Iterating/indexOf Question

Question

The user is trying to guess the computers word one letter at a time. I kind of figured it out using the indexOf method, but it doesn't work if the same letter is in the word more than once. If the user gets the letter right, I'm trying to have the computer say where the letter is located.
I.e. if the secret word is "believe" and the user guesses "e", I want computer to say that there is an e in the 2nd, 5th, and 7th blanks.
Any tips?
Here is the very cumbersome thing I put together:
                indexHolder = itsComputersWord.indexOf(itsUsersLetter);
                if (indexHolder == 0)
                    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog (null, "The letter you guessed is the first letter of the secret word.");
                if (indexHolder == 1)
                    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog (null, "The letter you guessed is the second letter of the secret word.");
                if (indexHolder == 2)
                    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog (null, "The letter you guessed is the third letter of the secret word.");
                if (indexHolder == 3)
                    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog (null, "The letter you guessed is the fourth letter of the secret word.");               
                if (indexHolder == 4)
                    JOptionPane.showMessageDialog (null, "The letter you guessed is the fifth letter of the secret word.");

Answer 1

Why don't you do it la Hangman? :D (I love that game)
String word = "believe";
StringBuffer userAttempts = new StringBuffer();
for (int i = 0; i < word.length(); i++) {
  userAttempts.append(word.charAt(i) == ' ' ? ' ' : word.charAt(i)); // multiple words: leave spaces intact
while (!userAttempts.toString().equals(word)) {
  //: get letter from the user, into "attempt" (char)
  for (int i = 0; i < word.length(); i++) {
    if (word.charAt(i) == attempt)
      userAttempts.setCharAt(i, attempt);
System.out.print("Word: " + userAttempts + ". Next guess? ");
}s
(hint: something in the code above, which iterates over the letters in the word, is what you're looking for even without such a Hangman-like game)