Error handling for importing a file

Question

Hi, I have only been doing java for 1 semester, and have got terribly stuck on my final assg. I have to import a txt file, and catch any exceptions. I know I am not using the correct method to read the file, but am not sure what the alternatives are. I am getting a compile time..illegal character msg for my Mydata.txt file. Here is my code.
PS I do have a CatalogueItem class and a bit more to the main class, I have not attached it as I do not want this to be too long.
/The program reads 10 sets of catalogue data from the Mydata.txt file
//it prompts the user to use one of the 5 menu options displayed on the screen
//depending on which option is selected the program displays the data
//back on the screen.
import java.awt.*;
import java.lang.*;
import java .io.*;
import java.util.StringTokenizer;
import java.text.NumberFormat;
import java.util.Locale;
//set up a class to call on the constructors from the catalogueitem class
public class Myassg5
     private static final int MAX = 10; //sets the length to 10(for most exp products)
     private static CatalogueItem[] prodlist; //sets array for product list
     NumberFormat cash = NumberFormat.getCurrencyInstance(new Locale("en","AU"));
     public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException
     CatalogueItem prodlist = new CatalogueItem[10];//sets the length to 10
     {//create Buffered FileStream and initialise to zero
     //use bufferedReader to read in data my Mydata.txt file.
     BufferedReader inFile = null;
     BufferedReader inFile = new BufferedReader(new FileReader(C:\Mydata.txt);
     //print a msg stating the file is loading
     System.out.println("Loading file data from Mydata.txt...10 item(s) OK");
     //initialise the array elments to zero
     for( int a = 0; a < prodlist.length; a++)
     prodlist[a] = 0;
     //if incorrect command lines were passed in display
     //usage msg and quit program
     if(prodlist.length != 1)
          System.out.println("Usage: java assg <Mydata.txt>");
          System.exit(0);
     try
          inFile = new BufferedReader(new FileReader(args[0]));
     //display the error and quit if the file is not found
     catch(FileNotFoundException e)
          System.err.println("File not found--program will terminate");
          System.exit(1);
     //display error msg and quit if there is a problem
     //when opening the file
     catch(IOException e)
          System.err.println("Error opening file--program will terminate")
          System.exit(1);
     //repeat this error handling process as often as neccessary
     boolean go = true;
     while (go)
     //get a line of data from the file
     boolean valid = false;
     CatalogueItem prodlist =-1;
     while(!valid)
     //read the line of text from the file
     String temp = null;
     try
          temp = inFile.readLine();
     //display error msg and quit if there is a problem
     //reading from the file
     catch (IOException e)
          System.err.println("error reading from the file--program will terminate");
     System.exit(1);
     //if the string is null the EOF has been reached
     if(temp ==null)
          valid = true;
          go = false;
     //close the file stream
     try
          inFile.close();
     //display error if there was a problem closing the file
     catch (IOException e)
          System.err.println("error closing data file")
     

Answer 1

I think the problem is the "\M" in "C:\Mydata.txt". It is trying to make that into an escape character. Use "C:\\Mydata.txt" or "C:/Mydata.txt" instead.
The logic here is odd. You open a BufferedReader for Mydata.txt, then you trash it without closing it and create another BufferedReader for whatever command line argument the user passes in. Which reader do you want to keep?