usersettings test
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/AuthenticationIface.java b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/AuthenticationIface.java
index 82d6737..13f29f6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/AuthenticationIface.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/AuthenticationIface.java
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
     TokenContext getUserStatus(String authToken) throws
             KustvaktException;
 
-    TokenContext createUserSession(User user, Map<String, Object> attr)
+    TokenContext createUserSession(User user, Map<String, String> attr)
             throws KustvaktException;
 
     void removeUserSession(String token) throws KustvaktException;
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/AuthenticationManagerIface.java b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/AuthenticationManagerIface.java
index f0df181..1d2f9cd 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/AuthenticationManagerIface.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/AuthenticationManagerIface.java
@@ -43,18 +43,18 @@
     public abstract User getUser(String username) throws KustvaktException;
 
     public abstract User authenticate(int type, String username,
-            String password, Map<String, Object> attributes)
+            String password, Map<String, String> attributes)
             throws KustvaktException;
 
     public abstract TokenContext createTokenContext(User user,
-            Map<String, Object> attr, String provider_key)
+            Map<String, String> attr, String provider_key)
             throws KustvaktException;
 
     public abstract void logout(TokenContext context) throws KustvaktException;
 
     public abstract void lockAccount(User user) throws KustvaktException;
 
-    public abstract User createUserAccount(Map<String, Object> attributes,
+    public abstract User createUserAccount(Map<String, String> attributes,
             boolean conf_required) throws KustvaktException;
 
     public abstract boolean updateAccount(User user) throws KustvaktException;
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/EncryptionIface.java b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/EncryptionIface.java
index b591911..6101861 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/EncryptionIface.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/EncryptionIface.java
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
 
     public String validateEmail(String email) throws KustvaktException;
 
-    public Map<String, Object> validateMap(Map<String, Object> map)
+    public Map<String, String> validateMap(Map<String, String> map)
             throws KustvaktException;
 
     public String validateString(String input) throws KustvaktException;
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/db/PersistenceClient.java b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/db/PersistenceClient.java
index c21d941..7b8c58a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/db/PersistenceClient.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/db/PersistenceClient.java
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
         this.schema = schema;
     }
 
-    public abstract boolean checkDatabase() throws Exception;
+    public abstract boolean checkDatabase();
 
     public abstract void createDatabase() throws IOException;
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/db/ResourceOperationIface.java b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/db/ResourceOperationIface.java
index e509b61..cfa4c99 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/db/ResourceOperationIface.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/db/ResourceOperationIface.java
@@ -41,4 +41,6 @@
 
     int deleteAll() throws KustvaktException;
 
+    int size() throws KustvaktException;
+
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/defaults/DefaultEncryption.java b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/defaults/DefaultEncryption.java
index 9f412b1..f5679c8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/defaults/DefaultEncryption.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/defaults/DefaultEncryption.java
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@
     }
 
     @Override
-    public Map<String, Object> validateMap(Map<String, Object> map)
+    public Map<String, String> validateMap(Map<String, String> map)
             throws KustvaktException {
         return null;
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/defaults/KustvaktEncryption.java b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/defaults/KustvaktEncryption.java
index 47c3033..ee8b49b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/defaults/KustvaktEncryption.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/interfaces/defaults/KustvaktEncryption.java
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 import java.security.SecureRandom;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.HashMap;
-import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 
 public class KustvaktEncryption implements EncryptionIface {
@@ -280,27 +279,27 @@
     }
 
     @Override
-    public Map<String, Object> validateMap(Map<String, Object> map)
+    public Map<String, String> validateMap(Map<String, String> map)
             throws KustvaktException {
-        Map<String, Object> safeMap = new HashMap<>();
+        Map<String, String> safeMap = new HashMap<>();
         if (map != null) {
-            for (Map.Entry<String, Object> entry : map.entrySet()) {
-                Object value = null;
-                if (entry.getValue() instanceof String) {
-                    value = validateString((String) entry.getValue());
+            for (Map.Entry<String, String> entry : map.entrySet()) {
+                //                String value = null;
+                //                if (entry.getValue() instanceof String) {
+                String value = validateString(entry.getValue());
 
-                }else if (entry.getValue() instanceof List) {
-                    List list = (List) entry.getValue();
-                    for (Object v : list) {
-                        if (v instanceof String)
-                            validateString((String) v);
-                    }
-
-                    if (((List) entry.getValue()).size() == 1)
-                        value = list.get(0);
-                    else
-                        value = list;
-                }
+                //                }else if (entry.getValue() instanceof List) {
+                //                    List list = (List) entry.getValue();
+                //                    for (Object v : list) {
+                //                        if (v instanceof String)
+                //                            validateString((String) v);
+                //                    }
+                //
+                //                    if (((List) entry.getValue()).size() == 1)
+                //                        value = list.get(0);
+                //                    else
+                //                        value = list;
+                //                }
                 safeMap.put(entry.getKey(), value);
             }
         }