private Object
            decodeInputStream(
                    InputStream bais,
                    int nesting)

            throws IOException {
        System.out.println(nesting);
        if (nesting == 0 && !bais.markSupported()) {

            throw new IOException("InputStream must support the mark() method");
        }

        //set a mark
        bais.mark(Integer.MAX_VALUE);

        //read a byte
        int tempByte = bais.read();

        //decide what to do
        switch (tempByte) {
        case 'd':

            //create a new dictionary object
            Map tempMap = new HashMap();

            try {
                //get the key
                byte[] tempByteArray = null;

                while ((tempByteArray = (byte[]) decodeInputStream(bais,
                        nesting + 1)) != null) {

                    //decode some more

                    Object value = decodeInputStream(bais, nesting + 1);

                    //add the value to the map

                    CharBuffer cb = Constants.BYTE_CHARSET.decode(ByteBuffer.
                            wrap(tempByteArray));

                    String key = new String(cb.array(), 0, cb.limit());

                    tempMap.put(key, value);
                }

                bais.mark(Integer.MAX_VALUE);
                tempByte = bais.read();
                bais.reset();
                if (nesting > 0 && tempByte == -1) {

                    throw (new IOException(
                            "BDecoder: invalid input data, 'e' missing from end of dictionary"));
                }
            } catch (Throwable e) {

                if (!recovery_mode) {

                    if (e instanceof IOException) {

                        throw ((IOException) e);
                    }

                    throw (new IOException(e.toString()));
                }
            }

            //return the map
            return tempMap;

        case 'l':

            //create the list
            List tempList = new ArrayList();

            try {
                //create the key
                Object tempElement = null;
                System.out.println("here");
                while ((tempElement = decodeInputStream(bais, nesting + 1)) != null) {
                    //add the element
//                    System.out.println(tempElement.getClass());
                    tempList.add(tempElement);
                }

                bais.mark(Integer.MAX_VALUE);
                tempByte = bais.read();

                bais.reset();
                if (nesting > 0 && tempByte == -1) {

                    throw (new IOException(
                            "BDecoder: invalid input data, 'e' missing from end of list"));
                }
            } catch (Throwable e) {

                if (!recovery_mode) {

                    if (e instanceof IOException) {

                        throw ((IOException) e);
                    }

                    throw (new IOException(e.toString()));
                }
            }

            //return the list
            return tempList;

        case 'e':
        case -1:
            return null;

        case 'i':
            return new Long(getNumberFromStream(bais, 'e'));

        case '0':
        case '1':
        case '2':
        case '3':
        case '4':
        case '5':
        case '6':
        case '7':
        case '8':
        case '9':

            //move back one
            bais.reset();

            //get the string
            return getByteArrayFromStream(bais);

        default: {

            int rem_len = bais.available();

            if (rem_len > 256) {

                rem_len = 256;
            }

            byte[] rem_data = new byte[rem_len];

            bais.read(rem_data);

            throw (new IOException(
                    "BDecoder: unknown command '" + tempByte + ", remainder = " +
                    new String(rem_data)));
        }
        }
    }