Java: Error reading text file to array

Question

I'm trying to read a text file to an arrayList but it's telling me

"no suitable method found for add(string) method Collection.add(Animal) is not applicable (argument mismatch; String cannot be converted to Animal)"

I have a class called Animal and within that this is my constructor code

    //Constructor
public Animal(String aType, String aColor, boolean aVertebrate, boolean aFly, boolean aSwim) {
    type = aType;
    color = aColor;
    vertebrate = aVertebrate;
    fly = aFly;
    swim = aSwim;

}

In my main class this is the code I'm using to read the text file

    else if (menuSelection.equalsIgnoreCase("I")){
            Animal a;
            String line;

            try (BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader(new FileReader("animalFile.txt"))){
                if (!br.ready()){
                    throw new IOException();
                }
                while((line = br.readLine()) != null){
                    animalList.add(line);
                }
                br.close();
            }catch (FileNotFoundException f){
                System.out.println("Could not find file");
            }catch (IOException e){
                System.out.println("Could not process file");
            }

            int size = animalList.size();
             for (int i = 0; i < animalList.size(); i++) {
                    System.out.println(animalList.get(i).toString());
             }

I'm getting the error message on the "animalList.add(line)"

Answer 1

The list animaList is a list of Animal. BufferedReader readLine() returns String, therefore you cannot add a String to a list of Animal.

In this line you should a call a method that converts the string to an animal object.

 while((line = br.readLine()) != null) {
     Animal animal = getAnimal(line);
     animalList.add(animal);
 }

The method would like:

private Animal getAnimal(String in) {

// Split string and initialize animal object correctly

}