code: protected String getValue (String name, Object defaultValue)
      {
          String value = getParameter(name);
          if (StringUtil.isBlank(value)) {
              if (defaultValue == null) {
                  value = "";
              } else {
                  value = String.valueOf(defaultValue);
              }
          }
          return HTMLUtil.entify(value);
      }
docs: Fetches the requested value from the servlet request and entifies
  it appropriately.