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## org.apache.commons.configuration
Class INIConfiguration

    java.lang.Object
      org.apache.commons.configuration.event.EventSource
          org.apache.commons.configuration.AbstractConfiguration
              org.apache.commons.configuration.BaseConfiguration
                  org.apache.commons.configuration.AbstractFileConfiguration
                      org.apache.commons.configuration.INIConfiguration

All Implemented Interfaces:
  Cloneable, Configuration, FileConfiguration

Deprecated. This class has been replaced by HierarchicalINIConfiguration, which provides a superset of the functionality offered by this class.

public class INIConfiguration
extends AbstractFileConfiguration

An initialization or ini file is a configuration file typically found on Microsoft's Windows operating system and contains data for Windows based applications.

Although popularized by Windows, ini files can be used on any system or platform due to the fact that they are merely text files that can easily be parsed and modified by both humans and computers.

A typcial ini file could look something like:

`[section1]
; this is a comment!
var1 = foo
var2 = bar
[section2]
var1 = doo
`

The format of ini files is fairly straight forward and is composed of three components:

- Sections: Ini files are split into sections, each section starting with a section declaration. A section declaration starts with a '[' and ends with a ']'. Sections occur on one line only.
- Parameters: Items in a section are known as parameters. Parameters have a typical `key = value` format.
- Comments: Lines starting with a ';' are assumed to be comments.

There are various implementations of the ini file format by various vendors which has caused a number of differences to appear. As far as possible this configuration tries to be lenient and support most of the differences.

Some of the differences supported are as follows:

- Comments: The '#' character is also accepted as a comment signifier.
- Key value separtor: The ':' character is also accepted in place of '=' to separate keys and values in parameters, for example `var1 : foo`.
- Duplicate sections: Typically duplicate sections are not allowed , this configuration does however support it. In the event of a duplicate section, the two section's values are merged.
- Duplicate parameters: Typically duplicate parameters are only allowed if they are in two different sections, thus they are local to sections; this configuration simply merges duplicates; if a section has a duplicate parameter the values are then added to the key as a list.

Global parameters are also allowed; any parameters declared before a section is declared are added to a global section. It is important to note that this global section does not have a name.

In all instances, a parameter's key is prepended with its section name and a '.' (period). Thus a parameter named "var1" in "section1" will have the key `section1.var1` in this configuration. Thus, a section's parameters can easily be retrieved using the `subset` method using the section name as the prefix.

### Implementation Details:

Consider the following ini file:
`default = ok
[section1]
var1 = foo
var2 = doodle
[section2]
; a comment
var1 = baz
var2 = shoodle
bad =
= worse
[section3]
# another comment
var1 : foo
var2 : bar
var5 : test1
[section3]
var3 = foo
var4 = bar
var5 = test2
`

This ini file will be parsed without error. Note:

- The parameter named "default" is added to the global section, it's value is accessed simply using `getProperty("default")`.
- Section 1's parameters can be accessed using `getProperty("section1.var1")`.
- The parameter named "bad" simply adds the parameter with an empty value.
- The empty key with value "= worse" is added using an empty key. This key is still added to section 2 and the value can be accessed using `getProperty("section2.")`, notice the period '.' following the section name.
- Section three uses both '=' and ':' to separate keys and values.
- Section 3 has a duplicate key named "var5". The value for this key is [test1, test2], and is represented as a List.

The set of sections in this configuration can be retrieved using the `getSections` method.

Note: Configuration objects of this type can be read concurrently by multiple threads. However if one of these threads modifies the object, synchronization has to be performed manually.

Since:
  1.4
Version:
  $Id: INIConfiguration.java 720600 2008-11-25 21:20:01Z oheger $
Author:
  Trevor Miller

Field Summary
`protected static String` | `COMMENT_CHARS` Deprecated. The characters that signal the start of a comment line.
`protected static String` | `SEPARATOR_CHARS` Deprecated. The characters used to separate keys from values.

Fields inherited from class org.apache.commons.configuration.AbstractFileConfiguration
`autoSave, basePath, EVENT_RELOAD, fileName, strategy`

Fields inherited from class org.apache.commons.configuration.AbstractConfiguration
`END_TOKEN, EVENT_ADD_PROPERTY, EVENT_CLEAR, EVENT_CLEAR_PROPERTY, EVENT_READ_PROPERTY, EVENT_SET_PROPERTY, START_TOKEN`

Constructor Summary
`INIConfiguration()` Deprecated. Create a new empty INI Configuration.
`INIConfiguration(File file)` Deprecated. Create and load the ini configuration from the given file.
`INIConfiguration(String filename)` Deprecated. Create and load the ini configuration from the given file.
`INIConfiguration(URL url)` Deprecated. Create and load the ini configuration from the given url.

Method Summary
`Set` | `getSections()` Deprecated. Return a set containing the sections in this ini configuration.
`protected boolean` | `isCommentLine(String line)` Deprecated. Determine if the given line is a comment line.
`protected boolean` | `isSectionLine(String line)` Deprecated. Determine if the given line is a section.
`void` | `load(Reader reader)` Deprecated. Load the configuration from the given reader.
`void` | `save(Writer writer)` Deprecated. Save the configuration to the specified writer.

Methods inherited from class org.apache.commons.configuration.AbstractFileConfiguration
`addProperty, clearProperty, clone, containsKey, enterNoReload, exitNoReload, fireEvent, getBasePath, getEncoding, getFile, getFileName, getKeys, getPath, getProperty, getReloadingStrategy, getURL, isAutoSave, isEmpty, load, load, load, load, load, load, possiblySave, reload, save, save, save, save, save, save, setAutoSave, setBasePath, setEncoding, setFile, setFileName, setPath, setProperty, setReloadingStrategy, setURL`

Methods inherited from class org.apache.commons.configuration.BaseConfiguration
`addPropertyDirect, clear, clearPropertyDirect`

Methods inherited from class org.apache.commons.configuration.AbstractConfiguration
`addErrorLogListener, append, copy, createInterpolator, getBigDecimal, getBigDecimal, getBigInteger, getBigInteger, getBoolean, getBoolean, getBoolean, getByte, getByte, getByte, getDefaultListDelimiter, getDelimiter, getDouble, getDouble, getDouble, getFloat, getFloat, getFloat, getInt, getInt, getInteger, getInterpolator, getKeys, getList, getList, getListDelimiter, getLogger, getLong, getLong, getLong, getProperties, getProperties, getShort, getShort, getShort, getString, getString, getStringArray, getSubstitutor, interpolate, interpolate, interpolatedConfiguration, interpolateHelper, isDelimiterParsingDisabled, isThrowExceptionOnMissing, resolveContainerStore, setDefaultListDelimiter, setDelimiter, setDelimiterParsingDisabled, setListDelimiter, setLogger, setThrowExceptionOnMissing, subset`

Methods inherited from class org.apache.commons.configuration.event.EventSource
`addConfigurationListener, addErrorListener, clearConfigurationListeners, clearErrorListeners, createErrorEvent, createEvent, fireError, getConfigurationListeners, getErrorListeners, isDetailEvents, removeConfigurationListener, removeErrorListener, setDetailEvents`

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object
`equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait`

Methods inherited from interface org.apache.commons.configuration.Configuration
`clear, getBigDecimal, getBigDecimal, getBigInteger, getBigInteger, getBoolean, getBoolean, getBoolean, getByte, getByte, getByte, getDouble, getDouble, getDouble, getFloat, getFloat, getFloat, getInt, getInt, getInteger, getKeys, getList, getList, getLong, getLong, getLong, getProperties, getShort, getShort, getShort, getString, getString, getStringArray, subset`

Field Detail

### COMMENT_CHARS

    protected static final String COMMENT_CHARS

  Deprecated.
  The characters that signal the start of a comment line.

  See Also:
    Constant Field Values

### SEPARATOR_CHARS

    protected static final String SEPARATOR_CHARS

  Deprecated.
  The characters used to separate keys from values.

  See Also:
    Constant Field Values

Constructor Detail

### INIConfiguration

    public INIConfiguration()

  Deprecated.
  Create a new empty INI Configuration.

### INIConfiguration

    public INIConfiguration(String filename)
                     throws ConfigurationException

  Deprecated.
  Create and load the ini configuration from the given file.

Parameters:
  `filename` - The name pr path of the ini file to load.
Throws:
  `ConfigurationException` - If an error occurs while loading the file

### INIConfiguration

    public INIConfiguration(File file)
                     throws ConfigurationException

  Deprecated.
  Create and load the ini configuration from the given file.

Parameters:
  `file` - The ini file to load.
Throws:
  `ConfigurationException` - If an error occurs while loading the file

### INIConfiguration

    public INIConfiguration(URL url)
                     throws ConfigurationException

  Deprecated.
  Create and load the ini configuration from the given url.

Parameters:
  `url` - The url of the ini file to load.
Throws:
  `ConfigurationException` - If an error occurs while loading the file

Method Detail

### save

    public void save(Writer writer)
              throws ConfigurationException

  Deprecated.
  Save the configuration to the specified writer.

  Parameters:
    `writer` - - The writer to save the configuration to.
  Throws:
    `ConfigurationException` - If an error occurs while writing the configuration

### load

    public void load(Reader reader)
              throws ConfigurationException

  Deprecated.
  Load the configuration from the given reader. Note that the `clear` method is not called so the configuration read in will be merged with the current configuration.

  Parameters:
    `reader` - The reader to read the configuration from.
  Throws:
    `ConfigurationException` - If an error occurs while reading the configuration

### isCommentLine

    protected boolean isCommentLine(String line)

  Deprecated.
  Determine if the given line is a comment line.

  Parameters:
    `line` - The line to check.
  Returns:
    true if the line is empty or starts with one of the comment characters

### isSectionLine

    protected boolean isSectionLine(String line)

  Deprecated.
  Determine if the given line is a section.

  Parameters:
    `line` - The line to check.
  Returns:
    true if the line contains a secion

### getSections

    public Set getSections()

  Deprecated.
  Return a set containing the sections in this ini configuration. Note that changes to this set do not affect the configuration.

  Returns:
    a set containing the sections.

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