Conways Game of Life trouble [java] -

public static boolean[][] calculate(boolean cellstate[][])//imports cell patern(in form of graph) {     int x = 0, y = 0;     int alive = 0;     boolean newcellstate[][] = new boolean[50][50];//what next generation stored in      while(x < 50 && y < 50)//calculation loop     {         try//each adjacent cell         {             if(cellstate[x-1][y] == true)                 alive++; //if  adjacent cell alive alive variable gets + 1         }catch(indexoutofboundsexception e) {}          try         {             if (cellstate[x-1][y-1] == true)                 alive++;         } catch(indexoutofboundsexception e) { }          try         {             if(cellstate[x-1][y+1] == true)                 alive++;         } catch(indexoutofboundsexception e) { }          try         {             if (cellstate[x][y+1] == true)                 alive++;         } catch(indexoutofboundsexception e) { }          try         {             if (cellstate[x][y-1] == true)                 alive++;         } catch(indexoutofboundsexception e) { }          try         {             if(cellstate[x+1][y] == true)                 alive++;         } catch(indexoutofboundsexception e) { }          try         {             if(cellstate[x+1][y-1] == true)                 alive++;         } catch(indexoutofboundsexception e) { }          try         {             if(cellstate[x+1][y+1] == true)                 alive++;         } catch(indexoutofboundsexception e) { }          if(cellstate[x][y] = true) //determines if cell should alive in next generation         {             if(alive < 2)                 newcellstate[x][y] = false;             else if(alive > 3)                 newcellstate[x][y] = false;             else if(alive == 2)                 newcellstate[x][y] = true;//stores in new cell state next gen             else                 newcellstate[x][y] = true;         } else         {             newcellstate[x][y] = false;         }          alive = 0; //resets alive          if(x == 49)//counter graph         {             y++;             x=0;         }else         {             x++;         }     }      return newcellstate; } 

this method used calculate next generation of conway's game of life. each time run, no matter pattern is, prints out every cell dead except edges of grid.

this main method:

public static void main(string args[]) {     int x = 0;     int y = 0;     boolean cellstate[][] = new boolean[50][50];     string answer;     scanner input = new scanner(system.in);      while(true)     {         system.out.print("\n type next generation, 'new' new grid, or 'stop' end>> ");         answer = input.nextline();         if(answer.equals("new"))         {             cellstate = newcells();         }else if(answer.equals("stop"))         {             break;         }else         {             cellstate = calculate(cellstate);             print(cellstate);         }      }   } 

i have tested printing method doesn't have problem there. can't figure out why this. appreciated! thanks!

if(cellstate[x][y] = true)  

you forgot use == one. otherwise, code looks fine.