int SignatureIterator::parse_type() {

  {- -------------------------------------------
  (1) 
      ---------------------------------------- -}

      // Note: This function could be simplified by using "return T_XXX_size;"
      //       instead of the assignment and the break statements. However, it
      //       seems that the product build for win32_i486 with MS VC++ 6.0 doesn't
      //       work (stack underflow for some tests) - this seems to be a VC++ 6.0
      //       compiler bug (was problem - gri 4/27/2000).
      int size = -1;

  {- -------------------------------------------
  (1) (以下, シグネチャ文字列の文字に応じて分岐し, 
       型に応じた do_<type>() メソッドを呼び出す.

       ついでに, 読み取った分だけ _index を前に進めている 
       (このため, 次に parse するときは次の文字からになる).

       返値は, それぞれの型に対応した T_<type>_size 定数値.)
      ---------------------------------------- -}

      switch(_signature->byte_at(_index)) {
        case 'B': do_byte  (); if (_parameter_index < 0 ) _return_type = T_BYTE;
                  _index++; size = T_BYTE_size   ; break;
        case 'C': do_char  (); if (_parameter_index < 0 ) _return_type = T_CHAR;
                  _index++; size = T_CHAR_size   ; break;
        case 'D': do_double(); if (_parameter_index < 0 ) _return_type = T_DOUBLE;
                  _index++; size = T_DOUBLE_size ; break;
        case 'F': do_float (); if (_parameter_index < 0 ) _return_type = T_FLOAT;
                  _index++; size = T_FLOAT_size  ; break;
        case 'I': do_int   (); if (_parameter_index < 0 ) _return_type = T_INT;
                  _index++; size = T_INT_size    ; break;
        case 'J': do_long  (); if (_parameter_index < 0 ) _return_type = T_LONG;
                  _index++; size = T_LONG_size   ; break;
        case 'S': do_short (); if (_parameter_index < 0 ) _return_type = T_SHORT;
                  _index++; size = T_SHORT_size  ; break;
        case 'Z': do_bool  (); if (_parameter_index < 0 ) _return_type = T_BOOLEAN;
                  _index++; size = T_BOOLEAN_size; break;
        case 'V': do_void  (); if (_parameter_index < 0 ) _return_type = T_VOID;
                  _index++; size = T_VOID_size;  ; break;
        case 'L':
          { int begin = ++_index;
            Symbol* sig = _signature;
            while (sig->byte_at(_index++) != ';') ;
            do_object(begin, _index);
          }
          if (_parameter_index < 0 ) _return_type = T_OBJECT;
          size = T_OBJECT_size;
          break;
        case '[':
          { int begin = ++_index;
            skip_optional_size();
            Symbol* sig = _signature;
            while (sig->byte_at(_index) == '[') {
              _index++;
              skip_optional_size();
            }
            if (sig->byte_at(_index) == 'L') {
              while (sig->byte_at(_index++) != ';') ;
            } else {
              _index++;
            }
            do_array(begin, _index);
           if (_parameter_index < 0 ) _return_type = T_ARRAY;
          }
          size = T_ARRAY_size;
          break;
        default:
          ShouldNotReachHere();
          break;
      }
      assert(size >= 0, "size must be set");
      return size;
    }