Best way to check for null values in Java?

Question

Before calling a function of an object, I need to check if the object is null, to avoid throwing a NullPointerException.

What is the best way to go abou

Answer 1

If you control the API being called, consider using Guava's Optional class

More info here. Change your method to return an Optional instead of a Boolean.

This informs the calling code that it must account for the possibility of null, by calling one of the handy methods in Optional