/**
     * 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)
    {
        Object value = get(key);

        if (value instanceof String)
        {
            return (String) value;
        }
        else if (value == null)
        {
            if (defaults != null)
            {
                return defaults.getString(key, defaultValue);
            }
            else
            {
                return defaultValue;
            }
        }
        else if (value instanceof Vector)
        {
            return (String) ((Vector) value).get(0);
        }
        else
        {
            throw new ClassCastException(
                '\'' + key + "' doesn't map to a String object");
        }
    }

    /**
     * Get a list of properties associated with the given
     * configuration key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @return The associated properties if key is found.
     * @exception ClassCastException is thrown if the key maps to an
     * object that is not a String/Vector.
     * @exception IllegalArgumentException if one of the tokens is
     * malformed (does not contain an equals sign).
     */
    public Properties getProperties(String key)
    {
        return getProperties(key, new Properties());
    }

    /**
     * Get a list of properties associated with the given
     * configuration key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @return The associated properties if key is found.
     * @exception ClassCastException is thrown if the key maps to an
     * object that is not a String/Vector.
     * @exception IllegalArgumentException if one of the tokens is
     * malformed (does not contain an equals sign).
     */
    public Properties getProperties(String key,
                                    Properties defaults)
    {
        /*
         * Grab an array of the tokens for this key.
         */
        String[] tokens = getStringArray(key);

        /* 
         * Each token is of the form 'key=value'.
         */
        Properties props = new Properties(defaults);
        for (int i = 0; i < tokens.length; i++)
        {
            String token = tokens[i];
            int equalSign = token.indexOf('=');
            if (equalSign > 0)
            {
                String pkey = token.substring(0, equalSign).trim();
                String pvalue = token.substring(equalSign + 1).trim();
                props.put(pkey, pvalue);
            }
            else
            {
                throw new IllegalArgumentException('\'' + token +
                                                   "' does not contain " +
                                                   "an equals sign");
            }
        }
        return props;
    }

    /**
     * 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.
     */
    public String[] getStringArray(String key)
    {
        Object value = get(key);

        // What's your vector, Victor?
        Vector vector;
        if (value instanceof String)
        {
            vector = new Vector(1);
            vector.addElement(value);
        }
        else if (value instanceof Vector)
        {
            vector = (Vector)value;
        }
        else if (value == null)
        {
            if (defaults != null)
            {
                return defaults.getStringArray(key);
            }
            else
            {
                return new String[0];
            }
        }
        else
        {
            throw new ClassCastException(
                '\'' + key + "' doesn't map to a String/Vector object");
        }

        String[] tokens = new String[vector.size()];
        for (int i = 0; i < tokens.length; i++)
        {
            tokens[i] = (String)vector.elementAt(i);
        }

        return tokens;
    }

    /**
     * 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)
    {
        return getVector(key, null);
    }

    /**
     * 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)
    {
        Object value = get(key);

        if (value instanceof Vector)
        {
            return (Vector) value;
        }
        else if (value instanceof String)
        {
            Vector v = new Vector(1);
            v.addElement((String) value);
            put(key, v);
            return v;
        }
        else if (value == null)
        {
            if (defaults != null)
            {
                return defaults.getVector(key, defaultValue);
            }
            else
            {
                return ((defaultValue == null) ?
                        new Vector() : defaultValue);
            }
        }
        else
        {
            throw new ClassCastException(
                '\'' + key + "' doesn't map to a Vector object");
        }
    }

    /**
     * Get a boolean associated with the given configuration key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @return The associated boolean.
     * @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 Boolean.
     */
    public boolean getBoolean(String key)
    {
        Boolean b = getBoolean(key, (Boolean) null);
        if (b != null)
        {
            return b.booleanValue();
        }
        else
        {
            throw new NoSuchElementException(
                '\'' + key + "' doesn't map to an existing object");
        }
    }

    /**
     * Get a boolean associated with the given configuration key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @param defaultValue The default value.
     * @return The associated boolean.
     * @exception ClassCastException is thrown if the key maps to an
     * object that is not a Boolean.
     */
    public boolean getBoolean(String key, boolean defaultValue)
    {
        return getBoolean(key, new Boolean(defaultValue)).booleanValue();
    }

    /**
     * Get a boolean associated with the given configuration key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @param defaultValue The default value.
     * @return The associated boolean 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 Boolean.
     */
    public Boolean getBoolean(String key, Boolean defaultValue)
    {
    
        Object value = get(key);

        if (value instanceof Boolean)
        {
            return (Boolean) value;
        }
        else if (value instanceof String)
        {
            String s = testBoolean((String)value);
            Boolean b = new Boolean(s);
            put(key, b);
            return b;
        }
        else if (value == null)
        {
            if (defaults != null)
            {
                return defaults.getBoolean(key, defaultValue);
            }
            else
            {
                return defaultValue;
            }
        }
        else
        {
            throw new ClassCastException(
                '\'' + key + "' doesn't map to a Boolean object");
        }
    }
    
    /**
     * Test whether the string represent by value maps to a boolean
     * value or not. We will allow <code>true</code>, <code>on</code>,
     * and <code>yes</code> for a <code>true</code> boolean value, and
     * <code>false</code>, <code>off</code>, and <code>no</code> for
     * <code>false</code> boolean values.  Case of value to test for
     * boolean status is ignored.
     *
     * @param String The value to test for boolean state.
     * @return <code>true</code> or <code>false</code> if the supplied
     * text maps to a boolean value, or <code>null</code> otherwise.
     */
    public String testBoolean(String value)
    {
        String s = ((String)value).toLowerCase();
    
        if (s.equals("true") || s.equals("on") || s.equals("yes"))
        {
            return "true";
        }
        else if (s.equals("false") || s.equals("off") || s.equals("no"))
        {
            return "false";
        }
        else
        {
            return null;
        }
    }

    /**
     * Get a byte associated with the given configuration key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @return The associated byte.
     * @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 Byte.
     * @exception NumberFormatException is thrown if the value mapped
     * by the key has not a valid number format.
     */
    public byte getByte(String key)
    {
        Byte b = getByte(key, null);
        if (b != null)
        {
            return b.byteValue();
        }
        else
        {
            throw new NoSuchElementException(
                '\'' + key + " doesn't map to an existing object");
        }
    }

    /**
     * Get a byte associated with the given configuration key.
     *
     * @param key The configuration key.
     * @param defaultValue The default value.
     * @return The associated byte.
     * @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)
    {
        return getByte(key, new Byte(defaultValue)).byteValue();
    }

    /**
     * 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)
    {
        Object value = get(key);

        if (value instanceof Byte)
        {
            return (Byte) value;
        }
        else if (value instanceof String)
        {
            Byte b = new Byte((String) value);
            put(key, b);
            return b;
        }
        else if (value == null)
        {
            if (defaults != null)
            {
                return defaults.getByte(key, defaultValue);
            }
            else
            {
                return defaultValue;
            }
        }
        else
        {
            throw new ClassCastException(
                '\'' + key + "' doesn't map to a Byte object");
        }
    }

    /**
     * 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)
    {
        Short s = getShort(key, null);
        if (s != null)
        {
            return s.shortValue();
        }
        else
        {
            throw new NoSuchElementException(
                '\'' + key + "' doesn't map to an existing object");
        }
    }

    /**
     * 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