Thread: Illegal start of type?

Why does the following code return an "Illegal start of type" compile error?

import java.io.*;
import java.util.*;
 
class AminoToken
{
    String aminosStr;
    StringTokenizer aminosLn;
    StringTokenizer aminosInf;
    File aminos;
    FileInputStream aminosIS;
 
    try
    {
         aminos = new File("aminos.txt");
         aminosIS = new FileInputStream(aminos);
    }
    catch (Exception e)
    {
 
    }
}

My best guess is that, for some reason the compiler isn't recognizing the try keyword, because (as strange as the preceding sounds) all the succeeding compiler error indicate that the compiler is reading the rest of the code as if try were being ignored in every way except that it is an illegal start of type.

Your try statement isn't inside any method or initializer block. Therefore it must either be a visibility modifier, abstract, variable type or return type.

Since it is not either of the first two, it must be either a variable type or a return type. However, try is already a reserved keyword, thus making it an illegal type name.

Try putting your try/catch code inside of a main function.

My original question has been answered, but have another one about the same program and wasn't sure if I should start a new thread or not.

import java.io.*;
import java.util.*;
 
class AminoToken
{
    //System.out.println("**Inside AminoToken");
    public static void main (String args[])
    {
         //System.out.println("**Inside main");
         char inChar;
         long aminosSize;
         char aminosAry[];
         String aminosStr = "";
         StringTokenizer aminosLn;
         StringTokenizer aminosInf;
         File aminos;
         FileInputStream aminosIS;
 
         //System.out.println("**References created");
 
         try
         {
               //System.out.println("**Inside try block");
 
               aminos = new File("aminos.txt");
               //System.out.println("**File created");
               aminosIS = new FileInputStream(aminos);
               //System.out.println("**FileInputStream created");
               aminosSize = aminos.size();
               //System.out.println("**aminosSize intialized");
               aminosAry = new aminosAry[aminosSize];
               //System.out.println("**aminosAry created");
               for(int aminosAryInd = 0; aminosAryInd < aminosSize; aminosAryInd++)
               {
                    aminosAry[aminosAryInd] = (char) aminosIS.read();
                    aminosStr += aminosAry[aminosAryInd];
                    System.out.print(aminosAry[aminosAryInd]);
               }
         }
         catch (FileNotFoundException fnfe)
         {
              System.out.println(fnfe);
         }
 
         catch (IOException ioe)
         {
              System.out.print(ioe);
         }
 
         System.out.println(aminosStr);
    }
}

Now, my program compiles just fine, but it appears to hang when I run it. None, of the commented-out, double-asterisked print statements actually print, so I think it's safe to say that the program doesn't "do" anything meaningful,including terminate. I need to force-quit it from the command line.

When i copy your code and paste it into Netbeans, Netbeans gives errors at these parts:

 aminosSize = aminos.size(); 
aminosAry = new aminosAry[aminosSize];

The errors say that;
It cannot find the .size in java.io.File
So, .size isn't in the java class java.io.File

The other error says that the

aminosAry = new aminosAry[aminosSize];

requires an int and finds a long

--
If i change the long aminosSize; to int aminosSize; , it will say that it can't find aminosAry

 aminosAry = new aminosAry[aminosSize];

After Commenting the

 aminosAry = new aminosAry[aminosSize];

out, i did get output :

 **Inside try block
**File created
java.io.FileNotFoundException: aminos.txt (The system cannot find the file specified)
 
BUILD SUCCESSFUL (total time: 0 seconds)

--
Either way, it might be because i copied it