-   [guava-discuss: For open-ended questions and discussion](https://groups.google.com/group/guava-discuss)

## IMPORTANT WARNINGS

1.  APIs marked with the `@Beta` annotation at the class or method level are
    subject to change. They can be modified in any way, or even removed, at any
    time. If your code is a library itself (i.e., it is used on the CLASSPATH of
    users outside your own control), you should not use beta APIs unless you

  public static <T> Collector<T, ?, Optional<T>> toOptional() {
    return (Collector) TO_OPTIONAL;
  }

  private static final Object NULL_PLACEHOLDER = new Object();

  private static final Collector<@Nullable Object, ?, @Nullable Object> ONLY_ELEMENT =
      Collector.<@Nullable Object, ToOptionalState, @Nullable Object>of(
          ToOptionalState::new,
          (state, o) -> state.add((o == null) ? NULL_PLACEHOLDER : o),