*   <li>Ensures no null repository entries exist in the list</li>
     * </ul>
     *
     * <p>Duplicate detection is based on the {@code RemoteRepository#equals(Object)}
     * method, which typically compares repository IDs and URLs.
     *
     * @param repositories the list of repositories to validate, may be {@code null}
     * @return the same list if validation passes, or {@code null} if input was {@code null}

  }

  /**
   * Compares the two specified {@code short} values. The sign of the value returned is the same as
   * that of {@code ((Short) a).compareTo(b)}.
   *
   * <p><b>Note:</b> this method is now unnecessary and should be treated as deprecated; use the
   * equivalent {@link Short#compare} method instead.
   *
   * @param a the first {@code short} to compare
   * @param b the second {@code short} to compare

  }

  /**
   * Compares the two specified {@code short} values. The sign of the value returned is the same as
   * that of {@code ((Short) a).compareTo(b)}.
   *
   * <p><b>Note:</b> this method is now unnecessary and should be treated as deprecated; use the
   * equivalent {@link Short#compare} method instead.
   *
   * @param a the first {@code short} to compare
   * @param b the second {@code short} to compare

   * to the JDK until JDK 7.
   *
   * @param a the first {@code float} to compare
   * @param b the second {@code float} to compare
   * @return the result of invoking {@link Float#compare(float, float)}
   */
  @InlineMe(replacement = "Float.compare(a, b)")
  public static int compare(float a, float b) {
    return Float.compare(a, b);
  }

  /**

   * to the JDK until JDK 7.
   *
   * @param a the first {@code double} to compare
   * @param b the second {@code double} to compare
   * @return a negative value if {@code a} is less than {@code b}; a positive value if {@code a} is
   *     greater than {@code b}; or zero if they are equal
   */
  @InlineMe(replacement = "Double.compare(a, b)")
  public static int compare(double a, double b) {

  }

  /**
   * Compares the two specified {@code int} values. The sign of the value returned is the same as
   * that of {@code ((Integer) a).compareTo(b)}.
   *
   * <p><b>Note:</b> this method is now unnecessary and should be treated as deprecated; use the
   * equivalent {@link Integer#compare} method instead.
   *
   * @param a the first {@code int} to compare
   * @param b the second {@code int} to compare

    }

    /**
     * Compares this CharMappingItem with another object for equality.
     * Two CharMappingItem objects are equal if they have the same inputs and output.
     * Note: inputs arrays are sorted in the constructor, so no sorting is needed here.
     *
     * @param obj the object to compare with
     * @return true if the objects are equal, false otherwise
     */

  }

  /**
   * Compares the two specified {@code long} values. The sign of the value returned is the same as
   * that of {@code ((Long) a).compareTo(b)}.
   *
   * <p><b>Note:</b> this method is now unnecessary and should be treated as deprecated; use the
   * equivalent {@link Long#compare} method instead.
   *
   * @param a the first {@code long} to compare
   * @param b the second {@code long} to compare

      assertThat(comparator1.compare(left, right)).isEqualTo(0);
      assertThat(comparator2.compare(left, right)).isEqualTo(0);
      int i = rnd.nextInt(left.length);
      left[i] ^= (byte) (1 + rnd.nextInt(255));
      assertThat(signum(comparator1.compare(left, right)))
          .isEqualTo(signum(UnsignedBytes.compare(left[i], right[i])));
      assertThat(signum(comparator2.compare(left, right)))

        assertTrue(
            comparator + ".compare(" + lesser + ", " + t + ")", comparator.compare(lesser, t) < 0);
      }

      assertEquals(comparator + ".compare(" + t + ", " + t + ")", 0, comparator.compare(t, t));

      for (int j = i + 1; j < valuesInExpectedOrder.size(); j++) {
        T greater = valuesInExpectedOrder.get(j);
        assertTrue(
            comparator + ".compare(" + greater + ", " + t + ")",