}

  /**
   * Returns the string if it is not null, or an empty string otherwise.
   *
   * @param string the string to test and possibly return
   * @return {@code string} if it is not null; {@code ""} otherwise
   */
  static String nullToEmpty(@CheckForNull String string) {
    return (string == null) ? "" : string;
  }

  /**
   * Returns the string if it is not empty, or a null string otherwise.
   *

    return requireNonNull(DEST_TL.get());
  }

  /**
   * A thread-local destination buffer to keep us from creating new buffers. The starting size is
   * 1024 characters. If we grow past this we don't put it back in the threadlocal, we just keep
   * going and grow as needed.
   */
  private static final ThreadLocal<char[]> DEST_TL =
      new ThreadLocal<char[]>() {
        @Override
        protected char[] initialValue() {