TEST plan: I used the Balance.java source file as my testing file. Here are the following changes I made, in order, that match the order of the screen dump tests. --run on correct file. --removed the closing } at line 66, col 14 --removed the opening { at line 119, col 26 --removed the opening ( at line 120, col 25 --removed the closing ] at line 26, col 55 --removed the ' at line 49, col 17 (which turned most of the rest of the file into a quoted string) Screen dump: C:\java\progs>java Balance Balance.java All delimiters match: file syntax CORRECT. C:\java\progs>java Balance Balance.java Opening { at line 17, column 22 never closed... C:\java\progs>java Balance Balance.java Closing } at line 125, column 1 never opened... C:\java\progs>java Balance Balance.java Opening { at line 119, column 26 does not match closing ) at line 120, column 26 C:\java\progs>java Balance Balance.java Opening [ at line 26, column 53 does not match closing ) at line 26, column 55 C:\java\progs>java Balance Balance.java Opening { at line 48, column 27 never closed... Opening { at line 44, column 54 never closed... Opening { at line 38, column 49 never closed... Opening { at line 24, column 8 never closed... Opening { at line 23, column 9 never closed... Opening { at line 19, column 41 never closed... Opening { at line 17, column 22 never closed...