Just wanted to address both responses I got back: Dominic, That syntax looks a lot better. Sorry I have been a Haskell programmer for like 8 hours ;) Thanks for the tip. I am learning how one can use many functions in one line. Christian, Sorry all code didn't get sent, but I think you nailed it right on the head. I don't need do and monads in findToken. I rewrote it like this: findToken :: [String] -> [String] findToken st = tail (findName st) and it works fine. Thanks a million. Could you briefly describe to me when do and monads should be used? My hunch is mostly when you deal with IO is this correct? Sorry all for asking trivial questions, but we all have to start soemwhere I guess. Thanks for all the help! I am beginning to like Haskell more and more. I am mostly a C++ programmer, but am taking a class where we are introducted to Prolog and Haskell so we get to see how different languages can be from each other. My problem is am still stuck in that stinking imperative mode of though ;) I am glad though I am expanding my ways of seeing things. Thanks to all again. Rob