*
   * <p>Prefer this method instead of manually casting an exception's cause. For example, {@code
   * (IOException) e.getCause()} throws a {@link ClassCastException} that discards the original
   * exception {@code e} if the cause is not an {@link IOException}, but {@code
   * Throwables.getCauseAs(e, IOException.class)} keeps {@code e} as the {@link
   * ClassCastException}'s cause.
   *

   *
   * <p>Prefer this method instead of manually casting an exception's cause. For example, {@code
   * (IOException) e.getCause()} throws a {@link ClassCastException} that discards the original
   * exception {@code e} if the cause is not an {@link IOException}, but {@code
   * Throwables.getCauseAs(e, IOException.class)} keeps {@code e} as the {@link
   * ClassCastException}'s cause.
   *

   * input is not modified. The returned list is serializable and has random access.
   *
   * <p>Unlike {@link Sets#newTreeSet(Iterable)}, this method does not discard elements that are
   * duplicates according to the comparator. The sort performed is <i>stable</i>, meaning that such
   * elements will appear in the returned list in the same order they appeared in {@code elements}.
   *