@CanIgnoreReturnValue
  public static <T extends @NonNull Object> T checkNotNull(T reference) {
    if (reference == null) {
      throw new NullPointerException();
    }
    return reference;
  }
@CanIgnoreReturnValue
  public static <T extends @NonNull Object> T checkNotNull(T reference) {
    if (reference == null) {
      throw new NullPointerException();
    }
    return reference;
  }
@ CanIgnoreReturnValue public static < T extends @ NonNull Object > T checkNotNull ( T reference ) { if ( reference == null ) { throw new NullPointerException ( ) ; } return reference ; }
Ensures that an object reference passed as a parameter to the calling method is not null.

@param reference an object reference
@return the non-null reference that was validated
@throws NullPointerException if {@code reference} is null
@see Verify#verifyNotNull Verify.verifyNotNull()
Ensures that an object reference passed as a parameter to the calling method is not null .