* 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)
    {
        Object value = get(key);

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

    /**
     * The purpose of this method is to get the configuration resource
     * with the given name as an integer.
     *
     * @param name The resource name.
     * @return The value of the resource as an integer.
     */
    public int getInt(String name)
    {
        return getInteger(name);
    }

    /**
     * The purpose of this method is to get the configuration resource
     * with the given name as an integer, or a default value.
     *
     * @param name The resource name
     * @param def The default value of the resource.
     * @return The value of the resource as an integer.
     */
    public int getInt(String name,
                      int def)
    {
        return getInteger(name, def);
    }

    /**
     * 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 getInteger(String key)
    {
        Integer i = getInteger(key, null);
        if (i != null)
        {
            return i.intValue();
        }
        else
        {
            throw new NoSuchElementException(
                '\'' + key + "' doesn't map to an existing object");
        }
    }

    /**
     * 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 getInteger(String key,
                          int defaultValue)
    {    
        Integer i = getInteger(key, null);
        
        if (i == null)
        {
            return defaultValue;
        }
        
        return i.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)
    {
        Object value = get(key);

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

    /**
     * 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)
    {
        Long l = getLong(key, null);
        if (l != null)
        {
            return l.longValue();
        }
        else
        {
            throw new NoSuchElementException(
                '\'' + key + "' doesn't map to an existing object");
        }
    }

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

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

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

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

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

    /**
     * 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)
    {
        Double d = getDouble(key, null);
        if (d != null)
        {
            return d.doubleValue();
        }
        else
        {
            throw new NoSuchElementException(
                '\'' + key + "' doesn't map to an existing object");
        }
    }

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

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

    /**
     * Convert a standard properties class into a configuration
     * class.
     *
     * @param Properties properties object to convert into
     *                   a Configuration object.
     *
     * @return Configuration configuration created from the
     *                      properties object.
     */
    public static Configuration convertProperties(Properties p)
    {
        Configuration c = new Configuration();
    
        for (Enumeration e = p.keys(); e.hasMoreElements() ; ) 
        {
            String s = (String) e.nextElement();
            c.setProperty(s, p.getProperty(s));
        }
    
        return c;
    }

    /**
     *  <p>
     *  Routine intended for deprecation period only
     *  as we switch from using the Configuration
     *  class in Velocity to the Jakarta Commons
     *  ExtendedProperties
     *  </p>
     *  <p>
     *  Do not use this for general use. It will disappear
     * </p>
     *  @return ExtendedProperties containing data of Configuration
     *  
     *  @deprecated Do not use.  For deprecation assistance only.
     */
    public ExtendedProperties getExtendedProperties() 
    {
        return deprecationCrutch; 
    }


}