Preferences (String key) { Preferences prefs = Preferences.userRoot(); final int dotIndex = key.lastIndexOf('.'); if (dotIndex > 0) { StringTokenizer tokenizer = new StringTokenizer(key.substring(0, dotIndex), ".", false); while (tokenizer.hasMoreElements()) { String str = tokenizer.nextToken(); prefs = prefs.node(str == null ? null : str.toLowerCase(Locale.ENGLISH)); } } return prefs; }