internal int?ParseRecord(SerialObject parentObject)
        {
            int?serialObjectReferenceID = null;

            if (PendingNullCounter == 0)
            {
                long                  startPosition  = reader.BaseStream.Position;
                SerialObject          si             = null;
                RecordTypeEnumeration nextRecordType = (RecordTypeEnumeration)reader.ReadByte();
                switch (nextRecordType)
                {
                case RecordTypeEnumeration.SerializedStreamHeader:
                    //header is 4 values that I wouldn't know what to do with (what type of message, what version, etc) - trash.
                    reader.ReadBytes(16);
                    break;

                case RecordTypeEnumeration.ClassWithID:
                    //just two ints, read directly
                    si          = new ClassInfo();
                    si.ObjectID = reader.ReadInt32();
                    ((ClassInfo)si).ReferencedObject = reader.ReadInt32();
                    //Use the referenced object definition for data retrieval rules
                    // -> this will overwrite the original values in the referenced object, but who cares - the values are trash anyway (for now).
                    ((ClassInfo)serialObjects[((ClassInfo)si).ReferencedObject.Value]).ReadValueInfo(this);
                    break;

                case RecordTypeEnumeration.SystemClassWithMembers:
                    //single structure, read in constructor
                    si = new ClassInfo(this);
                    //also values.
                    si.ReadValueInfo(this);
                    break;

                case RecordTypeEnumeration.ClassWithMembers:
                    //single structure, read in constructor
                    si = new ClassInfo(this);
                    //also library ID, read into place.
                    ((ClassInfo)si).LibraryID = reader.ReadInt32();
                    //also values.
                    si.ReadValueInfo(this);
                    break;

                case RecordTypeEnumeration.SystemClassWithMembersAndTypes:
                    //single structure, read in constructor
                    si = new ClassInfo(this);
                    //also member type info, read into place.
                    ((ClassInfo)si).ReadTypeInfo(this);
                    //also values.
                    si.ReadValueInfo(this);
                    break;

                case RecordTypeEnumeration.ClassWithMembersAndTypes:
                    //single structure, read in constructor
                    si = new ClassInfo(this);
                    //also member type info, read into place.
                    ((ClassInfo)si).ReadTypeInfo(this);
                    //also library ID, read into place.
                    ((ClassInfo)si).LibraryID = reader.ReadInt32();
                    //also values.
                    si.ReadValueInfo(this);
                    break;

                case RecordTypeEnumeration.BinaryObjectString:
                    //simple structure, just an ID and a string
                    si          = new ObjectString();
                    si.ObjectID = reader.ReadInt32();
                    ((ObjectString)si).String = reader.ReadString();
                    break;

                case RecordTypeEnumeration.BinaryArray:
                    //complex process, read in constructor.
                    si = new BinaryArray(this);
                    //also values.
                    si.ReadValueInfo(this);
                    break;

                case RecordTypeEnumeration.MemberReference:
                    //just return the ID that was referenced.
                    serialObjectReferenceID = reader.ReadInt32();
                    break;

                case RecordTypeEnumeration.ObjectNull:
                    //a single null; do nothing, as null is the default return value.
                    break;

                case RecordTypeEnumeration.MessageEnd:
                    //do nothing, quit. Wasn't that fun?
                    endRecordReached = true;
                    break;

                case RecordTypeEnumeration.BinaryLibrary:
                    int newLibraryID = reader.ReadInt32();
                    libraries.Add(newLibraryID, new BinaryLibrary());
                    libraries[newLibraryID].LibraryID    = newLibraryID;
                    libraries[newLibraryID].Name         = reader.ReadString();
                    libraries[newLibraryID].recordLength = reader.BaseStream.Position - startPosition;
                    break;

                case RecordTypeEnumeration.ObjectNullMultiple256:
                    //a sequence of nulls; return null, and start a counter to continue returning N nulls over the next calls.
                    PendingNullCounter = reader.ReadByte() - 1;
                    break;

                case RecordTypeEnumeration.ObjectNullMultiple:
                    //a sequence of nulls; return null, and start a counter to continue returning N nulls over the next calls.
                    PendingNullCounter = reader.ReadInt32() - 1;
#if (DEBUG)
                    //not yet tested: if it happens, take a look around.
                    System.Diagnostics.Debugger.Break();
#endif
                    break;

                case RecordTypeEnumeration.ArraySinglePrimitive:
                    //This one's pretty easy to build, do locally.
                    si          = new BinaryArray();
                    si.ObjectID = reader.ReadInt32();
                    ((BinaryArray)si).ArrayType  = BinaryArrayTypeEnumeration.Single;
                    ((BinaryArray)si).BinaryType = BinaryTypeEnumeration.Primitive;
                    ((BinaryArray)si).Rank       = 1;
                    ((BinaryArray)si).Lengths    = new List <int>();
                    ((BinaryArray)si).Lengths.Add(reader.ReadInt32());
                    ((BinaryArray)si).PrimitiveType = (PrimitiveTypeEnumeration)reader.ReadByte();
                    //and then read the values.
                    si.ReadValueInfo(this);
                    break;

                case RecordTypeEnumeration.ArraySingleObject:
                    //This should be pretty easy to build, do locally.
                    si          = new BinaryArray();
                    si.ObjectID = reader.ReadInt32();
                    ((BinaryArray)si).ArrayType  = BinaryArrayTypeEnumeration.Single;
                    ((BinaryArray)si).BinaryType = BinaryTypeEnumeration.Object;
                    ((BinaryArray)si).Rank       = 1;
                    ((BinaryArray)si).Lengths    = new List <int>();
                    ((BinaryArray)si).Lengths.Add(reader.ReadInt32());
                    //and then read the values.
                    si.ReadValueInfo(this);
#if (DEBUG)
                    //not yet tested: if it happens, take a look around.
                    System.Diagnostics.Debugger.Break();
#endif
                    break;

                case RecordTypeEnumeration.ArraySingleString:
                    //This should be pretty easy to build, do locally.
                    si          = new BinaryArray();
                    si.ObjectID = reader.ReadInt32();
                    ((BinaryArray)si).ArrayType  = BinaryArrayTypeEnumeration.Single;
                    ((BinaryArray)si).BinaryType = BinaryTypeEnumeration.String;
                    ((BinaryArray)si).Rank       = 1;
                    ((BinaryArray)si).Lengths    = new List <int>();
                    ((BinaryArray)si).Lengths.Add(reader.ReadInt32());
                    //and then read the values.
                    si.ReadValueInfo(this);
#if (DEBUG)
                    //not yet tested: if it happens, take a look around.
                    System.Diagnostics.Debugger.Break();
#endif
                    break;

                case RecordTypeEnumeration.MemberPrimitiveTyped:
#if (DEBUG)
                    //not yet tested: if it happens, take a look around.
                    System.Diagnostics.Debugger.Break();
#endif
                    break;

                case RecordTypeEnumeration.MethodCall:
#if (DEBUG)
                    //not yet tested: if it happens, take a look around.
                    System.Diagnostics.Debugger.Break();
#endif
                    break;

                case RecordTypeEnumeration.MethodReturn:
#if (DEBUG)
                    //not yet tested: if it happens, take a look around.
                    System.Diagnostics.Debugger.Break();
#endif
                    break;

                default:
                    throw new Exception("Parsing appears to have failed dramatically. Unknown record type, we must be lost in the bytestream!");
                }

                //standard: if this was a serial object, add to list and record its length.
                if (si != null)
                {
                    serialObjects.Add(si.ObjectID, si);
                    serialObjects[si.ObjectID].recordLength = reader.BaseStream.Position - startPosition;
                    if (parentObject != null)
                    {
                        serialObjects[si.ObjectID].ParentObjectID = parentObject.ObjectID;
                    }
                    return(si.ObjectID);
                }
            }
            else
            {
                PendingNullCounter--;
            }
            return(serialObjectReferenceID);
        }