public String the(String field)
    {
        String newField = "", number = "";

        if(field.substring(0, 1).equals(" "))
        {
            field.substring(1);
        }

        for(int i = 1; i <= field.length(); i++)
            {
                if(isNumber(field.substring(i - 1, i)))
                {
                    number = number + field.substring(i - 1, i);
                }
                else if(field.substring(i - 1, i).equals(" "))
                {
                    newField = "#" + number;
                    number = "";
                }
                else
                {
                    newField = "~invalid~";
                    break;
                }
        }
        newField = number + newField;

        return newField;
    }