code: public int getInteger(String key, int defaultValue)
      {
          int ret;
          try
          {
              String tmp = properties.getProperty(key);
              if (tmp == null)
              {
                  properties.put(key, String.valueOf(defaultValue));
                  logger.debug("No value for key \"" + key + "\", using default "
                          + defaultValue + ".");
                  return defaultValue;
              }
              ret = Integer.parseInt(tmp);
          }
          catch (NumberFormatException e)
          {
              Object wrongValue = properties.put(key, String.valueOf(defaultValue));
              logger.warn(
                      "Value \""
                      + wrongValue
                      + "\" is illegal for key \""
                      + key
                      + "\" (should be an integer, using default value "
                      + defaultValue
                      + ")");
              ret = defaultValue;
          }
          return ret;
      }
docs: Returns the integer value for the specified key. If no value for this key
  is found in the configuration or the value is not an legal integer
  <code>defaultValue</code> is returned.
  
  @param key the key
  @param defaultValue the default Value
  @return the value for the key, or <code>defaultValue</code>