Sample Code: Getting Sort Preferences

String sortPreferencesKey = getClass().getName() + ".sortPreferences";
Properties properties = ...

// Save the current sort properties as a preference.
properties.setProperty(sortPreferencesKey,
    properties.getProperty(VConsoleProperties.SORTEDCOLUMN));

...

// Get previously saved preferences.  If none exist, then
// presumably the user disabled sorting in the previous
// session, and we should honor that.
//
String sortPreferences = properties.getProperty(sortPreferencesKey);
if ((sortPreferences != null) && !sortPreferences.equals("null")) {

    // Sort preferences are in "[+/-]#" format, where:
    //    + implies ascending sort order
    //    - implies descending sort order
    //    # is the columns number to sort by

    // Extract the sort order
    String sortOrder = VConsoleActions.SORTUP;
    if (sortPreferences.indexOf('-') >= 0)
        sortOrder = VConsoleActions.SORTDOWN;

    // Extract the sort column
    Integer[] sortColumn = new Integer[1];
    try {
        int n = Integer.parseInt(sortPreferences.substring(1));
        sortColumn[0] = new Integer(n);
    } catch (Exception e) {
        // Should never get here, but Murphy's Law...
        sortColumn[0] = new Integer(0);
    }

    // Apply sort criteria to display model
    VConsoleEvent e = new VConsoleEvent(myTool, sortOrder, sortColumn);
    myTool.fireConsoleAction(e);

    // Update console UI controls on applied sort criteria
    properties.setProperty(VConsoleProperties.SORTEDCOLUMN, sortPreferences);
}