private PersonFavourite getFavouriteSite(String userName, SiteInfo siteInfo) {
    PersonFavourite favourite = null;

    String siteFavouritedKey = siteFavouritedKey(siteInfo);
    String siteCreatedAtKey = siteCreatedAtKey(siteInfo);

    Boolean isFavourited = false;
    Serializable s = preferenceService.getPreference(userName, siteFavouritedKey);
    if (s != null) {
      if (s instanceof String) {
        isFavourited = Boolean.valueOf((String) s);
      } else if (s instanceof Boolean) {
        isFavourited = (Boolean) s;
      } else {
        throw new AlfrescoRuntimeException("Unexpected favourites preference value");
      }
    }

    if (isFavourited) {
      String createdAtStr = (String) preferenceService.getPreference(userName, siteCreatedAtKey);
      Date createdAt = (createdAtStr == null ? null : ISO8601DateFormat.parse(createdAtStr));

      favourite =
          new PersonFavourite(
              userName, siteInfo.getNodeRef(), Type.SITE, siteInfo.getTitle(), createdAt);
    }

    return favourite;
  }
  /*
   * Extract favourite nodes of the given type from the comma-separated list in "nodes".
   */
  private Map<PersonFavouriteKey, PersonFavourite> extractFavouriteNodes(
      String userName, Type type, String nodes) {
    PrefKeys prefKeys = getPrefKeys(type);
    Map<PersonFavouriteKey, PersonFavourite> favouriteNodes =
        new HashMap<PersonFavouriteKey, PersonFavourite>();

    StringTokenizer st = new StringTokenizer(nodes, ",");
    while (st.hasMoreTokens()) {
      String nodeRefStr = st.nextToken();
      nodeRefStr = nodeRefStr.trim();
      if (!NodeRef.isNodeRef((String) nodeRefStr)) {
        continue;
      }

      NodeRef nodeRef = new NodeRef((String) nodeRefStr);

      if (!nodeService.exists(nodeRef)) {
        continue;
      }

      if (permissionService.hasPermission(nodeRef, PermissionService.READ_PROPERTIES)
          == AccessStatus.DENIED) {
        continue;
      }

      // get createdAt for this favourited node
      // use ISO8601
      StringBuilder builder = new StringBuilder(prefKeys.getAlfrescoPrefKey());
      builder.append(nodeRef.toString());
      builder.append(".createdAt");
      String prefKey = builder.toString();
      String createdAtStr = (String) preferenceService.getPreference(userName, prefKey);
      Date createdAt = (createdAtStr != null ? ISO8601DateFormat.parse(createdAtStr) : null);

      String name = (String) nodeService.getProperty(nodeRef, ContentModel.PROP_NAME);

      PersonFavourite personFavourite =
          new PersonFavourite(userName, nodeRef, type, name, createdAt);
      PersonFavouriteKey key = personFavourite.getKey();
      favouriteNodes.put(key, personFavourite);
    }

    return favouriteNodes;
  }
  private void extractFavouriteSite(
      String userName,
      Type type,
      Map<PersonFavouriteKey, PersonFavourite> sortedFavouriteNodes,
      Map<String, Serializable> preferences,
      String key) {
    // preference value indicates whether the site has been favourited
    Serializable pref = preferences.get(key);
    Boolean isFavourite = (Boolean) pref;
    if (isFavourite) {
      PrefKeys sitePrefKeys = getPrefKeys(Type.SITE);
      int length = sitePrefKeys.getSharePrefKey().length();
      String siteId = key.substring(length);

      try {
        SiteInfo siteInfo = siteService.getSite(siteId);
        if (siteInfo != null) {
          StringBuilder builder = new StringBuilder(sitePrefKeys.getAlfrescoPrefKey());
          builder.append(siteId);
          builder.append(".createdAt");
          String createdAtPrefKey = builder.toString();
          String createdAtStr = (String) preferences.get(createdAtPrefKey);
          Date createdAt = null;
          if (createdAtStr != null) {
            createdAt = (createdAtStr != null ? ISO8601DateFormat.parse(createdAtStr) : null);
          }
          PersonFavourite personFavourite =
              new PersonFavourite(userName, siteInfo.getNodeRef(), Type.SITE, siteId, createdAt);
          sortedFavouriteNodes.put(personFavourite.getKey(), personFavourite);
        }
      } catch (AccessDeniedException ex) {
        // the user no longer has access to this site, skip over the favourite
        // TODO remove the favourite preference
        return;
      }
    }
  }