code: public char readChar() throws IOException
      {
          switch ( type )
          {
              case MatDataTypes.miUINT8:
                  return (char)( buf.get() & 0xFF);
              case MatDataTypes.miINT8:
                  return (char) buf.get();
              case MatDataTypes.miUINT16:
                  return (char)( buf.getShort() & 0xFFFF);
              case MatDataTypes.miINT16:
                  return (char) buf.getShort();
              case MatDataTypes.miUINT32:
                  return (char)( buf.getInt() & 0xFFFFFFFF);
              case MatDataTypes.miINT32:
                  return (char) buf.getInt();
              case MatDataTypes.miDOUBLE:
                  return (char) buf.getDouble();
              case MatDataTypes.miUTF8:
                  return (char) buf.get();
              default:
                  throw new IllegalArgumentException("Unknown data type: " + type);
          }
      }
docs: Reads data (number of bytes red is determined by <i>data type</i>)
  from the stream to <code>char</code>.
  
  @return - char
  @throws IOException