Wakefern Information Search

Inspiration

We decided to use the API provided by Wakefern to create our program. We have never used an API before, and we thought it would be interesting to explore its uses for this hackathon.

What it does

This program takes in the information provided by the API and allows a user to search for a store based on city and zipcode. It also lets them check the prices of the items in the store, which are affected by whether or not they have loyalty. The program will show the original price, and then the current price with all the discounts.

How we built it

This was written in Java, with the information stored in an ArrayList. The program invokes the use of while loops to allow for the user to constantly use the program, Scanner class to read the inputs from the user, and try-catch statements in case the user gives an invalid input.

Challenges we ran into

The API, when printing out the information, had some formatting issues that caused the Scanner to read improperly. There were also issues where if the user entered in an incorrect input, the program would go into an infinite loop. However, these were eventually remedied and fixed.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud of how much we accomplished in one night, as this was our first hackathon.

What we learned

We learned how to use an API and create something useful with the information it provides.

What's next for Wakefern Information Search

We would like to try and connect this to a driver or a website, so the user does not have to run the program from the terminal. Furthermore, rather than using a large ArrayList, we would want to store the information in a database like SQL.