StickyNoteApp

A lightweight, customizable sticky notes application built with Java Swing that runs in your system tray. I really wanted a sticky note app where I could control its transparency and have it lock to the top layer of the screen above applications, so I did it myself!

With Controls Visible:

With Controls Hidden:

Features

• System Tray Integration: Access your notes from the system tray without cluttering your desktop
• Rich Text Formatting: Apply bold, italic, custom fonts, and colors to your notes
• Customizable Appearance: Change background color, toolbar color, and transparency for each note
• Note Management: Create, edit, resize, and organize your sticky notes
• Always-on-Top Option: Keep important notes visible above other windows
• Auto-Save: All changes are automatically saved to disk
• Global Settings: Define default appearance settings for all new notes
• Resizable Notes: Adjust note dimensions via edge resizing or precise pixel settings
• Transparency Control: Set transparency levels for better desktop integration

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 8 or later

Installation

1. Download the latest release JAR file from the Releases page
2. Double-click the JAR file to run the application
3. The application will appear in your system tray

Building from Source

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/YourUsername/StickyNoteApp.git
   

2. Open the project in your preferred Java IDE (Eclipse, IntelliJ, etc.)
3. Build the project
4. Run the Main class

Usage

Creating a New Note

• Right-click the system tray icon and select "New Note"
• A new sticky note will appear on your desktop

Formatting Text

• Use the toolbar buttons to apply formatting:

  • B: Toggle bold text (Double-click to set bold typing mode)

  • I: Toggle italic text (Double-click to set italic typing mode)

  • •: Insert a bullet point

  • A: Change font family

  • Color: Change text color

  • Size: Change font size

Note Controls

• Close: Hide the note (still accessible from notes list)
• Settings: Access note-specific settings
• Pin: Toggle always-on-top mode
• Lock: Prevent accidental edits

Note Settings

• Change background color
• Change toolbar color
• Adjust transparency
• Set exact width and height
• Delete the note

Global Settings

• Set default background color for new notes
• Set default toolbar color for new notes
• Set default font family and size
• Change data storage location

Managing Notes

• Access all notes via the "Notes List" option in the system tray menu
• Open or delete notes from the list

Application Structure

The application is organized into several key classes:

• Main: Entry point with system tray setup
• NotesManager: Handles note creation, storage, and retrieval
• NoteWindow: The UI for individual sticky notes
• NoteData: Data model for individual notes
• AppSettings: Global application settings
• NoteSettingsWindow: UI for note-specific settings
• GlobalSettingsWindow: UI for application-wide settings

Data Storage

Notes and settings are stored in two property files:

• notes_data.properties: Contains all note content and individual settings
• global_settings.properties: Contains application-wide default settings

Acknowledgments

• Developed by Dominic Minnich
• Icons by Icons8 Pichon

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request