Error: illegal start of expression

Question

Hi, when I compile my program, I get an error that says
"A6Q1.java:96:illegal start of expression
public static int IndexOf(int comma) "
and ^ points to the p in public.
Here is a copy of the program (CSI1100 is a class that enables the read-in from the keyboard)
import java.io.* ;
class A6Q1
public static void main (String[] args) throws IOException
// DECLARE VARIABLES/DATA DICTIONARY
     String FullName;     // the string with the full name
     char [] NameArray;     // GIVEN: an array with the full name
     String Abbreviated;     // RESULT: the abbreviated name
// READ IN GIVENS
     System.out.println("Please enter your full name in the format shown, then press ENTER:");
     System.out.println("<Family name>, <Given name 1> <Given name 2> ...");
     NameArray = CSI1100.readCharLine();
// BODY OF ALGORITHM
     FullName = new String( NameArray );
     Abbreviated = abbreviate(FullName);
// PRINT OUT RESULTS AND MODIFIEDS
     System.out.println(Abbreviated);
// Definitions for the methods used by main go here.
     // METHOD: abbreviate, which will abbreviate people's names from
     // <Family name>, <Given name 1> <Given name 2> ... to
     // <Family name>, <Initial1>. Initial2>. ..., where the full name is given
public static String abbreviate(String FullName)
     // DECLARE VARIABLES/DATA DICTIONARY
     int Icomma;          // the index at which the comma occurs
     int Ispace;          // the index at which a space occurs
     String Abbreviated;     // the returned result
     int comma;          // the unicode value of a comma
     int space;          // the unicode value of a space
     // BODY OF ALGORITHM
     comma = (int) ',';
     space = (int) ' ';
     Icomma = IndexOf(comma);
     Abbreviated = FullName.substring(0, Icomma+1);
     Ispace = Icomma + 2;
     Abbreviated = Abbreviated + " " + FullName.charAt(Ispace) + ".";
     Ispace = IndexOf2(space, Ispace);
     while (Ispace > (-1))
     if (((int) Ispace) != ((int) Ispace) + 1)
     Ispace = Ispace + 1;
     Abbreviated = Abbreviated + " " + FullName.charAt(Ispace) + ".";
     else
     Ispace = Ispace + 1;
     // RETURN RESULT
     return Abbreviated;
public static int IndexOf(int comma)
     int Icomma;     // the index at which the comma occurs
     FullName.charAt(Icomma) = comma;
     return Icomma;
public static int IndexOf2(int space, int Ispace)
     int Icomma;     // the index at which the comma occurs
     int end = -1;     // if there is no comma
     FullName.charAt(Ispace) = space;
     if (Ispace >= Icomma)
     return Ispace;
     else
     return end; //do nothing
}}

Answer 1

I'd guess you're missing a } somewhere in there. I'm not going to try checking, because I'm not good at matching up braces which are all aligned on the left. (Hint: in future, when posting code wrap it in &#91;code] ).