Help with java code

Question

im pretty new to java coding and im having trouble getting one method to work. I would appreciate it ifsum could look at the following code in the runpayroll method to see where im going wrong as it will not compile
import java.io.FileReader;
import java.io.FileWriter;
import java.io.BufferedReader;
import java.io.PrintWriter;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.File;
* Textfile-based staff list with payroll, appointment, and redundancy functions
* @author Andrew Mackel
* @version 1.0
public class StaffList
// CONSTANTS ***************************************************************
final String STAFF_FILE = "staff.txt";
final String TEMP_FILE = "temp.txt";
final int[] PAYSCALE = {1000, 1050, 1100, 1150, 1200,
1300, 1400, 1600, 1800, 2000, 2500};
final int SEVERANCE_MULTIPLE = 3;
// INSTANCE VARIABLES ******************************************************
// CONSTRUCTORS ************************************************************
* Constructor
StaffList ()
// no actions
// METHODS *****************************************************************
// TO DO: write addStaffMember() method which appends a line to the staff
// file containing the number, name and grade of the new member
// of staff (tab separated)
// TO DO: write runPayroll() method which prints a header saying
// "XXX Payroll" where XXX is the month, then reads each record
// in the staff file and for each prints an advice of the form:
// Salary advice for Freda Bloggs
// Employee number: 42
// Employee grade: 6
// Monthly salary: �1400
// and finally returns the total cost of the month's payroll
* Remove staff member from file and calculate severance payment
* @param pNum staff number
* @return severance payment due (or -1 if pNum not found in staff file)
public int makeRedundant(int pNum)
String inputLine;
String[] inputFields;
int staffNum;
int staffGrade = -1;
int severance;
try
FileReader fr = new FileReader(STAFF_FILE);
BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader (fr);
FileWriter fw = new FileWriter(TEMP_FILE, false);
PrintWriter pw = new PrintWriter(fw);
inputLine = br.readLine();
while (inputLine != null)
inputFields = inputLine.split("\t");
staffNum = Integer.parseInt(inputFields[0]);
if (staffNum == pNum)
staffGrade = Integer.parseInt(inputFields[2]);
else
pw.println(inputLine);
inputLine = br.readLine();
fr.close();
fw.close();
if (staffGrade != -1)
File staffFile = new File(STAFF_FILE);
File tempFile = new File(TEMP_FILE);
staffFile.delete();
tempFile.renameTo(staffFile);
severance = PAYSCALE[staffGrade] * SEVERANCE_MULTIPLE;
else
severance = -1;
return severance;
catch (IOException ioe)
User.message("Unable to read/write from staff file");
User.message("EXCEPTION: " + ioe);
return -1;
public void addStaffMember (int pNum, String pName, int pGrade)
try
// create writers for output file (to append not overwrite)
FileWriter fw = new FileWriter(STAFF_FILE, true);
PrintWriter pw = new PrintWriter(fw);
// print pNum, pName and pGrade (TAB-separated) and close file
pw.println(pNum + "\t" + pName + "\t" + pGrade);
pw.close();
catch (java.io.IOException ioe)
// there has been an output error - display message and details
User.message("ERROR: unable to write to staff file");
User.message("EXCEPTION: " + ioe);
* Display a list of all invoices and total on system console
void runPayroll(String pMonth)
String inputLine;
String[] inputFields;
int pNum;
String pName;
int pGrade;
int total=0;
System.out.println("Payroll for the month of: " + pMonth);
try
// create readers for input file
FileReader fr = new FileReader(STAFF_FILE);
BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(fr);
// read first line
inputLine = br.readLine();
// read lines of input until EOF
while (inputLine != null)
// split input line by tabs and assign fields to variables
inputFields = inputLine.split("\t");
pNum = inputFields[0];
// print invoice details and add to total
System.out.println("Staff Member: " + pNum + pName + pGrade + " - Salary: " + PAYSCALE);
total = total;
// read next line of input
inputLine = br.readLine();
// close file and print total
fr.close();
System.out.println("TOTAL: " + total);
catch (java.io.IOException ioe)
// there has been an input error - display message and details
User.message("ERROR: unable to read invoice file");
User.message("EXCEPTION: " + ioe);
}

Answer 1

1) use code tags
2) who or what is ifsum ? (In other words spell things out and make your message clear
3) it won't compile so it's likely giving you errors - those help people help you lots.
4) keep the code short - in other words if you are having problems in runpayroll post that to start as the rest is just taking attention away from your problem.