Compile Error: unexpected token: '=' at line 12 column 7

Question

public class listexample {

    public list<string> myval {get;set;}
    public string str;
          public listexample(){
            myval=new list<string>();
            myval.add('India');
            myval.add('USA');
            myval.add('Japan');
            myval.add(1,'China');
                    }
   str =  myval.get(2);
                }

Answer 1

str =  myval.get(2);

Should be inside constructor

public class listexample {

    public list<string> myval {get;set;}
    public string str    {get; private set;}

    public listexample(){
            myval=new list<string>();
            myval.add('India');
            myval.add('USA');
            myval.add('Japan');
            myval.add(1,'China');
            str =  myval.get(2);
     }
}

Also since you are using str in VF page, should be in get set property

 public string str {get;set;}

If you are just displaying str in VF page. Use private set; to ensure this String should not updated from vf page.