hasNextLine returns a boolean. You mean nextLine perhaps? Take care, Sina ________________________________ From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Gilbert Neiva Sent: Monday, June 28, 2010 3:27 PM To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Java Delemma I'm trying to write an application which takes an input file, and adds 5 blank spaces at the beginning of each paragraph. Then the application is to write to an output file with the new changes. The application will detect the beginning of a new paragraph because there is a blank line before it. I test for the blank using the following if statement. if inputString.length() < 1 { inputString = blanks+inFile.hasNextLine(); } When I tried to compile the application using the javac program, I get the following error. History.java:23: incompatible types found : boolean required: java.lang.String inputString = inFile.hasNextLine(); ^ 1 error The source code for the application is below. import java.io.*; // importing input.output classes import java.util.Scanner; public class History { public static Scanner inFile; public static PrintWriter outFile; public static void main(String[] args) { String inputString; // Input string from a line in file final String blanks = " "; // Five blanks inserted at beginning of each paragraph inFile = new Scanner(new FileReader("history.d1")); // Instantiating new scanner and new filereader object with // history.d1 as argument outFile = new PrintWriter(new FileWriter("history.d2")); // Instantiating new printWriter object // It will be used to write to a file inputString = blanks+inFile.hasNextLine(); outFile.println(inputString); while (inFile.hasNextLine()) { inputString = inFile.hasNextLine(); if (inputString.length() < 1) { inputString = blanks+inFile.hasNextLine(); } outFile.println(inputString); } inFile.close(); outFile.close(); } } What am I doing wrong? Gilbert Neiva __________ View the list's information and change your settings at //www.freelists.org/list/programmingblind