code: public float getValue (String name, float defval)
      {
          String val = _props.getProperty(name);
          if (val != null) {
              try {
                  defval = Float.parseFloat(val);
              } catch (NumberFormatException nfe) {
                  log.warning("Malformed float property", "name", name, "value", val);
              }
          }
          return defval;
      }
docs: Fetches and returns the value for the specified configuration property. If the value is not
  specified in the associated properties file, the supplied default value is returned instead.
  If the property specified in the file is poorly formatted (not and integer, not in proper
  array specification), a warning message will be logged and the default value will be
  returned.
  
  @param name name of the property.
  @param defval the value to return if the property is not specified in the config file.
  
  @return the value of the requested property.