code: private Entry getEntry (final String key) {
          Entry entry;
          // check connection-only entries
          entry = getEntry(key, entries);
          if (entry == null) // keep looking in session-wide entries
          entry = sessionSettingsNegotiator.getEntry(key);
          return entry;
      }
docs: Returns the {@link Entry} responsible for negotiating the specified <i>key</i> identifying either a session-wide
  or connection-specific parameter, or <code>null</code> if no such {@link Entry} can be found.
  
  @param key identifies an {@link Entry}
  @return the requested {@link Entry} or <code>null</code>