Stream problems

[babygodzilla]

my server sends a string using a PrintWriter and a serialized ArrayList using ObjectOutputStream in this order:

PrintWriter printOut = new PrintWriter(socket.getOutputStream(), true);	
ObjectOutputStream output = new ObjectOutputStream(socket.getOutputStream());
printOut.println("ack");						
output.writeObject(resultRows);

the client has a code

System.out.println(cmd);

thats supposed to print out the "ack." but because the Server creates the ObjectOutputStream before it prints the "ack" the output is as such:

?ack
?java.util.ArrayListx?-?Ö¦a?? ?I ?sizexp   ?w?
?[Ljava.lang.String;¡-VtT?{G?  xp   ?t bdmillst Brandont ?Millst ?30t 32.0001

as you can see, it prints out the "ack" along with the serialized ArrayList. im wondering if there is a way around this. it is important that I create the ObjectOutputStream BEFORE i send the "ack." any help (sooner than later) will be much appreciated

[sjalle]

Are you in charge of the clients code, can you modify the process on the client side ?