti.length; n ++ ) {
        thisGraffiti[n].display();
      }
    }
    catch (NullPointerException e) {
      println("I can't find your array!");
    }
  }
}



class Graffiti {

  String graffitiText;
  int graffitiX, graffitiY;
  float opacity, randomOpacity, opacitySpeed;
  int opacityDir;
  color fClr;
  PFont font;

  Graffiti(String graffitiText, PFont font) {  // constructor for the Graffiti class

    this.graffitiText = graffitiText;
    this.font = font;
    graffitiX = int(random (screen.width));
    graffitiX = constrain(graffitiX, 5, screen.width-27*graffitiText.length()); // constrain the x position so that the phrases are not cut off the screen
    graffitiY = int(random (screen.height));
    graffitiY = constrain(graffitiY, 50, screen.height-110); // constrain the y position so that the phrases are not cut off the screen
    fClr = color(random (0, 175), random(0, 175), random(0, 175));
    opacity = random(255);
    randomOpacity = 1;
    opacityDir= int (randomOpacity);
    opacitySpeed=random(1, 3);
    // println("Added Graffiti: " + graffitiText + " " + graffitiX + "," + graffitiY + "," + opacity + "," + opacityDir);
  }  // end of the constructor for the Graffiti class


  boolean detectOverlap (Graffiti checkOverlap) {
    if (checkOverlap == null) {
      println("checkOverlap is null!");
      return false;
    }
    if ((graffitiX>(checkOverlap.graffitiX+checkOverlap.graffitiText.length()*27)) || ((graffitiX+(27*graffitiText.length()))< (checkOverlap.graffitiX)) || ((graffitiY)>(checkOverlap.graffitiY+110)) || ((graffitiY+110) < (checkOverlap.graffitiY)))
    {       // conditional block (from the vehicle collision detection assignment) that states that if the left of a graffiti is equal or more than the right of another graffiti OR if the right of a graffiti is equal or less than the left of another graffiti OR if the top of a graffiti is equal or more than the bottom of another graffiti OR if the bottom of a graffiti is equal or less than the top of another graffiti, then...
      return false;       // ...return false if any of these conditions are met
    }       // end of the if block
    else {       // if none of these conditions are met...
      return true;       // return true if there is an overlap
    }       // end of the else block
  }       // end of the detect Overlap function


  void display() {

    // Fade ins and fade outs by incrementing the opacity variable in function of the frameRate
    opacity += opacityDir * opacitySpeed;  // this is the speed of the fading effect
    opacity = constrain(opacity, 0, 255);  // constrain the range of the opacity from 0 to 255
    if ( (opacity >= 255 && opacityDir == 1) ||   // When we hit maximum opacity...
    (opacity <= 0 && opacityDir == -1)) {  //... or when we are at minimum opacity...
      opacityDir *= -1;  //...change direction of the opacity fade
      if (opacity <= 0) { // when graffiti is invisible...
        graffitiX = int(random (screen.width));  //...choose new x     
        graffitiX = constrain(graffitiX, 5, screen.width-27*graffitiText.length()); // constrain the x position so that the phrases are not cut off the screen
        graffitiY = int(random (screen.height));  //...choose new y
        graffitiY = constrain(graffitiY, 50, screen.height-110); // constrain the y position so that the phrases are not cut off the screen
        fClr = color(random (0, 150), random(0, 150), random(0, 150), random(100, 255));  //...and choose new font color
      }  // end of the loop that deals with the graffiti once it has become invisible
    }  // end of the loop that deals with the fade ins and fade outs of opacity
    textFont(font, 48);   // display the graffiti with correct font/color
    fill(fClr, opacity);  // color the text randomly and fade in/out with the opacity variable
    text(graffitiText, graffitiX, graffitiY);  // write the graffiti in a random x and y position
  }  // end the display function
}  // end the Graffiti class