Hi,
importing .txt file data and want to draw nodes representing each imput.
I started using the code in Processing handbook (loading characters, p431) so i understand that as not all entries are same length i need to pretend by 'tabbing' so processing reads the file. Some lines have more entries, so i just tabbed and typed a "." to even lengths. The code below works and represents each entry with a node but i don't want to represent the "." entries. How can i do this please?

Code is:
Record[] records;
int recordCount;

void setup() {
 size(300,300);
 noStroke();
 fill(250);
 background(0);
 smooth();

 String[]lines = loadStrings("familyMap.txt");
 records = new Record[lines.length];
 for (int i = 0; i < lines.length; i++) {
   String[] pieces = split(lines[i], '\t'); // Load data into array
   if (pieces.length > 1) {
     records[recordCount] = new Record(pieces);
     recordCount++;
   }
 }
 for (int i = 0; i < recordCount; i++) {
   // draw node at random location to represent parent
   float x = random(5, width-5);            
   float y = random(5, height-5);  
   ellipse(x,y,20,20);
   // Print to console: check
   println(i+1 + ": " + records[i].parent +  " - " + records[i].child1 +  " - " + records[i].child2 +  " - " + records[i].child3 +  " - " + records[i].child4 +  " - " + records[i].child5);
   for (int j = 0; j < lines.length; j++) {
     // draw node at random location to represent children
     float x1 = random(5, width-5);            
     float y1 = random(5, height-5);    
     ellipse(x1,y1,8,8);  
   }
 }
}

my text file is like a family tree so i have a number of parents - a line which first entry is a parent and after that a number of children entries; which are seprerated with tabs.
The problem is that each parent has a different number of children. One parent has five children another three, so the entry for the latter has 2 entries which are just tabs (empty). I marked these with a "." thinking i could use the symbol "." to identify it and so say if entry = "." ignore it.

maybe i am structuring the file wrong? I thought it 'easier' to have each line with parent as first entry and children after seperated by tabs.

Thanks for the help PhiLho but i am not sure how to "iterate on the array and eliminate the dot entries".
Sorry if i am being a simpleton but could you explain for me please. Thankyou.

believe i need to include dummies to make all entries equal length (being length of parent with most children) otherwsie i get an error;
ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException:

here is the constructor - sorry not included before.
class Record {
 String parent;
 String child1;
 String child2;
 String child3;
 String child4;
 String child5;

 public Record(String[]pieces) {
   parent = pieces[0];
   child1 = pieces[1];
   child2 = pieces[2];
   child3 = pieces[3];
   child4 = pieces[4];
   child5 = pieces[5];
 }
}