--- a/flys-artifacts/src/main/java/de/intevation/flys/artifacts/FLYSArtifact.java	Tue Jan 17 18:26:45 2012 +0000
+++ b/flys-artifacts/src/main/java/de/intevation/flys/artifacts/FLYSArtifact.java	Wed Jan 18 09:29:12 2012 +0000
@@ -589,6 +589,31 @@
 
     /**
      * This method returns the value of a StateData object stored in the data
+     * pool of this Artifact as Long.
+     *
+     * @param name The name of the StateData object.
+     *
+     * @return a Long representing the value of the data object or null if
+     * no object was found for <i>name</i>.
+     *
+     * @throws NumberFormatException if the value of the data object could not
+     * be transformed into a Long.
+     */
+    public Long getDataAsLong(String name)
+    throws NumberFormatException
+    {
+        String value = getDataAsString(name);
+
+        if (value != null && value.length() > 0) {
+            return Long.parseLong(value);
+        }
+
+        return null;
+    }
+
+
+    /**
+     * This method returns the value of a StateData object stored in the data
      * pool of this Artifact is Boolean using Boolean.valueOf().
      *
      * @param name The name of the StateData object.