private static int search(String s) {	// Returns the index of a match to s in v
					//    or -1 if there is no match
		int k;	// k== the index of the next position in 
			//      the vector to check.
			// No match has been found in positions 
			//      0 through k-1.
		k = 0;
		while (!(k==v.size() || s.equals(v.elementAt(k))))
			k++;
		// k==v.size || s.equals(v.elementAt(k))
		if (k==v.size())
			return -1;
		else
			return k;
	}