code: public void writeGeneric( Object value )
      {
          if (value == null)
              write(NULL_VALUE);
          else
          {
              if (value instanceof String)
              {
                  writeByte(TYPE_STRING);
                  writeUTF((String)value);
              }
              else if (value instanceof Boolean)
              {
                  writeByte(TYPE_BOOLEAN);
                  writeBoolean(((Boolean)value).booleanValue());
              }
              else if (value instanceof Byte)
              {
                  writeByte(TYPE_BYTE);
                  writeByte(((Byte)value).byteValue());
              }
              else if (value instanceof Short)
              {
                  writeByte(TYPE_SHORT);
                  writeShort(((Short)value).shortValue());
              }
              else if (value instanceof Integer)
              {
                  writeByte(TYPE_INT);
                  writeInt(((Integer)value).intValue());
              }
              else if (value instanceof Long)
              {
                  writeByte(TYPE_LONG);
                  writeLong(((Long)value).longValue());
              }
              else if (value instanceof Float)
              {
                  writeByte(TYPE_FLOAT);
                  writeFloat(((Float)value).floatValue());
              }
              else if (value instanceof Double)
              {
                  writeByte(TYPE_DOUBLE);
                  writeDouble(((Double)value).doubleValue());
              }
              else if (value instanceof byte[])
              {
                  writeByte(TYPE_BYTEARRAY);
                  writeByteArray((byte[])value);
              }
              else if (value instanceof Character)
              {
                  writeByte(TYPE_CHARACTER);
                  writeChar(((Character)value).charValue());
              }
              else
                  throw new IllegalArgumentException("Unsupported type : "+value.getClass().getName());
          }
docs: Write a generic type to the stream