/**
    * This method reads in a string and converts the string into an integer
    * and
    * returns that integer to the caller of this method.
    */

   private int readInteger()  {

      String userInput = "";
      int temp = 0;

      BufferedReader stdin =
         new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in), 1);

      try {
         userInput = stdin.readLine();
         temp = Integer.parseInt(userInput);  // convert to integer
      }  catch (IOException ex) {
         System.out.println(ex);
         }

      return temp;

   }  // end readInteger