code: private static String updatedField( Properties props, String fieldName ) {
  
  		String property = props.getProperty( fieldName );
  		if( property != null )
  			property = property.replace( "\\:", ":" );
  
  		return property;
  	}
docs: Gets a property and updates it to prevent escaped characters.
  @param props the IAAS properties.
  @param fieldName the name of the field to read.
  @return an updated string