mutiple input streams

i have two different input streams from different locations.

i want to wait for data on these streams and then process that data.

at the moment i have it like:

string a = inputa.readline();

string b = inputb.readline();

if(string a.equals(something){//do soemthing

if(string b.equals(something){//do soemthing else

but obviously this is a bad way of doing it because b may have to wait for datato come on a, and a may have to wait for data to come on b.

what is a simple alternative (pref. without threading).

thanks.

[578 byte] By [apmda] at [2007-11-27 1:40:12]