Preferences.java revision 2683a45f92104cafe8acaf18e7211c67324a0fe6
1/*
2 * Copyright (c) 2000, 2012, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
3 * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS FILE HEADER.
4 *
5 * This code is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
6 * under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 only, as
7 * published by the Free Software Foundation.  Oracle designates this
8 * particular file as subject to the "Classpath" exception as provided
9 * by Oracle in the LICENSE file that accompanied this code.
10 *
11 * This code is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
12 * ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
13 * FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
14 * version 2 for more details (a copy is included in the LICENSE file that
15 * accompanied this code).
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24 */
25
26package java.util.prefs;
27
28import java.io.InputStream;
29import java.io.IOException;
30import java.io.OutputStream;
31import java.security.AccessController;
32import java.security.Permission;
33import java.security.PrivilegedAction;
34import java.util.Iterator;
35import java.util.ServiceLoader;
36import java.util.ServiceConfigurationError;
37
38// These imports needed only as a workaround for a JavaDoc bug
39import java.lang.RuntimePermission;
40import java.lang.Integer;
41import java.lang.Long;
42import java.lang.Float;
43import java.lang.Double;
44
45/**
46 * A node in a hierarchical collection of preference data.  This class
47 * allows applications to store and retrieve user and system
48 * preference and configuration data.  This data is stored
49 * persistently in an implementation-dependent backing store.  Typical
50 * implementations include flat files, OS-specific registries,
51 * directory servers and SQL databases.  The user of this class needn't
52 * be concerned with details of the backing store.
53 *
54 * <p>There are two separate trees of preference nodes, one for user
55 * preferences and one for system preferences.  Each user has a separate user
56 * preference tree, and all users in a given system share the same system
57 * preference tree.  The precise description of "user" and "system" will vary
58 * from implementation to implementation.  Typical information stored in the
59 * user preference tree might include font choice, color choice, or preferred
60 * window location and size for a particular application.  Typical information
61 * stored in the system preference tree might include installation
62 * configuration data for an application.
63 *
64 * <p>Nodes in a preference tree are named in a similar fashion to
65 * directories in a hierarchical file system.   Every node in a preference
66 * tree has a <i>node name</i> (which is not necessarily unique),
67 * a unique <i>absolute path name</i>, and a path name <i>relative</i> to each
68 * ancestor including itself.
69 *
70 * <p>The root node has a node name of the empty string ("").  Every other
71 * node has an arbitrary node name, specified at the time it is created.  The
72 * only restrictions on this name are that it cannot be the empty string, and
73 * it cannot contain the slash character ('/').
74 *
75 * <p>The root node has an absolute path name of <tt>"/"</tt>.  Children of
76 * the root node have absolute path names of <tt>"/" + </tt><i>&lt;node
77 * name&gt;</i>.  All other nodes have absolute path names of <i>&lt;parent's
78 * absolute path name&gt;</i><tt> + "/" + </tt><i>&lt;node name&gt;</i>.
79 * Note that all absolute path names begin with the slash character.
80 *
81 * <p>A node <i>n</i>'s path name relative to its ancestor <i>a</i>
82 * is simply the string that must be appended to <i>a</i>'s absolute path name
83 * in order to form <i>n</i>'s absolute path name, with the initial slash
84 * character (if present) removed.  Note that:
85 * <ul>
86 * <li>No relative path names begin with the slash character.
87 * <li>Every node's path name relative to itself is the empty string.
88 * <li>Every node's path name relative to its parent is its node name (except
89 * for the root node, which does not have a parent).
90 * <li>Every node's path name relative to the root is its absolute path name
91 * with the initial slash character removed.
92 * </ul>
93 *
94 * <p>Note finally that:
95 * <ul>
96 * <li>No path name contains multiple consecutive slash characters.
97 * <li>No path name with the exception of the root's absolute path name
98 * ends in the slash character.
99 * <li>Any string that conforms to these two rules is a valid path name.
100 * </ul>
101 *
102 * <p>All of the methods that modify preferences data are permitted to operate
103 * asynchronously; they may return immediately, and changes will eventually
104 * propagate to the persistent backing store with an implementation-dependent
105 * delay.  The <tt>flush</tt> method may be used to synchronously force
106 * updates to the backing store.  Normal termination of the Java Virtual
107 * Machine will <i>not</i> result in the loss of pending updates -- an explicit
108 * <tt>flush</tt> invocation is <i>not</i> required upon termination to ensure
109 * that pending updates are made persistent.
110 *
111 * <p>All of the methods that read preferences from a <tt>Preferences</tt>
112 * object require the invoker to provide a default value.  The default value is
113 * returned if no value has been previously set <i>or if the backing store is
114 * unavailable</i>.  The intent is to allow applications to operate, albeit
115 * with slightly degraded functionality, even if the backing store becomes
116 * unavailable.  Several methods, like <tt>flush</tt>, have semantics that
117 * prevent them from operating if the backing store is unavailable.  Ordinary
118 * applications should have no need to invoke any of these methods, which can
119 * be identified by the fact that they are declared to throw {@link
120 * BackingStoreException}.
121 *
122 * <p>The methods in this class may be invoked concurrently by multiple threads
123 * in a single JVM without the need for external synchronization, and the
124 * results will be equivalent to some serial execution.  If this class is used
125 * concurrently <i>by multiple JVMs</i> that store their preference data in
126 * the same backing store, the data store will not be corrupted, but no
127 * other guarantees are made concerning the consistency of the preference
128 * data.
129 *
130 * <p>This class contains an export/import facility, allowing preferences
131 * to be "exported" to an XML document, and XML documents representing
132 * preferences to be "imported" back into the system.  This facility
133 * may be used to back up all or part of a preference tree, and
134 * subsequently restore from the backup.
135 *
136 * <p>The XML document has the following DOCTYPE declaration:
137 * <pre>
138 * &lt;!DOCTYPE preferences SYSTEM "http://java.sun.com/dtd/preferences.dtd"&gt;
139 * </pre>
140 * Note that the system URI (http://java.sun.com/dtd/preferences.dtd) is
141 * <i>not</i> accessed when exporting or importing preferences; it merely
142 * serves as a string to uniquely identify the DTD, which is:
143 * <pre>
144 *    &lt;?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?&gt;
145 *
146 *    &lt;!-- DTD for a Preferences tree. --&gt;
147 *
148 *    &lt;!-- The preferences element is at the root of an XML document
149 *         representing a Preferences tree. --&gt;
150 *    &lt;!ELEMENT preferences (root)&gt;
151 *
152 *    &lt;!-- The preferences element contains an optional version attribute,
153 *          which specifies version of DTD. --&gt;
154 *    &lt;!ATTLIST preferences EXTERNAL_XML_VERSION CDATA "0.0" &gt
155 *
156 *    &lt;!-- The root element has a map representing the root's preferences
157 *         (if any), and one node for each child of the root (if any). --&gt;
158 *    &lt;!ELEMENT root (map, node*) &gt;
159 *
160 *    &lt;!-- Additionally, the root contains a type attribute, which
161 *         specifies whether it's the system or user root. --&gt;
162 *    &lt;!ATTLIST root
163 *              type (system|user) #REQUIRED &gt;
164 *
165 *    &lt;!-- Each node has a map representing its preferences (if any),
166 *         and one node for each child (if any). --&gt;
167 *    &lt;!ELEMENT node (map, node*) &gt;
168 *
169 *    &lt;!-- Additionally, each node has a name attribute --&gt;
170 *    &lt;!ATTLIST node
171 *              name CDATA #REQUIRED &gt;
172 *
173 *    &lt;!-- A map represents the preferences stored at a node (if any). --&gt;
174 *    &lt;!ELEMENT map (entry*) &gt;
175 *
176 *    &lt;!-- An entry represents a single preference, which is simply
177 *          a key-value pair. --&gt;
178 *    &lt;!ELEMENT entry EMPTY &gt;
179 *    &lt;!ATTLIST entry
180 *              key   CDATA #REQUIRED
181 *              value CDATA #REQUIRED &gt;
182 * </pre>
183 *
184 * Every <tt>Preferences</tt> implementation must have an associated {@link
185 * PreferencesFactory} implementation.  Every Java(TM) SE implementation must provide
186 * some means of specifying which <tt>PreferencesFactory</tt> implementation
187 * is used to generate the root preferences nodes.  This allows the
188 * administrator to replace the default preferences implementation with an
189 * alternative implementation.
190 *
191 * <p>Implementation note: In Sun's JRE, the <tt>PreferencesFactory</tt>
192 * implementation is located as follows:
193 *
194 * <ol>
195 *
196 * <li><p>If the system property
197 * <tt>java.util.prefs.PreferencesFactory</tt> is defined, then it is
198 * taken to be the fully-qualified name of a class implementing the
199 * <tt>PreferencesFactory</tt> interface.  The class is loaded and
200 * instantiated; if this process fails then an unspecified error is
201 * thrown.</p></li>
202 *
203 * <li><p> If a <tt>PreferencesFactory</tt> implementation class file
204 * has been installed in a jar file that is visible to the
205 * {@link java.lang.ClassLoader#getSystemClassLoader system class loader},
206 * and that jar file contains a provider-configuration file named
207 * <tt>java.util.prefs.PreferencesFactory</tt> in the resource
208 * directory <tt>META-INF/services</tt>, then the first class name
209 * specified in that file is taken.  If more than one such jar file is
210 * provided, the first one found will be used.  The class is loaded
211 * and instantiated; if this process fails then an unspecified error
212 * is thrown.  </p></li>
213 *
214 * <li><p>Finally, if neither the above-mentioned system property nor
215 * an extension jar file is provided, then the system-wide default
216 * <tt>PreferencesFactory</tt> implementation for the underlying
217 * platform is loaded and instantiated.</p></li>
218 *
219 * </ol>
220 *
221 * @author  Josh Bloch
222 * @since   1.4
223 */
224public abstract class Preferences {
225
226    // Android-changed: Not final for testing.
227    private static PreferencesFactory factory = factory();
228
229    // Android-changed: Collapse factory / factory1 into a single function, remove
230    // references to AccessController and hacks to use the context class-loader.
231    // Also remove references to the OS specific preferences implementation.
232    private static PreferencesFactory factory() {
233        // 1. Try user-specified system property
234        String factoryName = System.getProperty("java.util.prefs.PreferencesFactory");
235        if (factoryName != null) {
236            try {
237                return (PreferencesFactory)
238                    Class.forName(factoryName, false,
239                                  ClassLoader.getSystemClassLoader())
240                    .newInstance();
241            } catch (Exception ex) {
242                InternalError error = new InternalError(
243                    "Can't instantiate Preferences factory " + factoryName);
244                error.initCause(ex);
245                throw error;
246            }
247        }
248
249        // 2. Try service provider interface
250        Iterator<PreferencesFactory> itr = ServiceLoader
251            .load(PreferencesFactory.class, ClassLoader.getSystemClassLoader())
252            .iterator();
253
254        // choose first provider instance
255        while (itr.hasNext()) {
256            try {
257                return itr.next();
258            } catch (ServiceConfigurationError sce) {
259                throw sce;
260            }
261        }
262
263        // Android-changed: Remove support for OS Specific configuration options and
264        // just return a hard coded default.
265        return new FilePreferencesFactoryImpl();
266    }
267
268    /**
269     * @hide for testing only.
270     */
271    // Android-changed: Allow this to be set for testing.
272    public static PreferencesFactory setPreferencesFactory(PreferencesFactory pf) {
273        PreferencesFactory previous = factory;
274        factory = pf;
275        return previous;
276    }
277
278    /**
279     * Maximum length of string allowed as a key (80 characters).
280     */
281    public static final int MAX_KEY_LENGTH = 80;
282
283    /**
284     * Maximum length of string allowed as a value (8192 characters).
285     */
286    public static final int MAX_VALUE_LENGTH = 8*1024;
287
288    /**
289     * Maximum length of a node name (80 characters).
290     */
291    public static final int MAX_NAME_LENGTH = 80;
292
293    /**
294     * Returns the preference node from the calling user's preference tree
295     * that is associated (by convention) with the specified class's package.
296     * The convention is as follows: the absolute path name of the node is the
297     * fully qualified package name, preceded by a slash (<tt>'/'</tt>), and
298     * with each period (<tt>'.'</tt>) replaced by a slash.  For example the
299     * absolute path name of the node associated with the class
300     * <tt>com.acme.widget.Foo</tt> is <tt>/com/acme/widget</tt>.
301     *
302     * <p>This convention does not apply to the unnamed package, whose
303     * associated preference node is <tt>&lt;unnamed&gt;</tt>.  This node
304     * is not intended for long term use, but for convenience in the early
305     * development of programs that do not yet belong to a package, and
306     * for "throwaway" programs.  <i>Valuable data should not be stored
307     * at this node as it is shared by all programs that use it.</i>
308     *
309     * <p>A class <tt>Foo</tt> wishing to access preferences pertaining to its
310     * package can obtain a preference node as follows: <pre>
311     *    static Preferences prefs = Preferences.userNodeForPackage(Foo.class);
312     * </pre>
313     * This idiom obviates the need for using a string to describe the
314     * preferences node and decreases the likelihood of a run-time failure.
315     * (If the class name is misspelled, it will typically result in a
316     * compile-time error.)
317     *
318     * <p>Invoking this method will result in the creation of the returned
319     * node and its ancestors if they do not already exist.  If the returned
320     * node did not exist prior to this call, this node and any ancestors that
321     * were created by this call are not guaranteed to become permanent until
322     * the <tt>flush</tt> method is called on the returned node (or one of its
323     * ancestors or descendants).
324     *
325     * @param c the class for whose package a user preference node is desired.
326     * @return the user preference node associated with the package of which
327     *         <tt>c</tt> is a member.
328     * @throws NullPointerException if <tt>c</tt> is <tt>null</tt>.
329     * @throws SecurityException if a security manager is present and
330     *         it denies <tt>RuntimePermission("preferences")</tt>.
331     * @see    RuntimePermission
332     */
333    public static Preferences userNodeForPackage(Class<?> c) {
334        return userRoot().node(nodeName(c));
335    }
336
337    /**
338     * Returns the preference node from the system preference tree that is
339     * associated (by convention) with the specified class's package.  The
340     * convention is as follows: the absolute path name of the node is the
341     * fully qualified package name, preceded by a slash (<tt>'/'</tt>), and
342     * with each period (<tt>'.'</tt>) replaced by a slash.  For example the
343     * absolute path name of the node associated with the class
344     * <tt>com.acme.widget.Foo</tt> is <tt>/com/acme/widget</tt>.
345     *
346     * <p>This convention does not apply to the unnamed package, whose
347     * associated preference node is <tt>&lt;unnamed&gt;</tt>.  This node
348     * is not intended for long term use, but for convenience in the early
349     * development of programs that do not yet belong to a package, and
350     * for "throwaway" programs.  <i>Valuable data should not be stored
351     * at this node as it is shared by all programs that use it.</i>
352     *
353     * <p>A class <tt>Foo</tt> wishing to access preferences pertaining to its
354     * package can obtain a preference node as follows: <pre>
355     *  static Preferences prefs = Preferences.systemNodeForPackage(Foo.class);
356     * </pre>
357     * This idiom obviates the need for using a string to describe the
358     * preferences node and decreases the likelihood of a run-time failure.
359     * (If the class name is misspelled, it will typically result in a
360     * compile-time error.)
361     *
362     * <p>Invoking this method will result in the creation of the returned
363     * node and its ancestors if they do not already exist.  If the returned
364     * node did not exist prior to this call, this node and any ancestors that
365     * were created by this call are not guaranteed to become permanent until
366     * the <tt>flush</tt> method is called on the returned node (or one of its
367     * ancestors or descendants).
368     *
369     * @param c the class for whose package a system preference node is desired.
370     * @return the system preference node associated with the package of which
371     *         <tt>c</tt> is a member.
372     * @throws NullPointerException if <tt>c</tt> is <tt>null</tt>.
373     * @throws SecurityException if a security manager is present and
374     *         it denies <tt>RuntimePermission("preferences")</tt>.
375     * @see    RuntimePermission
376     */
377    public static Preferences systemNodeForPackage(Class<?> c) {
378        return systemRoot().node(nodeName(c));
379    }
380
381    /**
382     * Returns the absolute path name of the node corresponding to the package
383     * of the specified object.
384     *
385     * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the package has node preferences
386     *         node associated with it.
387     */
388    private static String nodeName(Class c) {
389        if (c.isArray())
390            throw new IllegalArgumentException(
391                "Arrays have no associated preferences node.");
392        String className = c.getName();
393        int pkgEndIndex = className.lastIndexOf('.');
394        if (pkgEndIndex < 0)
395            return "/<unnamed>";
396        String packageName = className.substring(0, pkgEndIndex);
397        return "/" + packageName.replace('.', '/');
398    }
399
400    /**
401     * This permission object represents the permission required to get
402     * access to the user or system root (which in turn allows for all
403     * other operations).
404     */
405    private static Permission prefsPerm = new RuntimePermission("preferences");
406
407    /**
408     * Returns the root preference node for the calling user.
409     *
410     * @return the root preference node for the calling user.
411     * @throws SecurityException If a security manager is present and
412     *         it denies <tt>RuntimePermission("preferences")</tt>.
413     * @see    RuntimePermission
414     */
415    public static Preferences userRoot() {
416        SecurityManager security = System.getSecurityManager();
417        if (security != null)
418            security.checkPermission(prefsPerm);
419
420        return factory.userRoot();
421    }
422
423    /**
424     * Returns the root preference node for the system.
425     *
426     * @return the root preference node for the system.
427     * @throws SecurityException If a security manager is present and
428     *         it denies <tt>RuntimePermission("preferences")</tt>.
429     * @see    RuntimePermission
430     */
431    public static Preferences systemRoot() {
432        SecurityManager security = System.getSecurityManager();
433        if (security != null)
434            security.checkPermission(prefsPerm);
435
436        return factory.systemRoot();
437    }
438
439    /**
440     * Sole constructor. (For invocation by subclass constructors, typically
441     * implicit.)
442     */
443    protected Preferences() {
444    }
445
446    /**
447     * Associates the specified value with the specified key in this
448     * preference node.
449     *
450     * @param key key with which the specified value is to be associated.
451     * @param value value to be associated with the specified key.
452     * @throws NullPointerException if key or value is <tt>null</tt>.
453     * @throws IllegalArgumentException if <tt>key.length()</tt> exceeds
454     *       <tt>MAX_KEY_LENGTH</tt> or if <tt>value.length</tt> exceeds
455     *       <tt>MAX_VALUE_LENGTH</tt>.
456     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
457     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
458     */
459    public abstract void put(String key, String value);
460
461    /**
462     * Returns the value associated with the specified key in this preference
463     * node.  Returns the specified default if there is no value associated
464     * with the key, or the backing store is inaccessible.
465     *
466     * <p>Some implementations may store default values in their backing
467     * stores.  If there is no value associated with the specified key
468     * but there is such a <i>stored default</i>, it is returned in
469     * preference to the specified default.
470     *
471     * @param key key whose associated value is to be returned.
472     * @param def the value to be returned in the event that this
473     *        preference node has no value associated with <tt>key</tt>.
474     * @return the value associated with <tt>key</tt>, or <tt>def</tt>
475     *         if no value is associated with <tt>key</tt>, or the backing
476     *         store is inaccessible.
477     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
478     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
479     * @throws NullPointerException if <tt>key</tt> is <tt>null</tt>.  (A
480     *         <tt>null</tt> value for <tt>def</tt> <i>is</i> permitted.)
481     */
482    public abstract String get(String key, String def);
483
484    /**
485     * Removes the value associated with the specified key in this preference
486     * node, if any.
487     *
488     * <p>If this implementation supports <i>stored defaults</i>, and there is
489     * such a default for the specified preference, the stored default will be
490     * "exposed" by this call, in the sense that it will be returned
491     * by a succeeding call to <tt>get</tt>.
492     *
493     * @param key key whose mapping is to be removed from the preference node.
494     * @throws NullPointerException if <tt>key</tt> is <tt>null</tt>.
495     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
496     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
497     */
498    public abstract void remove(String key);
499
500    /**
501     * Removes all of the preferences (key-value associations) in this
502     * preference node.  This call has no effect on any descendants
503     * of this node.
504     *
505     * <p>If this implementation supports <i>stored defaults</i>, and this
506     * node in the preferences hierarchy contains any such defaults,
507     * the stored defaults will be "exposed" by this call, in the sense that
508     * they will be returned by succeeding calls to <tt>get</tt>.
509     *
510     * @throws BackingStoreException if this operation cannot be completed
511     *         due to a failure in the backing store, or inability to
512     *         communicate with it.
513     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
514     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
515     * @see #removeNode()
516     */
517    public abstract void clear() throws BackingStoreException;
518
519    /**
520     * Associates a string representing the specified int value with the
521     * specified key in this preference node.  The associated string is the
522     * one that would be returned if the int value were passed to
523     * {@link Integer#toString(int)}.  This method is intended for use in
524     * conjunction with {@link #getInt}.
525     *
526     * @param key key with which the string form of value is to be associated.
527     * @param value value whose string form is to be associated with key.
528     * @throws NullPointerException if <tt>key</tt> is <tt>null</tt>.
529     * @throws IllegalArgumentException if <tt>key.length()</tt> exceeds
530     *         <tt>MAX_KEY_LENGTH</tt>.
531     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
532     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
533     * @see #getInt(String,int)
534     */
535    public abstract void putInt(String key, int value);
536
537    /**
538     * Returns the int value represented by the string associated with the
539     * specified key in this preference node.  The string is converted to
540     * an integer as by {@link Integer#parseInt(String)}.  Returns the
541     * specified default if there is no value associated with the key,
542     * the backing store is inaccessible, or if
543     * <tt>Integer.parseInt(String)</tt> would throw a {@link
544     * NumberFormatException} if the associated value were passed.  This
545     * method is intended for use in conjunction with {@link #putInt}.
546     *
547     * <p>If the implementation supports <i>stored defaults</i> and such a
548     * default exists, is accessible, and could be converted to an int
549     * with <tt>Integer.parseInt</tt>, this int is returned in preference to
550     * the specified default.
551     *
552     * @param key key whose associated value is to be returned as an int.
553     * @param def the value to be returned in the event that this
554     *        preference node has no value associated with <tt>key</tt>
555     *        or the associated value cannot be interpreted as an int,
556     *        or the backing store is inaccessible.
557     * @return the int value represented by the string associated with
558     *         <tt>key</tt> in this preference node, or <tt>def</tt> if the
559     *         associated value does not exist or cannot be interpreted as
560     *         an int.
561     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
562     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
563     * @throws NullPointerException if <tt>key</tt> is <tt>null</tt>.
564     * @see #putInt(String,int)
565     * @see #get(String,String)
566     */
567    public abstract int getInt(String key, int def);
568
569    /**
570     * Associates a string representing the specified long value with the
571     * specified key in this preference node.  The associated string is the
572     * one that would be returned if the long value were passed to
573     * {@link Long#toString(long)}.  This method is intended for use in
574     * conjunction with {@link #getLong}.
575     *
576     * @param key key with which the string form of value is to be associated.
577     * @param value value whose string form is to be associated with key.
578     * @throws NullPointerException if <tt>key</tt> is <tt>null</tt>.
579     * @throws IllegalArgumentException if <tt>key.length()</tt> exceeds
580     *         <tt>MAX_KEY_LENGTH</tt>.
581     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
582     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
583     * @see #getLong(String,long)
584     */
585    public abstract void putLong(String key, long value);
586
587    /**
588     * Returns the long value represented by the string associated with the
589     * specified key in this preference node.  The string is converted to
590     * a long as by {@link Long#parseLong(String)}.  Returns the
591     * specified default if there is no value associated with the key,
592     * the backing store is inaccessible, or if
593     * <tt>Long.parseLong(String)</tt> would throw a {@link
594     * NumberFormatException} if the associated value were passed.  This
595     * method is intended for use in conjunction with {@link #putLong}.
596     *
597     * <p>If the implementation supports <i>stored defaults</i> and such a
598     * default exists, is accessible, and could be converted to a long
599     * with <tt>Long.parseLong</tt>, this long is returned in preference to
600     * the specified default.
601     *
602     * @param key key whose associated value is to be returned as a long.
603     * @param def the value to be returned in the event that this
604     *        preference node has no value associated with <tt>key</tt>
605     *        or the associated value cannot be interpreted as a long,
606     *        or the backing store is inaccessible.
607     * @return the long value represented by the string associated with
608     *         <tt>key</tt> in this preference node, or <tt>def</tt> if the
609     *         associated value does not exist or cannot be interpreted as
610     *         a long.
611     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
612     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
613     * @throws NullPointerException if <tt>key</tt> is <tt>null</tt>.
614     * @see #putLong(String,long)
615     * @see #get(String,String)
616     */
617    public abstract long getLong(String key, long def);
618
619    /**
620     * Associates a string representing the specified boolean value with the
621     * specified key in this preference node.  The associated string is
622     * <tt>"true"</tt> if the value is true, and <tt>"false"</tt> if it is
623     * false.  This method is intended for use in conjunction with
624     * {@link #getBoolean}.
625     *
626     * @param key key with which the string form of value is to be associated.
627     * @param value value whose string form is to be associated with key.
628     * @throws NullPointerException if <tt>key</tt> is <tt>null</tt>.
629     * @throws IllegalArgumentException if <tt>key.length()</tt> exceeds
630     *         <tt>MAX_KEY_LENGTH</tt>.
631     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
632     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
633     * @see #getBoolean(String,boolean)
634     * @see #get(String,String)
635     */
636    public abstract void putBoolean(String key, boolean value);
637
638    /**
639     * Returns the boolean value represented by the string associated with the
640     * specified key in this preference node.  Valid strings
641     * are <tt>"true"</tt>, which represents true, and <tt>"false"</tt>, which
642     * represents false.  Case is ignored, so, for example, <tt>"TRUE"</tt>
643     * and <tt>"False"</tt> are also valid.  This method is intended for use in
644     * conjunction with {@link #putBoolean}.
645     *
646     * <p>Returns the specified default if there is no value
647     * associated with the key, the backing store is inaccessible, or if the
648     * associated value is something other than <tt>"true"</tt> or
649     * <tt>"false"</tt>, ignoring case.
650     *
651     * <p>If the implementation supports <i>stored defaults</i> and such a
652     * default exists and is accessible, it is used in preference to the
653     * specified default, unless the stored default is something other than
654     * <tt>"true"</tt> or <tt>"false"</tt>, ignoring case, in which case the
655     * specified default is used.
656     *
657     * @param key key whose associated value is to be returned as a boolean.
658     * @param def the value to be returned in the event that this
659     *        preference node has no value associated with <tt>key</tt>
660     *        or the associated value cannot be interpreted as a boolean,
661     *        or the backing store is inaccessible.
662     * @return the boolean value represented by the string associated with
663     *         <tt>key</tt> in this preference node, or <tt>def</tt> if the
664     *         associated value does not exist or cannot be interpreted as
665     *         a boolean.
666     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
667     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
668     * @throws NullPointerException if <tt>key</tt> is <tt>null</tt>.
669     * @see #get(String,String)
670     * @see #putBoolean(String,boolean)
671     */
672    public abstract boolean getBoolean(String key, boolean def);
673
674    /**
675     * Associates a string representing the specified float value with the
676     * specified key in this preference node.  The associated string is the
677     * one that would be returned if the float value were passed to
678     * {@link Float#toString(float)}.  This method is intended for use in
679     * conjunction with {@link #getFloat}.
680     *
681     * @param key key with which the string form of value is to be associated.
682     * @param value value whose string form is to be associated with key.
683     * @throws NullPointerException if <tt>key</tt> is <tt>null</tt>.
684     * @throws IllegalArgumentException if <tt>key.length()</tt> exceeds
685     *         <tt>MAX_KEY_LENGTH</tt>.
686     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
687     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
688     * @see #getFloat(String,float)
689     */
690    public abstract void putFloat(String key, float value);
691
692    /**
693     * Returns the float value represented by the string associated with the
694     * specified key in this preference node.  The string is converted to an
695     * integer as by {@link Float#parseFloat(String)}.  Returns the specified
696     * default if there is no value associated with the key, the backing store
697     * is inaccessible, or if <tt>Float.parseFloat(String)</tt> would throw a
698     * {@link NumberFormatException} if the associated value were passed.
699     * This method is intended for use in conjunction with {@link #putFloat}.
700     *
701     * <p>If the implementation supports <i>stored defaults</i> and such a
702     * default exists, is accessible, and could be converted to a float
703     * with <tt>Float.parseFloat</tt>, this float is returned in preference to
704     * the specified default.
705     *
706     * @param key key whose associated value is to be returned as a float.
707     * @param def the value to be returned in the event that this
708     *        preference node has no value associated with <tt>key</tt>
709     *        or the associated value cannot be interpreted as a float,
710     *        or the backing store is inaccessible.
711     * @return the float value represented by the string associated with
712     *         <tt>key</tt> in this preference node, or <tt>def</tt> if the
713     *         associated value does not exist or cannot be interpreted as
714     *         a float.
715     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
716     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
717     * @throws NullPointerException if <tt>key</tt> is <tt>null</tt>.
718     * @see #putFloat(String,float)
719     * @see #get(String,String)
720     */
721    public abstract float getFloat(String key, float def);
722
723    /**
724     * Associates a string representing the specified double value with the
725     * specified key in this preference node.  The associated string is the
726     * one that would be returned if the double value were passed to
727     * {@link Double#toString(double)}.  This method is intended for use in
728     * conjunction with {@link #getDouble}.
729     *
730     * @param key key with which the string form of value is to be associated.
731     * @param value value whose string form is to be associated with key.
732     * @throws NullPointerException if <tt>key</tt> is <tt>null</tt>.
733     * @throws IllegalArgumentException if <tt>key.length()</tt> exceeds
734     *         <tt>MAX_KEY_LENGTH</tt>.
735     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
736     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
737     * @see #getDouble(String,double)
738     */
739    public abstract void putDouble(String key, double value);
740
741    /**
742     * Returns the double value represented by the string associated with the
743     * specified key in this preference node.  The string is converted to an
744     * integer as by {@link Double#parseDouble(String)}.  Returns the specified
745     * default if there is no value associated with the key, the backing store
746     * is inaccessible, or if <tt>Double.parseDouble(String)</tt> would throw a
747     * {@link NumberFormatException} if the associated value were passed.
748     * This method is intended for use in conjunction with {@link #putDouble}.
749     *
750     * <p>If the implementation supports <i>stored defaults</i> and such a
751     * default exists, is accessible, and could be converted to a double
752     * with <tt>Double.parseDouble</tt>, this double is returned in preference
753     * to the specified default.
754     *
755     * @param key key whose associated value is to be returned as a double.
756     * @param def the value to be returned in the event that this
757     *        preference node has no value associated with <tt>key</tt>
758     *        or the associated value cannot be interpreted as a double,
759     *        or the backing store is inaccessible.
760     * @return the double value represented by the string associated with
761     *         <tt>key</tt> in this preference node, or <tt>def</tt> if the
762     *         associated value does not exist or cannot be interpreted as
763     *         a double.
764     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
765     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
766     * @throws NullPointerException if <tt>key</tt> is <tt>null</tt>.
767     * @see #putDouble(String,double)
768     * @see #get(String,String)
769     */
770    public abstract double getDouble(String key, double def);
771
772    /**
773     * Associates a string representing the specified byte array with the
774     * specified key in this preference node.  The associated string is
775     * the <i>Base64</i> encoding of the byte array, as defined in <a
776     * href=http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2045.txt>RFC 2045</a>, Section 6.8,
777     * with one minor change: the string will consist solely of characters
778     * from the <i>Base64 Alphabet</i>; it will not contain any newline
779     * characters.  Note that the maximum length of the byte array is limited
780     * to three quarters of <tt>MAX_VALUE_LENGTH</tt> so that the length
781     * of the Base64 encoded String does not exceed <tt>MAX_VALUE_LENGTH</tt>.
782     * This method is intended for use in conjunction with
783     * {@link #getByteArray}.
784     *
785     * @param key key with which the string form of value is to be associated.
786     * @param value value whose string form is to be associated with key.
787     * @throws NullPointerException if key or value is <tt>null</tt>.
788     * @throws IllegalArgumentException if key.length() exceeds MAX_KEY_LENGTH
789     *         or if value.length exceeds MAX_VALUE_LENGTH*3/4.
790     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
791     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
792     * @see #getByteArray(String,byte[])
793     * @see #get(String,String)
794     */
795    public abstract void putByteArray(String key, byte[] value);
796
797    /**
798     * Returns the byte array value represented by the string associated with
799     * the specified key in this preference node.  Valid strings are
800     * <i>Base64</i> encoded binary data, as defined in <a
801     * href=http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2045.txt>RFC 2045</a>, Section 6.8,
802     * with one minor change: the string must consist solely of characters
803     * from the <i>Base64 Alphabet</i>; no newline characters or
804     * extraneous characters are permitted.  This method is intended for use
805     * in conjunction with {@link #putByteArray}.
806     *
807     * <p>Returns the specified default if there is no value
808     * associated with the key, the backing store is inaccessible, or if the
809     * associated value is not a valid Base64 encoded byte array
810     * (as defined above).
811     *
812     * <p>If the implementation supports <i>stored defaults</i> and such a
813     * default exists and is accessible, it is used in preference to the
814     * specified default, unless the stored default is not a valid Base64
815     * encoded byte array (as defined above), in which case the
816     * specified default is used.
817     *
818     * @param key key whose associated value is to be returned as a byte array.
819     * @param def the value to be returned in the event that this
820     *        preference node has no value associated with <tt>key</tt>
821     *        or the associated value cannot be interpreted as a byte array,
822     *        or the backing store is inaccessible.
823     * @return the byte array value represented by the string associated with
824     *         <tt>key</tt> in this preference node, or <tt>def</tt> if the
825     *         associated value does not exist or cannot be interpreted as
826     *         a byte array.
827     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
828     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
829     * @throws NullPointerException if <tt>key</tt> is <tt>null</tt>.  (A
830     *         <tt>null</tt> value for <tt>def</tt> <i>is</i> permitted.)
831     * @see #get(String,String)
832     * @see #putByteArray(String,byte[])
833     */
834    public abstract byte[] getByteArray(String key, byte[] def);
835
836    /**
837     * Returns all of the keys that have an associated value in this
838     * preference node.  (The returned array will be of size zero if
839     * this node has no preferences.)
840     *
841     * <p>If the implementation supports <i>stored defaults</i> and there
842     * are any such defaults at this node that have not been overridden,
843     * by explicit preferences, the defaults are returned in the array in
844     * addition to any explicit preferences.
845     *
846     * @return an array of the keys that have an associated value in this
847     *         preference node.
848     * @throws BackingStoreException if this operation cannot be completed
849     *         due to a failure in the backing store, or inability to
850     *         communicate with it.
851     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
852     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
853     */
854    public abstract String[] keys() throws BackingStoreException;
855
856    /**
857     * Returns the names of the children of this preference node, relative to
858     * this node.  (The returned array will be of size zero if this node has
859     * no children.)
860     *
861     * @return the names of the children of this preference node.
862     * @throws BackingStoreException if this operation cannot be completed
863     *         due to a failure in the backing store, or inability to
864     *         communicate with it.
865     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
866     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
867     */
868    public abstract String[] childrenNames() throws BackingStoreException;
869
870    /**
871     * Returns the parent of this preference node, or <tt>null</tt> if this is
872     * the root.
873     *
874     * @return the parent of this preference node.
875     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
876     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
877     */
878    public abstract Preferences parent();
879
880    /**
881     * Returns the named preference node in the same tree as this node,
882     * creating it and any of its ancestors if they do not already exist.
883     * Accepts a relative or absolute path name.  Relative path names
884     * (which do not begin with the slash character <tt>('/')</tt>) are
885     * interpreted relative to this preference node.
886     *
887     * <p>If the returned node did not exist prior to this call, this node and
888     * any ancestors that were created by this call are not guaranteed
889     * to become permanent until the <tt>flush</tt> method is called on
890     * the returned node (or one of its ancestors or descendants).
891     *
892     * @param pathName the path name of the preference node to return.
893     * @return the specified preference node.
894     * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the path name is invalid (i.e.,
895     *         it contains multiple consecutive slash characters, or ends
896     *         with a slash character and is more than one character long).
897     * @throws NullPointerException if path name is <tt>null</tt>.
898     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
899     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
900     * @see #flush()
901     */
902    public abstract Preferences node(String pathName);
903
904    /**
905     * Returns true if the named preference node exists in the same tree
906     * as this node.  Relative path names (which do not begin with the slash
907     * character <tt>('/')</tt>) are interpreted relative to this preference
908     * node.
909     *
910     * <p>If this node (or an ancestor) has already been removed with the
911     * {@link #removeNode()} method, it <i>is</i> legal to invoke this method,
912     * but only with the path name <tt>""</tt>; the invocation will return
913     * <tt>false</tt>.  Thus, the idiom <tt>p.nodeExists("")</tt> may be
914     * used to test whether <tt>p</tt> has been removed.
915     *
916     * @param pathName the path name of the node whose existence
917     *        is to be checked.
918     * @return true if the specified node exists.
919     * @throws BackingStoreException if this operation cannot be completed
920     *         due to a failure in the backing store, or inability to
921     *         communicate with it.
922     * @throws IllegalArgumentException if the path name is invalid (i.e.,
923     *         it contains multiple consecutive slash characters, or ends
924     *         with a slash character and is more than one character long).
925     * @throws NullPointerException if path name is <tt>null</tt>.
926     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
927     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method and
928     *         <tt>pathName</tt> is not the empty string (<tt>""</tt>).
929     */
930    public abstract boolean nodeExists(String pathName)
931        throws BackingStoreException;
932
933    /**
934     * Removes this preference node and all of its descendants, invalidating
935     * any preferences contained in the removed nodes.  Once a node has been
936     * removed, attempting any method other than {@link #name()},
937     * {@link #absolutePath()}, {@link #isUserNode()}, {@link #flush()} or
938     * {@link #node(String) nodeExists("")} on the corresponding
939     * <tt>Preferences</tt> instance will fail with an
940     * <tt>IllegalStateException</tt>.  (The methods defined on {@link Object}
941     * can still be invoked on a node after it has been removed; they will not
942     * throw <tt>IllegalStateException</tt>.)
943     *
944     * <p>The removal is not guaranteed to be persistent until the
945     * <tt>flush</tt> method is called on this node (or an ancestor).
946     *
947     * <p>If this implementation supports <i>stored defaults</i>, removing a
948     * node exposes any stored defaults at or below this node.  Thus, a
949     * subsequent call to <tt>nodeExists</tt> on this node's path name may
950     * return <tt>true</tt>, and a subsequent call to <tt>node</tt> on this
951     * path name may return a (different) <tt>Preferences</tt> instance
952     * representing a non-empty collection of preferences and/or children.
953     *
954     * @throws BackingStoreException if this operation cannot be completed
955     *         due to a failure in the backing store, or inability to
956     *         communicate with it.
957     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has already
958     *         been removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
959     * @throws UnsupportedOperationException if this method is invoked on
960     *         the root node.
961     * @see #flush()
962     */
963    public abstract void removeNode() throws BackingStoreException;
964
965    /**
966     * Returns this preference node's name, relative to its parent.
967     *
968     * @return this preference node's name, relative to its parent.
969     */
970    public abstract String name();
971
972    /**
973     * Returns this preference node's absolute path name.
974     *
975     * @return this preference node's absolute path name.
976     */
977    public abstract String absolutePath();
978
979    /**
980     * Returns <tt>true</tt> if this preference node is in the user
981     * preference tree, <tt>false</tt> if it's in the system preference tree.
982     *
983     * @return <tt>true</tt> if this preference node is in the user
984     *         preference tree, <tt>false</tt> if it's in the system
985     *         preference tree.
986     */
987    public abstract boolean isUserNode();
988
989    /**
990     * Returns a string representation of this preferences node,
991     * as if computed by the expression:<tt>(this.isUserNode() ? "User" :
992     * "System") + " Preference Node: " + this.absolutePath()</tt>.
993     */
994    public abstract String toString();
995
996    /**
997     * Forces any changes in the contents of this preference node and its
998     * descendants to the persistent store.  Once this method returns
999     * successfully, it is safe to assume that all changes made in the
1000     * subtree rooted at this node prior to the method invocation have become
1001     * permanent.
1002     *
1003     * <p>Implementations are free to flush changes into the persistent store
1004     * at any time.  They do not need to wait for this method to be called.
1005     *
1006     * <p>When a flush occurs on a newly created node, it is made persistent,
1007     * as are any ancestors (and descendants) that have yet to be made
1008     * persistent.  Note however that any preference value changes in
1009     * ancestors are <i>not</i> guaranteed to be made persistent.
1010     *
1011     * <p> If this method is invoked on a node that has been removed with
1012     * the {@link #removeNode()} method, flushSpi() is invoked on this node,
1013     * but not on others.
1014     *
1015     * @throws BackingStoreException if this operation cannot be completed
1016     *         due to a failure in the backing store, or inability to
1017     *         communicate with it.
1018     * @see    #sync()
1019     */
1020    public abstract void flush() throws BackingStoreException;
1021
1022    /**
1023     * Ensures that future reads from this preference node and its
1024     * descendants reflect any changes that were committed to the persistent
1025     * store (from any VM) prior to the <tt>sync</tt> invocation.  As a
1026     * side-effect, forces any changes in the contents of this preference node
1027     * and its descendants to the persistent store, as if the <tt>flush</tt>
1028     * method had been invoked on this node.
1029     *
1030     * @throws BackingStoreException if this operation cannot be completed
1031     *         due to a failure in the backing store, or inability to
1032     *         communicate with it.
1033     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
1034     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
1035     * @see    #flush()
1036     */
1037    public abstract void sync() throws BackingStoreException;
1038
1039    /**
1040     * Registers the specified listener to receive <i>preference change
1041     * events</i> for this preference node.  A preference change event is
1042     * generated when a preference is added to this node, removed from this
1043     * node, or when the value associated with a preference is changed.
1044     * (Preference change events are <i>not</i> generated by the {@link
1045     * #removeNode()} method, which generates a <i>node change event</i>.
1046     * Preference change events <i>are</i> generated by the <tt>clear</tt>
1047     * method.)
1048     *
1049     * <p>Events are only guaranteed for changes made within the same JVM
1050     * as the registered listener, though some implementations may generate
1051     * events for changes made outside this JVM.  Events may be generated
1052     * before the changes have been made persistent.  Events are not generated
1053     * when preferences are modified in descendants of this node; a caller
1054     * desiring such events must register with each descendant.
1055     *
1056     * @param pcl The preference change listener to add.
1057     * @throws NullPointerException if <tt>pcl</tt> is null.
1058     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
1059     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
1060     * @see #removePreferenceChangeListener(PreferenceChangeListener)
1061     * @see #addNodeChangeListener(NodeChangeListener)
1062     */
1063    public abstract void addPreferenceChangeListener(
1064        PreferenceChangeListener pcl);
1065
1066    /**
1067     * Removes the specified preference change listener, so it no longer
1068     * receives preference change events.
1069     *
1070     * @param pcl The preference change listener to remove.
1071     * @throws IllegalArgumentException if <tt>pcl</tt> was not a registered
1072     *         preference change listener on this node.
1073     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
1074     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
1075     * @see #addPreferenceChangeListener(PreferenceChangeListener)
1076     */
1077    public abstract void removePreferenceChangeListener(
1078        PreferenceChangeListener pcl);
1079
1080    /**
1081     * Registers the specified listener to receive <i>node change events</i>
1082     * for this node.  A node change event is generated when a child node is
1083     * added to or removed from this node.  (A single {@link #removeNode()}
1084     * invocation results in multiple <i>node change events</i>, one for every
1085     * node in the subtree rooted at the removed node.)
1086     *
1087     * <p>Events are only guaranteed for changes made within the same JVM
1088     * as the registered listener, though some implementations may generate
1089     * events for changes made outside this JVM.  Events may be generated
1090     * before the changes have become permanent.  Events are not generated
1091     * when indirect descendants of this node are added or removed; a
1092     * caller desiring such events must register with each descendant.
1093     *
1094     * <p>Few guarantees can be made regarding node creation.  Because nodes
1095     * are created implicitly upon access, it may not be feasible for an
1096     * implementation to determine whether a child node existed in the backing
1097     * store prior to access (for example, because the backing store is
1098     * unreachable or cached information is out of date).  Under these
1099     * circumstances, implementations are neither required to generate node
1100     * change events nor prohibited from doing so.
1101     *
1102     * @param ncl The <tt>NodeChangeListener</tt> to add.
1103     * @throws NullPointerException if <tt>ncl</tt> is null.
1104     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
1105     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
1106     * @see #removeNodeChangeListener(NodeChangeListener)
1107     * @see #addPreferenceChangeListener(PreferenceChangeListener)
1108     */
1109    public abstract void addNodeChangeListener(NodeChangeListener ncl);
1110
1111    /**
1112     * Removes the specified <tt>NodeChangeListener</tt>, so it no longer
1113     * receives change events.
1114     *
1115     * @param ncl The <tt>NodeChangeListener</tt> to remove.
1116     * @throws IllegalArgumentException if <tt>ncl</tt> was not a registered
1117     *         <tt>NodeChangeListener</tt> on this node.
1118     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
1119     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
1120     * @see #addNodeChangeListener(NodeChangeListener)
1121     */
1122    public abstract void removeNodeChangeListener(NodeChangeListener ncl);
1123
1124    /**
1125     * Emits on the specified output stream an XML document representing all
1126     * of the preferences contained in this node (but not its descendants).
1127     * This XML document is, in effect, an offline backup of the node.
1128     *
1129     * <p>The XML document will have the following DOCTYPE declaration:
1130     * <pre>
1131     * &lt;!DOCTYPE preferences SYSTEM "http://java.sun.com/dtd/preferences.dtd"&gt;
1132     * </pre>
1133     * The UTF-8 character encoding will be used.
1134     *
1135     * <p>This method is an exception to the general rule that the results of
1136     * concurrently executing multiple methods in this class yields
1137     * results equivalent to some serial execution.  If the preferences
1138     * at this node are modified concurrently with an invocation of this
1139     * method, the exported preferences comprise a "fuzzy snapshot" of the
1140     * preferences contained in the node; some of the concurrent modifications
1141     * may be reflected in the exported data while others may not.
1142     *
1143     * @param os the output stream on which to emit the XML document.
1144     * @throws IOException if writing to the specified output stream
1145     *         results in an <tt>IOException</tt>.
1146     * @throws BackingStoreException if preference data cannot be read from
1147     *         backing store.
1148     * @see    #importPreferences(InputStream)
1149     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
1150     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
1151     */
1152    public abstract void exportNode(OutputStream os)
1153        throws IOException, BackingStoreException;
1154
1155    /**
1156     * Emits an XML document representing all of the preferences contained
1157     * in this node and all of its descendants.  This XML document is, in
1158     * effect, an offline backup of the subtree rooted at the node.
1159     *
1160     * <p>The XML document will have the following DOCTYPE declaration:
1161     * <pre>
1162     * &lt;!DOCTYPE preferences SYSTEM "http://java.sun.com/dtd/preferences.dtd"&gt;
1163     * </pre>
1164     * The UTF-8 character encoding will be used.
1165     *
1166     * <p>This method is an exception to the general rule that the results of
1167     * concurrently executing multiple methods in this class yields
1168     * results equivalent to some serial execution.  If the preferences
1169     * or nodes in the subtree rooted at this node are modified concurrently
1170     * with an invocation of this method, the exported preferences comprise a
1171     * "fuzzy snapshot" of the subtree; some of the concurrent modifications
1172     * may be reflected in the exported data while others may not.
1173     *
1174     * @param os the output stream on which to emit the XML document.
1175     * @throws IOException if writing to the specified output stream
1176     *         results in an <tt>IOException</tt>.
1177     * @throws BackingStoreException if preference data cannot be read from
1178     *         backing store.
1179     * @throws IllegalStateException if this node (or an ancestor) has been
1180     *         removed with the {@link #removeNode()} method.
1181     * @see    #importPreferences(InputStream)
1182     * @see    #exportNode(OutputStream)
1183     */
1184    public abstract void exportSubtree(OutputStream os)
1185        throws IOException, BackingStoreException;
1186
1187    /**
1188     * Imports all of the preferences represented by the XML document on the
1189     * specified input stream.  The document may represent user preferences or
1190     * system preferences.  If it represents user preferences, the preferences
1191     * will be imported into the calling user's preference tree (even if they
1192     * originally came from a different user's preference tree).  If any of
1193     * the preferences described by the document inhabit preference nodes that
1194     * do not exist, the nodes will be created.
1195     *
1196     * <p>The XML document must have the following DOCTYPE declaration:
1197     * <pre>
1198     * &lt;!DOCTYPE preferences SYSTEM "http://java.sun.com/dtd/preferences.dtd"&gt;
1199     * </pre>
1200     * (This method is designed for use in conjunction with
1201     * {@link #exportNode(OutputStream)} and
1202     * {@link #exportSubtree(OutputStream)}.
1203     *
1204     * <p>This method is an exception to the general rule that the results of
1205     * concurrently executing multiple methods in this class yields
1206     * results equivalent to some serial execution.  The method behaves
1207     * as if implemented on top of the other public methods in this class,
1208     * notably {@link #node(String)} and {@link #put(String, String)}.
1209     *
1210     * @param is the input stream from which to read the XML document.
1211     * @throws IOException if reading from the specified input stream
1212     *         results in an <tt>IOException</tt>.
1213     * @throws InvalidPreferencesFormatException Data on input stream does not
1214     *         constitute a valid XML document with the mandated document type.
1215     * @throws SecurityException If a security manager is present and
1216     *         it denies <tt>RuntimePermission("preferences")</tt>.
1217     * @see    RuntimePermission
1218     */
1219    public static void importPreferences(InputStream is)
1220        throws IOException, InvalidPreferencesFormatException
1221    {
1222        XmlSupport.importPreferences(is);
1223    }
1224}
1225