class MiddleDict(dict):
    """A MiddleKit dictionary.

    A dictionary for the purposes of MiddleKit, specifically Klass and Attr
    which are subclasses.

    @@ 2004-04-02 CE: Should consider making this case-preserving, but
       case-insensitive with respect to keys.

    """

    def boolForKey(self, key, default=False):
        """Return True or False for the given key.

        Returns False if the key does not even exist.
        Raises a value error if the key exists, but cannot be parsed as a bool.

        """
        original = self.get(key, default)
        s = original
        if isinstance(s, basestring):
            s = s.lower().strip()
        if s in (False, '', None, 0, 0.0, '0', 'false'):
            return False
        elif s in (True, 1, '1', 1.0, 'true'):
            return True
        else:
            raise ValueError('%r for attr %r should be a boolean value'
                ' (1, 0, True, False) but is %r instead'
                % (key, self.get('Name', '(UNNAMED)'), original))