private int getNumBlocks(R delta) {
        ByteBuffer content = getValue(delta);
        int numBlocks = 0;

        // build numBlocks by adding together each hex digit
        for (int i = 0; i < _prefixLength; i++) {
            byte b = content.get(i);
            numBlocks = numBlocks << 4 | (b <= '9' ? b - '0' : b - 'A' + 10);
        }

        return numBlocks;
    }
private int getNumBlocks ( R delta ) { ByteBuffer content = getValue ( delta ) ; int numBlocks = 0 ; for ( int i = 0 ; i < _prefixLength ; i ++ ) { byte b = content . get ( i ) ; numBlocks = numBlocks << 4 | ( b <= '9' ? b - '0' : b - 'A' + 10 ) ; } return numBlocks ; }
converts utf-8 encoded hex to int by building it digit by digit.