public boolean get_boolean(String key) {
        if(logWriterInit){
            logWriter.log(4, logKey, "jumping in get_boolean with key" , key, "\n");
        }
        boolean toReturn;
        if(container.containsKey(key)){
            try
            {
                toReturn = (boolean)container.get(key);
            }
            catch(ClassCastException e)
            {
                if(logWriterInit)
                {
                        logWriter.log(0, logKey,
                            "\n\n",
                            "ERROR: value from config file is not valid.\n",
                            "DETAILED ERROR:\n",
                            "   value: '", key, "' is not a boolean!\n",
                            "   '", key, "' is set to: '", get_string(key), "'\n\n"
                        );
                        logWriter.kill();
                }
                else
                {
                        System.out.print(
                            "\n\n" +
                            "ERROR: value from config file is not valid.\n" +
                            "DETAILED ERROR:\n" +
                            "   value: '" + key + "' is not a boolean!\n" +
                            "   '" + key + "' is set to: '" + get_string(key) + "'\n\n"
                        );
                }
                System.exit(0);
                return false;
            }
        }
        else{
            toReturn = false;
            if(logWriterInit){
                logWriter.log(0, logKey, "in get_boolean could not find a match for " , key , ", exiting\n");
                System.exit(0);
            }
            else{
                System.err.println("in function get_boolean could not find a match for " + key + ", exiting");
                System.exit(0);
            }
        }
        if(logWriterInit){
            logWriter.log(4, logKey, "leaving get_boolean\n");
        }
        return toReturn;
    }