[Android Software Development] lancemulvihill85:
thanks for the quick reply. where on the line do i add <string array> ?

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<KeyboardEx ns:keyWidth="10.000002%p" xmlns:ns="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto">

<Row>

<Key ns:popupCharacters="@string/alternates_for_qwerty_q" ns:keyEdgeFlags="left" ns:keyLabel="q" ns:altKeyLabel="1" />

<Key ns:popupCharacters="@string/alternates_for_qwerty_w" ns:keyLabel="w" ns:altKeyLabel="2" />

<Key ns:popupCharacters="@string/alternates_for_qwerty_e" ns:keyLabel="e" ns:altKeyLabel="3" />

<Key ns:popupCharacters="@string/alternates_for_qwerty_r" ns:keyLabel="r" ns:altKeyLabel="4" />

<Key ns:popupCharacters="@string/alternates_for_qwerty_t" ns:keyLabel="t" ns:altKeyLabel="5" />

<Key ns:popupCharacters="@string/alternates_for_qwerty_y" ns:keyLabel="y" ns:altKeyLabel="6" />

<Key ns:popupCharacters="@string/alternates_for_qwerty_u" ns:keyLabel="u" ns:altKeyLabel="7" />

<Key ns:popupCharacters="@string/alternates_for_qwerty_i" ns:keyLabel="i" ns:altKeyLabel="8" />

<Key ns:popupCharacters="@string/alternates_for_qwerty_o" ns:keyLabel="o" ns:altKeyLabel="9" />

<Key ns:popupCharacters="@string/alternates_for_qwerty_p" ns:keyEdgeFlags="right" ns:keyLabel="p" ns:altKeyLabel="0" />

</Row>

<Row>

<Key ns:popupCharacters="@string/alternates_for_qwerty_a" ns:keyEdgeFlags="left" ns:keyLabel="a" ns:altKeyLabel="\@" />

<Key ns:popupCharacters="@string/alternates_for_qwerty_s" ns:keyLabel="s" ns:altKeyLabel="$" />

<Key ns:popupCharacters="@string/alternates_for_qwerty_d" ns:keyLabel="d" ns:altKeyLabel="&" />

<Key ns:popupCharacters="@string/alternates_for_qwerty_f" ns:keyLabel="f" ns:altKeyLabel="_" />

<Key ns:popupCharacters="@string/alternates_for_qwerty_g" ns:keyLabel="g" ns:altKeyLabel="(" />

<Key ns:popupCharacters="@string/alternates_for_qwerty_h" ns:keyLabel="h" ns:altKeyLabel=")" />

<Key ns:popupCharacters="@string/alternates_for_qwerty_j" ns:keyLabel="j" ns:altKeyLabel=":" />

<Key ns:popupCharacters="@string/alternates_for_qwerty_k" ns:keyLabel="k" ns:altKeyLabel=";" />

<Key ns:popupCharacters="@string/alternates_for_qwerty_l" ns:keyEdgeFlags="right" ns:keyLabel="l" ns:altKeyLabel=""" />

</Row>

<Row>

<Key ns:keyBackground="@drawable/btn_keyboard_key_cycle_shift" ns:keyWidth="@fraction/swype_key_width" ns:keyContentBaseline="@dimen/key_content_no_baseline" ns:codes="@integer/keycode_shift" ns:keyEdgeFlags="left" ns:isModifier="true" ns:isSticky="true" ns:isLockable="true" ns:iconPreview="@drawable/sym_keyboard_cycle_shift_feedback" ns:keyIcon="@drawable/sym_keyboard_cycle_shift" />

<Key ns:altPopupKeyboard="@xml/popup_smileys" ns:popupCharacters="@string/alternates_for_qwerty_z" ns:keyLabel="z" ns:altIcon="@drawable/keyboard_emoticon" ns:altPreviewIcon="?keyboardFeedbackEmoticonPrimary" />

<Key ns:popupCharacters="@string/alternates_for_qwerty_x" ns:keyLabel="x" ns:altKeyLabel="!" />

<Key ns:popupCharacters="@string/alternates_for_qwerty_c" ns:keyLabel="c" ns:altKeyLabel="\#" />

<Key ns:popupCharacters="@string/alternates_for_qwerty_v" ns:keyLabel="v" ns:altKeyLabel="=" />

<Key ns:popupCharacters="@string/alternates_for_qwerty_b" ns:keyLabel="b" ns:altKeyLabel="/" />

<Key ns:popupCharacters="@string/alternates_for_qwerty_n" ns:keyLabel="n" ns:altKeyLabel="+" />

<Key ns:popupCharacters="@string/alternates_for_qwerty_m" ns:keyLabel="m" ns:altKeyLabel="\?" />

<Key ns:keyBackground="@drawable/btn_keyboard_action_key" ns:keyWidth="@fraction/return_key_width" ns:keyContentBaseline="@dimen/key_content_no_baseline" ns:codes="@integer/keycode_delete" ns:keyEdgeFlags="right" ns:isRepeatable="false" ns:iconPreview="?symKeyboardFeedbackDelete" ns:keyIcon="?symKeyboardDelete" ns:altPreviewIcon="?symKeyboardFeedbackDeleteWord" />

</Row>

<include ns:src="@xml/kbd_bottom_row_default" />

</KeyboardEx>

this xml is untouched as of now. i went through it once and added the line only to not be able to recompile. I've updated sdk, jdk, and jre. just can't seem to make it work. also, i'm running windows 8.1 if that makes a difference.

thanks again for any advice, really