The signature would be :
public String getXWikiPreference(String prefname, String fallback_param,
String default_value);
The underlaying method already exists in the non API XWiki.java (was
added for
http://jira.xwiki.org/jira/browse/XWIKI-2569).
What this method exactly do is : "Obtain a preference value for the
wiki, looking up first in the XWiki.XWikiPreferences document, then
fallbacking on a config parameter when the first lookup gives an empty
string, then returning the default value if the config parameter
returned itself an empty string."
My +1:
+1
Jerome.
PS: I've created a JIRA for it:
http://jira.xwiki.org/jira/browse/XWIKI-3086