* that pass this regex are valid -- only a performance hit is incurred, not a semantics bug.
   */
  @GwtIncompatible // regular expressions
  static final
  java.util.regex.Pattern
      FLOATING_POINT_PATTERN = fpPattern();

  @GwtIncompatible // regular expressions
  private static
  java.util.regex.Pattern
      fpPattern() {
    /*

 *       the {@code Converter} type using a mocking framework.
 *   <li>Extend this class and implement its {@link #doForward} and {@link #doBackward} methods.
 *   <li><b>Java 8+ users:</b> you may prefer to pass two lambda expressions or method references to
 *       the {@link #from from} factory method.
 * </ul>
 *
 * <p>Using a converter:
 *
 * <ul>
 *   <li>Convert one instance in the "forward" direction using {@code converter.convert(a)}.

   * in preference if at least one of the parameters is known to contain only ASCII characters.
   *
   * <p>Note however that this method does not always behave identically to expressions such as:
   *
   * <ul>
   *   <li>{@code string.toUpperCase().equals("UPPER CASE ASCII")}
   *   <li>{@code string.toLowerCase().equals("lower case ascii")}
   * </ul>
   *

 *       the {@code Converter} type using a mocking framework.
 *   <li>Extend this class and implement its {@link #doForward} and {@link #doBackward} methods.
 *   <li><b>Java 8+ users:</b> you may prefer to pass two lambda expressions or method references to
 *       the {@link #from from} factory method.
 * </ul>
 *
 * <p>Using a converter:
 *
 * <ul>
 *   <li>Convert one instance in the "forward" direction using {@code converter.convert(a)}.

   *     string} has a length of zero or cannot be parsed as a {@code float} value
   * @throws NullPointerException if {@code string} is {@code null}
   * @since 14.0
   */
  @GwtIncompatible // regular expressions
  @CheckForNull
  public static Float tryParse(String string) {
    if (Doubles.FLOATING_POINT_PATTERN.matcher(string).matches()) {
      // TODO(lowasser): could be potentially optimized, but only with

   * in preference if at least one of the parameters is known to contain only ASCII characters.
   *
   * <p>Note however that this method does not always behave identically to expressions such as:
   *
   * <ul>
   *   <li>{@code string.toUpperCase().equals("UPPER CASE ASCII")}
   *   <li>{@code string.toLowerCase().equals("lower case ascii")}
   * </ul>
   *

 * instance, but has the chance to act on values <i>before</i> handing off to that backing instance.
 * As a result, it usually helps to read chained ordering expressions <i>backwards</i>. For example,
 * when {@code compare} is called on the above ordering:
 *
 * <ol>
 *   <li>First, if only one {@code Foo} is null, that null value is treated as <i>greater</i>

 *       .compare(this.anInt, that.anInt)
 *       .compare(this.anEnum, that.anEnum, Ordering.natural().nullsLast())
 *       .result();
 * }
 * }</pre>
 *
 * <p>The value of this expression will have the same sign as the <i>first nonzero</i> comparison
 * result in the chain, or will be zero if every comparison result was zero.
 *

   * signed long. The implementation is branch-free, and benchmarks suggest it is measurably faster
   * than the straightforward ternary expression.
   */
  @VisibleForTesting
  static int lessThanBranchFree(long x, long y) {
    // Returns the sign bit of x - y.
    return (int) (~~(x - y) >>> (Long.SIZE - 1));
  }

  /**

public final class Verify {
  /**
   * Ensures that {@code expression} is {@code true}, throwing a {@code VerifyException} with no
   * message otherwise.
   *
   * @throws VerifyException if {@code expression} is {@code false}
   * @see Preconditions#checkState Preconditions.checkState()
   */
  public static void verify(boolean expression) {
    if (!expression) {
      throw new VerifyException();
    }
  }

  /**