A better way to fetch EE parameters

gistfile1.txt

private function param($param, $default = FALSE, $boolean = FALSE, $required = FALSE)
{
	if($required && !$param) show_error('You must define a "'.$param.'" parameter in the '.__CLASS__.' tag.');
		
	$param = $this->EE->TMPL->fetch_param($param);
	
	if($param === FALSE && $default !== FALSE)
	{
		$param = $default;
	}
	else
	{				
		if($boolean)
		{
			$param = strtolower($param);
			$param = ($param == 'true' || $param == 'yes') ? TRUE : FALSE;
		}			
	}
	
	return $param;			
}