Formatting JTextArea text

Question

I want to take the text of a JTextField and save it on the file system formatting with character length limited to a certain amount per line (say 77) and save any blank lines the user enters. Each line is prefixed with "//$" which I look for when I read it back in. The problem I am running into is when I encounter a blank line. My code looks like this (str is the string from the JTextField.getText() method):
          if(!str.trim().equals(""))
               try
                    for(x = 0; x < str.length(); x++)
                         while(count != 76 && x < str.length() && !endOfLine)
                              count++;
                              if(str.charAt(x) == '\n')
                                   endOfLine = true;
                              x++;
                         if(x == str.length())
                              tmpStr+="//$ " + str.substring(start, x) + "\n";
                              count = 0;
                         else if(endOfLine)
                              tmpStr+="//$ " + str.substring(start, x);     
                              start = x;
                              count = 0;
                              endOfLine = false;
                         else if(str.substring(start, x).equals(null))
                              tmpStr+="//$$";
                              start = x;
                              count = 0;
                         else                         
                              tmpStr+="//$ " + str.substring(start, x) + "\n";
                              start = x;
                              count = 0;

Answer 1

Refer to the Java Tutorial at http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/uiswing/components/textarea.html for more info on how to use the JTextArea. JTextArea only allow you to display plain text, so if you want the selected text to change color, you will have to use the JEditorPane (or its subclass JTextPane). Refer to http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/uiswing/components/editorpane.html for more info.