*/
  public static <T> Optional<T> absent() {
    return Absent.withType();
  }

  /**
   * Returns an {@code Optional} instance containing the given non-null reference. To have {@code
   * null} treated as {@link #absent}, use {@link #fromNullable} instead.
   *
   * <p><b>Comparison to {@code java.util.Optional}:</b> no differences.
   *
   * @throws NullPointerException if {@code reference} is null
   */

  //
  // If more than one PEM block is present, and the definition of the requested spec.signerName
  // does not indicate otherwise, the first block is the issued certificate,
  // and subsequent blocks should be treated as intermediate certificates and presented in TLS handshakes.
  //
  // The certificate is encoded in PEM format.
  //
  // When serialized as JSON or YAML, the data is additionally base64-encoded, so it consists of:

   * considered less than {@code true}). The sign of the value returned is the same as that of
   * {@code ((Boolean) a).compareTo(b)}.
   *
   * <p><b>Note:</b> this method is now unnecessary and should be treated as deprecated; use the
   * equivalent {@link Boolean#compare} method instead.
   *
   * @param a the first {@code boolean} to compare
   * @param b the second {@code boolean} to compare

                // this is the signature error
                throw new SMBProtocolDowngradeException("Signature error during negotiate validation", e);
            }

            // other errors are treated as success
            return;
        }
        ValidateNegotiateInfoResponse out = resp.getOutputData(ValidateNegotiateInfoResponse.class);

   * considered less than {@code true}). The sign of the value returned is the same as that of
   * {@code ((Boolean) a).compareTo(b)}.
   *
   * <p><b>Note:</b> this method is now unnecessary and should be treated as deprecated; use the
   * equivalent {@link Boolean#compare} method instead.
   *
   * @param a the first {@code boolean} to compare
   * @param b the second {@code boolean} to compare

   * which it is unnecessary to programmatically distinguish between exception types or to extract
   * other information from the exception instance.
   *
   * <p>Exceptions from {@code Future.get} are treated as follows:
   *
   * <ul>
   *   <li>Any {@link ExecutionException} has its <i>cause</i> wrapped in an {@code X} if the cause

  /**
   * 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

  /**
   * 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

 *
 * <ol>
 *   <li>First, if only one {@code Foo} is null, that null value is treated as <i>greater</i>
 *   <li>Next, non-null {@code Foo} values are passed to {@code getBarFunction} (we will be
 *       comparing {@code Bar} values from now on)
 *   <li>Next, if only one {@code Bar} is null, that null value is treated as <i>lesser</i>
 *   <li>Finally, natural ordering is used (i.e. the result of {@code Bar.compareTo(Bar)} is

   *
   * @since 8.0
   */
  public static final byte SOH = 1;

  /**
   * Start of Text: A communication control character which precedes a sequence of characters that
   * is to be treated as an entity and entirely transmitted through to the ultimate destination.
   * Such a sequence is referred to as "text." STX may be used to terminate a sequence of characters
   * started by SOH.
   *
   * @since 8.0
   */