code: protected final char skipEquals(String name, String eofMsg)
          throws XMLStreamException
      {
          char c = getNextInCurrAfterWS(eofMsg);
          if (c != '=') {
              throwUnexpectedChar(c, " in xml declaration; expected '=' to follow pseudo-attribute '"+name+"'");
          }
          // trailing space?
          return getNextInCurrAfterWS(eofMsg);
      }
docs: Method that checks that input following is of form
  '[S]* '=' [S]*' (as per XML specs, production #25).
  Will push back non-white space characters as necessary, in
  case no equals char is encountered.