/// <summary>Processes numeric escaped chars to find out if they are a control character.</summary>
        /// <param name="ch">a char</param>
        /// <returns>Returns the char directly or as replacement for the escaped sequence.</returns>
        private char ProcessChar(char ch)
        {
            switch (state)
            {
            case STATE_START: {
                if (ch == '&')
                {
                    state = STATE_AMP;
                }
                return(ch);
            }

            case STATE_AMP: {
                if (ch == '#')
                {
                    state = STATE_HASH;
                }
                else
                {
                    state = STATE_ERROR;
                }
                return(ch);
            }

            case STATE_HASH: {
                if (ch == 'x')
                {
                    control = 0;
                    digits  = 0;
                    state   = STATE_HEX;
                }
                else
                {
                    if ('0' <= ch && ch <= '9')
                    {
                        control = JavaUtil.CharacterDigit(ch, 10);
                        digits  = 1;
                        state   = STATE_DIG1;
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        state = STATE_ERROR;
                    }
                }
                return(ch);
            }

            case STATE_DIG1: {
                if ('0' <= ch && ch <= '9')
                {
                    control = control * 10 + JavaUtil.CharacterDigit(ch, 10);
                    digits++;
                    if (digits <= 5)
                    {
                        state = STATE_DIG1;
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        state = STATE_ERROR;
                    }
                }
                else
                {
                    // sequence too long
                    if (ch == ';' && Utils.IsControlChar((char)control))
                    {
                        state = STATE_START;
                        return((char)control);
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        state = STATE_ERROR;
                    }
                }
                return(ch);
            }

            case STATE_HEX: {
                if (('0' <= ch && ch <= '9') || ('a' <= ch && ch <= 'f') || ('A' <= ch && ch <= 'F'))
                {
                    control = control * 16 + JavaUtil.CharacterDigit(ch, 16);
                    digits++;
                    if (digits <= 4)
                    {
                        state = STATE_HEX;
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        state = STATE_ERROR;
                    }
                }
                else
                {
                    // sequence too long
                    if (ch == ';' && Utils.IsControlChar((char)control))
                    {
                        state = STATE_START;
                        return((char)control);
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        state = STATE_ERROR;
                    }
                }
                return(ch);
            }

            case STATE_ERROR: {
                state = STATE_START;
                return(ch);
            }

            default: {
                // not reachable
                return(ch);
            }
            }
        }