diff --git a/app/PdeCompiler.java b/app/PdeCompiler.java
index efc9316fc..9b95a9889 100644
--- a/app/PdeCompiler.java
+++ b/app/PdeCompiler.java
@@ -105,6 +105,24 @@ public class PdeCompiler implements PdeMessageConsumer {
       //buildPath + File.separator + className + ".java" // file to compile
     };
 
+    // make list of code files that need to be compiled
+    // (some files are skipped if they contain no class)
+    String preprocNames[] = new String[sketch.codeCount];
+    int preprocCount = 0;
+    for (int i = 0; i < sketch.codeCount; i++) {
+      if (sketch.code[i].preprocName != null) {
+        preprocNames[preprocCount++] = sketch.code[i].preprocName;
+      }
+    }
+    String command[] = new String[baseCommand.length + preprocCount];
+    System.arraycopy(baseCommand, 0, command, 0, baseCommand.length);
+    // append each of the files to the command string
+    for (int i = 0; i < preprocCount; i++) {
+      command[baseCommand.length + i] = 
+        buildPath + File.separator + preprocNames[i];
+    }
+
+    /*
     String command[] = new String[baseCommand.length + sketch.codeCount];
     System.arraycopy(baseCommand, 0, command, 0, baseCommand.length);
     // append each of the files to the command string
@@ -112,6 +130,11 @@ public class PdeCompiler implements PdeMessageConsumer {
       command[baseCommand.length + i] = 
         buildPath + File.separator + sketch.code[i].preprocName;
     }
+    */
+
+    //for (int i = 0; i < command.length; i++) {
+      //System.out.println("cmd " + i + "  " + command[i]);
+    //}
 
     firstErrorFound = false;  // haven't found any errors yet
     secondErrorFound = false;
@@ -132,6 +155,7 @@ public class PdeCompiler implements PdeMessageConsumer {
       while (compiling) {
         try {
           result = process.waitFor();
+          //System.out.println("result is " + result);
           compiling = false;
         } catch (InterruptedException ignored) { }
       }
@@ -169,6 +193,7 @@ public class PdeCompiler implements PdeMessageConsumer {
       throw new PdeException(SUPER_BADNESS);
     }
 
+    // success would mean that 'result' is set to zero
     return (result == 0); // ? true : false;
   }
 
diff --git a/app/PdeSketch.java b/app/PdeSketch.java
index 5c477f72f..5b4cb9cbc 100644
--- a/app/PdeSketch.java
+++ b/app/PdeSketch.java
@@ -1017,10 +1017,13 @@ public class PdeSketch {
                                importPackageList);
           if (className == null) {
             // TODO this is temporary for debugging
+            System.err.println("no class found in " + code[i].name);
+            /*
             System.err.println("class could not be determined for " + 
                                code[i].name + " hopefully an error has " + 
                                "already been reported.");
             return null;
+            */
           } else {
             code[i].preprocName = className + ".java";
           }
@@ -1028,6 +1031,7 @@ public class PdeSketch {
           if (i == 0) {
             // store this for the compiler and the runtime
             primaryClassName = className;
+            System.out.println("primary class " + primaryClassName);
 
             // check if the 'main' file is in java mode
             if (PdePreprocessor.programType == PdePreprocessor.JAVA) {
@@ -1091,6 +1095,7 @@ public class PdeSketch {
     //
     PdeCompiler compiler = new PdeCompiler();
     boolean success = compiler.compile(this, buildPath);
+    System.out.println("success = " + success + " ... " + primaryClassName);
     return success ? primaryClassName : null;
   }
 
diff --git a/todo.txt b/todo.txt
index 7e061608e..cc792517c 100644
--- a/todo.txt
+++ b/todo.txt
@@ -127,17 +127,20 @@ X   i.e. when double-clicking on them.. downloaded off web..
 X     but need to deal with simply, not providing a new exception case
 X begin writing 'new text file'
 
-040623 tuesday morning
+040623 tuesday morning / early afternoon
 X write 'new text file' (ctrl-t)
 X hitting return/enter on the status.edit() not always working
 X   it had been disabled, now re-enabled
 X also update status after "add file" of a .pde or .java
 X implement delete
 X implement hide/unhide
+X see if multiple files are actually compiling
+X   nope, they aren't properly.. need to figure this out
+X   empty files = no class name found.. that's a problem
+
+040623 tuesday afternoon
+_ continue work on multi-file compile
 
-_ see if multiple files are actually compiling
-_   nope, they aren't properly.. need to figure this out
-_   empty files = no class name found.. that's a problem
 _ see if sonia project can compile
 _ write export-to-application
 _ write export-to-library