* Get a byte associated with the given configuration key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @param defaultValue The default value.
     * @return The associated byte if key is found and has valid format, default
     *         value otherwise.
     * @exception ClassCastException is thrown if the key maps to an object that
     *            is not a Byte.
     * @exception NumberFormatException is thrown if the value mapped by the key
     *            has not a valid number format.
     */
    public Byte getByte(String key, Byte defaultValue)
    {
        try
        {
            return getFirstMatchingConfig(key).getByte(key, defaultValue);
        }
        catch (NoSuchElementException nsee)
        {
            return defaultValue;
        }
    }
    /**
     * Get a double associated with the given configuration key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @return The associated double.
     * @exception NoSuchElementException is thrown if the key doesn't
     * map to an existing object.
     * @exception ClassCastException is thrown if the key maps to an
     * object that is not a Double.
     * @exception NumberFormatException is thrown if the value mapped
     * by the key has not a valid number format.
     */
    public double getDouble(String key)
    {
        return getFirstMatchingConfig(key).getDouble(key);
    }
    /**
     * Get a double associated with the given configuration key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @param defaultValue The default value.
     * @return The associated double.
     * @exception ClassCastException is thrown if the key maps to an
     * object that is not a Double.
     * @exception NumberFormatException is thrown if the value mapped
     * by the key has not a valid number format.
     */
    public double getDouble(String key, double defaultValue)
    {
        return getDouble(key, new Double(defaultValue)).doubleValue();
    }
    /**
     * Get a double associated with the given configuration key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @param defaultValue The default value.
     * @return The associated double if key is found and has valid
     * format, default value otherwise.
     * @exception ClassCastException is thrown if the key maps to an
     * object that is not a Double.
     * @exception NumberFormatException is thrown if the value mapped
     * by the key has not a valid number format.
     */
    public Double getDouble(String key, Double defaultValue)
    {
        try
        {
            return getFirstMatchingConfig(key).getDouble(key, defaultValue);
        }
        catch (NoSuchElementException nsee)
        {
            return defaultValue;
        }
    }
    /**
     * Get a float associated with the given configuration key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @param defaultValue The default value.
     * @return The associated float.
     * @exception ClassCastException is thrown if the key maps to an
     * object that is not a Float.
     * @exception NumberFormatException is thrown if the value mapped
     * by the key has not a valid number format.
     */
    public float getFloat(String key, float defaultValue)
    {
        return getFloat(key, new Float(defaultValue)).floatValue();
    }
    /**
     * Get a float associated with the given configuration key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @param defaultValue The default value.
     * @return The associated float if key is found and has valid
     * format, default value otherwise.
     * @exception ClassCastException is thrown if the key maps to an
     * object that is not a Float.
     * @exception NumberFormatException is thrown if the value mapped
     * by the key has not a valid number format.
     */
    public Float getFloat(String key, Float defaultValue)
    {
        try
        {
            return getFirstMatchingConfig(key).getFloat(key, defaultValue);
        }
        catch (NoSuchElementException nsee)
        {
            return defaultValue;
        }
    }
    /**
     * Get a int associated with the given configuration key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @return The associated int.
     * @exception NoSuchElementException is thrown if the key doesn't
     * map to an existing object.
     * @exception ClassCastException is thrown if the key maps to an
     * object that is not a Integer.
     * @exception NumberFormatException is thrown if the value mapped
     * by the key has not a valid number format.
     */
    public int getInt(String key)
    {
        return getFirstMatchingConfig(key).getInt(key);
    }
    /**
     * Get a int associated with the given configuration key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @param defaultValue The default value.
     * @return The associated int.
     * @exception ClassCastException is thrown if the key maps to an
     * object that is not a Integer.
     * @exception NumberFormatException is thrown if the value mapped
     * by the key has not a valid number format.
     */
    public int getInt(String key, int defaultValue)
    {
        return getInteger(key, new Integer(defaultValue)).intValue();
    }
    /**
     * Get a int associated with the given configuration key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @param defaultValue The default value.
     * @return The associated int if key is found and has valid format, default
     *         value otherwise.
     * @exception ClassCastException is thrown if the key maps to an object that
     *         is not a Integer.
     * @exception NumberFormatException is thrown if the value mapped by the key
     *         has not a valid number format.
     */
    public Integer getInteger(String key, Integer defaultValue)
    {
        try
        {
            return getFirstMatchingConfig(key).getInteger(key, defaultValue);
        }
        catch (NoSuchElementException nsee)
        {
            return defaultValue;
        }
    }
    /**
     * Get a long associated with the given configuration key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @return The associated long.
     * @exception NoSuchElementException is thrown if the key doesn't
     * map to an existing object.
     * @exception ClassCastException is thrown if the key maps to an
     * object that is not a Long.
     * @exception NumberFormatException is thrown if the value mapped
     * by the key has not a valid number format.
     */
    public long getLong(String key)
    {
        return getFirstMatchingConfig(key).getLong(key);
    }
    /**
     * Get a long associated with the given configuration key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @param defaultValue The default value.
     * @return The associated long.
     * @exception ClassCastException is thrown if the key maps to an
     * object that is not a Long.
     * @exception NumberFormatException is thrown if the value mapped
     * by the key has not a valid number format.
     */
    public long getLong(String key, long defaultValue)
    {
        return getLong(key, new Long(defaultValue)).longValue();
    }
    /**
     * Get a long associated with the given configuration key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @param defaultValue The default value.
     * @return The associated long if key is found and has valid
     * format, default value otherwise.
     * @exception ClassCastException is thrown if the key maps to an
     * object that is not a Long.
     * @exception NumberFormatException is thrown if the value mapped
     * by the key has not a valid number format.
     */
    public Long getLong(String key, Long defaultValue)
    {
        try
        {
            return getFirstMatchingConfig(key).getLong(key, defaultValue);
        }
        catch (NoSuchElementException nsee)
        {
            return defaultValue;
        }
    }
    /**
     * Get a short associated with the given configuration key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @return The associated short.
     * @exception NoSuchElementException is thrown if the key doesn't
     * map to an existing object.
     * @exception ClassCastException is thrown if the key maps to an
     * object that is not a Short.
     * @exception NumberFormatException is thrown if the value mapped
     * by the key has not a valid number format.
     */
    public short getShort(String key)
    {
        return getFirstMatchingConfig(key).getShort(key);
    }
    /**
     * Get a short associated with the given configuration key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @param defaultValue The default value.
     * @return The associated short.
     * @exception ClassCastException is thrown if the key maps to an
     * object that is not a Short.
     * @exception NumberFormatException is thrown if the value mapped
     * by the key has not a valid number format.
     */
    public short getShort(String key, short defaultValue)
    {
        return getShort(key, new Short(defaultValue)).shortValue();
    }
    /**
     * Get a short associated with the given configuration key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @param defaultValue The default value.
     * @return The associated short if key is found and has valid
     * format, default value otherwise.
     * @exception ClassCastException is thrown if the key maps to an
     * object that is not a Short.
     * @exception NumberFormatException is thrown if the value mapped
     * by the key has not a valid number format.
     */
    public Short getShort(String key, Short defaultValue)
    {
        try
        {
            return getFirstMatchingConfig(key).getShort(key, defaultValue);
        }
        catch (NoSuchElementException nsee)
        {
            return defaultValue;
        }
    }
    /**
     * Get a string associated with the given configuration key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @return The associated string.
     * @exception ClassCastException is thrown if the key maps to an object that
     *            is not a String.
     */
    public String getString(String key)
    {
        return getString(key, null);
    }
    /**
     * Get a string associated with the given configuration key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @param defaultValue The default value.
     * @return The associated string if key is found, default value otherwise.
     * @exception ClassCastException is thrown if the key maps to an object that
     *            is not a String.
     */
    public String getString(String key, String defaultValue)
    {
        try
        {
            return getFirstMatchingConfig(key).getString(key, defaultValue);
        }
        catch (NoSuchElementException nsee)
        {
            return defaultValue;
        }
    }
    /**
     * Get an array of strings associated with the given configuration
     * key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @return The associated string array if key is found.
     * @exception ClassCastException is thrown if the key maps to an
     * object that is not a String/Vector of Strings.
     */
    public String[] getStringArray(String key)
    {
        Vector v = getVector(key);
        return (String []) v.toArray(new String [0]);
    }

    /**
     * Get a Vector of strings associated with the given configuration key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @return The associated Vector.
     * @exception ClassCastException is thrown if the key maps to an
     * object that is not a Vector.
     */
    public Vector getVector(String key)
    {
        Vector v = new Vector();

        for (ListIterator li = configList.listIterator(); li.hasNext();)
        {
            Configuration config = (Configuration) li.next();
            if (config.containsKey(key))
            {
                v.addAll(config.getVector(key));
            }
        }

        return v;
    }

    /**
     * Get a Vector of strings associated with the given configuration key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @param defaultValue The default value.
     * @return The associated Vector.
     * @exception ClassCastException is thrown if the key maps to an
     * object that is not a Vector.
     */
    public Vector getVector(String key, Vector defaultValue)
    {
        Vector v = getVector(key);

        return (v.size() == 0) ? defaultValue : v;
    }

    private Configuration getFirstMatchingConfig(String key)
    {
        for (ListIterator i = configList.listIterator(); i.hasNext();)
        {
            Configuration config = (Configuration) i.next();
            if (config.containsKey(key))
            {
                return config;
            }
        }
        throw new NoSuchElementException(
            '\'' + key + "' doesn't map to an existing object");
    }

    public Configuration getConfiguration(int index)
    {
        return (Configuration) configList.get(index);
    }
}