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#ifndef __EST_ITEM_AUX_H__
#define __EST_ITEM_AUX_H__

/** Non core feature funtionality.
  * 
  * @author Richard Caley <rjc@cstr.ed.ac.uk>
  * @version $Id: EST_item_aux.h,v 1.3 2004/05/24 10:32:30 korin Exp $
  */

//@{

#include "EST_features_aux.h"

class EST_Item;
class EST_String;

/** Safe feature access functions.
  * 
  * These functions are guaranteed to return a value even if
  * there is an otherwise fatal error.
  */
//@{

/// Return the value as an EST_Val.
EST_Val getVal(const EST_Item &f,
	       const EST_String name,
	       const EST_Val &def,
	       EST_feat_status &s);

/// Return the value as a string.
EST_String getString(const EST_Item &f,
		     const EST_String name,
		     const EST_String &def,
		     EST_feat_status &s);

/// Return the values as a float.
float getFloat(const EST_Item &f,
	       const EST_String name,
	       const float &def,
	       EST_feat_status &s);

/// Return the values as an integer.
int getInteger(const EST_Item &f,
	       const EST_String name,
	       const int &def,
	       EST_feat_status &s);
//@}
		     
float start(const EST_Item &item);
float mid(const EST_Item &item);
float time(const EST_Item &item);
float end(const EST_Item &item);


//@}

//Rob's function for jumping around HRG structures more easily
EST_Item *item_jump(EST_Item *from, const EST_String &to);


#endif