code: def getString(cls, prop):
      
      if cls._properties is None:
        cls._readStdConfigFiles()
  
      # Allow configuration properties to be overridden via environment variables
      envValue = os.environ.get("%s%s" % (cls.envPropPrefix,
                                          prop.replace('.', '_')), None)
      if envValue is not None:
        return envValue
  
      return cls._properties[prop]
docs: Retrieve the requested property as a string. If property does not exist,
      then KeyError will be raised.
  
      :param prop: (string) name of the property
      :raises: KeyError
      :returns: (string) property value