Package org.apache.commons.collections4

# Class CollectionUtils

java.lang.Object
org.apache.commons.collections4.CollectionUtils

public class CollectionUtils extends Object
Provides utility methods and decorators for `Collection` instances.

Various utility methods might put the input objects into a Set/Map/Bag. In case the input objects override `Object.equals(Object)`, it is mandatory that the general contract of the `Object.hashCode()` method is maintained.

NOTE: From 4.0, method parameters will take `Iterable` objects when possible.

Since:
  1.0

- ## Field Summary

  Fields
  Modifier and Type
  Field
  Description
  `static final String`
  `COLON`
  A String for Colon (":").
  `static final String`
  `COMMA`
  A String for Comma (",").
  `static final String`
  `DEFAULT_TOSTRING_PREFIX`
  Default prefix used while converting an Iterator to its String representation.
  `static final String`
  `DEFAULT_TOSTRING_SUFFIX`
  Default suffix used while converting an Iterator to its String representation.
  `static final Collection`
  `EMPTY_COLLECTION`
  An empty unmodifiable collection.
  `static final int`
  `INDEX_NOT_FOUND`
  The index value when an element is not found in a collection or array: `-1`.

- ## Method Summary

  Modifier and Type
  Method
  Description
  `static <C> boolean`
  `addAll(Collection<C> collection, C... elements)`
  Adds all elements in the array to the given collection.
  `static <C> boolean`
  `addAll(Collection<C> collection, Iterable<? extends C> iterable)`
  Adds all elements in the `Iterable` to the given collection.
  `static <C> boolean`
  `addAll(Collection<C> collection, Enumeration<? extends C> enumeration)`
  Adds all elements in the enumeration to the given collection.
  `static <C> boolean`
  `addAll(Collection<C> collection, Iterator<? extends C> iterator)`
  Adds all elements in the iteration to the given collection.
  `static <T> boolean`
  `addIgnoreNull(Collection<T> collection, T object)`
  Adds an element to the collection unless the element is null.
  `static <O> int`
  `cardinality(O obj, Iterable<? super O> collection)`
  Deprecated.
  since 4.1, use `IterableUtils.frequency(Iterable, Object)` instead.
  `static <O extends Comparable<? super O>>
  List<O>`
  `collate(Iterable<? extends O> a, Iterable<? extends O> b)`
  Merges two sorted Collections, a and b, into a single, sorted List such that the natural ordering of the elements is retained.
  `static <O extends Comparable<? super O>>
  List<O>`
  `collate(Iterable<? extends O> a, Iterable<? extends O> b, boolean includeDuplicates)`
  Merges two sorted Collections, a and b, into a single, sorted List such that the natural ordering of the elements is retained.
  `static <O> List<O>`
  `collate(Iterable<? extends O> a, Iterable<? extends O> b, Comparator<? super O> c)`
  Merges two sorted Collections, a and b, into a single, sorted List such that the ordering of the elements according to Comparator c is retained.
  `static <O> List<O>`
  `collate(Iterable<? extends O> iterableA, Iterable<? extends O> iterableB, Comparator<? super O> comparator, boolean includeDuplicates)`
  Merges two sorted Collections, a and b, into a single, sorted List such that the ordering of the elements according to Comparator c is retained.
  `static <I, O, R extends Collection<? super O>>
  R`
  `collect(Iterable<? extends I> inputCollection, Transformer<? super I,? extends O> transformer, R outputCollection)`
  Transforms all elements from input collection with the given transformer and adds them to the output collection.
  `static <I, O> Collection<O>`
  `collect(Iterable<I> inputCollection, Transformer<? super I,? extends O> transformer)`
  Returns a new Collection containing all elements of the input collection transformed by the given transformer.
  `static <I, O, R extends Collection<? super O>>
  R`
  `collect(Iterator<? extends I> inputIterator, Transformer<? super I,? extends O> transformer, R outputCollection)`
  Transforms all elements from the input iterator with the given transformer and adds them to the output collection.
  `static <I, O> Collection<O>`
  `collect(Iterator<I> inputIterator, Transformer<? super I,? extends O> transformer)`
  Transforms all elements from the input iterator with the given transformer and adds them to the output collection.
  `static boolean`
  `containsAll(Collection<?> coll1, Collection<?> coll2)`
  Returns `true` iff all elements of `coll2` are also contained in `coll1`.
  `static boolean`
  `containsAny(Collection<?> coll1, Collection<?> coll2)`
  Returns `true` iff at least one element is in both collections.
  `static <T> boolean`
  `containsAny(Collection<?> coll1, T... coll2)`
  Returns `true` iff at least one element is in both collections.
  `static <C> int`
  `countMatches(Iterable<C> input, Predicate<? super C> predicate)`
  Deprecated.
  since 4.1, use `IterableUtils.countMatches(Iterable, Predicate)` instead
  `static <O> Collection<O>`
  `disjunction(Iterable<? extends O> a, Iterable<? extends O> b)`
  Returns a `Collection` containing the exclusive disjunction (symmetric difference) of the given `Iterable`s.
  `static <T> Collection<T>`
  `emptyCollection()`
  Returns the immutable EMPTY_COLLECTION with generic type safety.
  `static <T> Collection<T>`
  `emptyIfNull(Collection<T> collection)`
  Returns an immutable empty collection if the argument is `null`, or the argument itself otherwise.
  `static <C> boolean`
  `exists(Iterable<C> input, Predicate<? super C> predicate)`
  Deprecated.
  since 4.1, use `IterableUtils.matchesAny(Iterable, Predicate)` instead
  `static <E> E`
  `extractSingleton(Collection<E> collection)`
  Extract the lone element of the specified Collection.
  `static <T> boolean`
  `filter(Iterable<T> collection, Predicate<? super T> predicate)`
  Filter the collection by applying a Predicate to each element.
  `static <T> boolean`
  `filterInverse(Iterable<T> collection, Predicate<? super T> predicate)`
  Filter the collection by applying a Predicate to each element.
  `static <T> T`
  `find(Iterable<T> collection, Predicate<? super T> predicate)`
  Deprecated.
  since 4.1, use `IterableUtils.find(Iterable, Predicate)` instead
  `static <T, C extends Closure<? super T>>
  T`
  `forAllButLastDo(Iterable<T> collection, C closure)`
  Deprecated.
  since 4.1, use `IterableUtils.forEachButLast(Iterable, Closure)` instead
  `static <T, C extends Closure<? super T>>
  T`
  `forAllButLastDo(Iterator<T> iterator, C closure)`
  Deprecated.
  since 4.1, use `IteratorUtils.forEachButLast(Iterator, Closure)` instead
  `static <T, C extends Closure<? super T>>
  C`
  `forAllDo(Iterable<T> collection, C closure)`
  Deprecated.
  since 4.1, use `IterableUtils.forEach(Iterable, Closure)` instead
  `static <T, C extends Closure<? super T>>
  C`
  `forAllDo(Iterator<T> iterator, C closure)`
  Deprecated.
  since 4.1, use `IteratorUtils.forEach(Iterator, Closure)` instead
  `static <T> T`
  `get(Iterable<T> iterable, int index)`
  Deprecated.
  since 4.1, use `IterableUtils.get(Iterable, int)` instead
  `static Object`
  `get(Object object, int index)`
  Returns the `index`-th value in `object`, throwing `IndexOutOfBoundsException` if there is no such element or `IllegalArgumentException` if `object` is not an instance of one of the supported types.
  `static <T> T`
  `get(Iterator<T> iterator, int index)`
  Deprecated.
  since 4.1, use `IteratorUtils.get(Iterator, int)` instead
  `static <K, V> Map.Entry<K,V>`
  `get(Map<K,V> map, int index)`
  Returns the `index`-th `Map.Entry` in the `map`'s `entrySet`, throwing `IndexOutOfBoundsException` if there is no such element.
  `static <O> Map<O,Integer>`
  `getCardinalityMap(Iterable<? extends O> coll)`
  Returns a `Map` mapping each unique element in the given `Collection` to an `Integer` representing the number of occurrences of that element in the `Collection`.
  `static <E> int`
  `hashCode(Collection<? extends E> collection, Equator<? super E> equator)`
  Returns the hash code of the input collection using the hash method of an equator.
  `static <O> Collection<O>`
  `intersection(Iterable<? extends O> a, Iterable<? extends O> b)`
  Returns a `Collection` containing the intersection of the given `Iterable`s.
  `static boolean`
  `isEmpty(Collection<?> coll)`
  Null-safe check if the specified collection is empty.
  `static boolean`
  `isEqualCollection(Collection<?> a, Collection<?> b)`
  Returns `true` iff the given `Collection`s contain exactly the same elements with exactly the same cardinalities.
  `static <E> boolean`
  `isEqualCollection(Collection<? extends E> a, Collection<? extends E> b, Equator<? super E> equator)`
  Returns `true` iff the given `Collection`s contain exactly the same elements with exactly the same cardinalities.
  `static boolean`
  `isFull(Collection<? extends Object> collection)`
  Returns true if no more elements can be added to the Collection.
  `static boolean`
  `isNotEmpty(Collection<?> coll)`
  Null-safe check if the specified collection is not empty.
  `static boolean`
  `isProperSubCollection(Collection<?> a, Collection<?> b)`
  Returns `true` iff a is a proper sub-collection of b, that is, iff the cardinality of e in a is less than or equal to the cardinality of e in b, for each element e in a, and there is at least one element f such that the cardinality of f in b is strictly greater than the cardinality of f in a.
  `static boolean`
  `isSubCollection(Collection<?> a, Collection<?> b)`
  Returns `true` iff a is a sub-collection of b, that is, iff the cardinality of e in a is less than or equal to the cardinality of e in b, for each element e in a.
  `static <C> boolean`
  `matchesAll(Iterable<C> input, Predicate<? super C> predicate)`
  Deprecated.
  since 4.1, use `IterableUtils.matchesAll(Iterable, Predicate)` instead
  `static int`
  `maxSize(Collection<? extends Object> collection)`
  Gets the maximum number of elements that the Collection can contain.
  `static <E> Collection<List<E>>`
  `permutations(Collection<E> collection)`
  Returns a `Collection` of all the permutations of the input collection.
  `static <C> Collection<C>`
  `predicatedCollection(Collection<C> collection, Predicate<? super C> predicate)`
  Returns a predicated (validating) collection backed by the given collection.
  `static <E> Collection<E>`
  `removeAll(Iterable<E> collection, Iterable<? extends E> remove, Equator<? super E> equator)`
  Removes all elements in `remove` from `collection`.
  `static <E> Collection<E>`
  `removeAll(Collection<E> collection, Collection<?> remove)`
  Removes the elements in `remove` from `collection`.
  `static <E> Collection<E>`
  `removeCount(Collection<E> input, int startIndex, int count)`
  Removes the specified number of elements from the start index in the collection and returns them.
  `static <E> Collection<E>`
  `removeRange(Collection<E> input, int startIndex, int endIndex)`
  Removes elements whose index are between startIndex, inclusive and endIndex, exclusive in the collection and returns them.
  `static <E> Collection<E>`
  `retainAll(Iterable<E> collection, Iterable<? extends E> retain, Equator<? super E> equator)`
  Returns a collection containing all the elements in `collection` that are also in `retain`.
  `static <C> Collection<C>`
  `retainAll(Collection<C> collection, Collection<?> retain)`
  Returns a collection containing all the elements in `collection` that are also in `retain`.
  `static void`
  `reverseArray(Object[] array)`
  Reverses the order of the given array.
  `static <O> Collection<O>`
  `select(Iterable<? extends O> inputCollection, Predicate<? super O> predicate)`
  Selects all elements from input collection which match the given predicate into an output collection.
  `static <O, R extends Collection<? super O>>
  R`
  `select(Iterable<? extends O> inputCollection, Predicate<? super O> predicate, R outputCollection)`
  Selects all elements from input collection which match the given predicate and adds them to outputCollection.
  `static <O, R extends Collection<? super O>>
  R`
  `select(Iterable<? extends O> inputCollection, Predicate<? super O> predicate, R outputCollection, R rejectedCollection)`
  Selects all elements from inputCollection into an output and rejected collection, based on the evaluation of the given predicate.
  `static <O> Collection<O>`
  `selectRejected(Iterable<? extends O> inputCollection, Predicate<? super O> predicate)`
  Selects all elements from inputCollection which don't match the given predicate into an output collection.
  `static <O, R extends Collection<? super O>>
  R`
  `selectRejected(Iterable<? extends O> inputCollection, Predicate<? super O> predicate, R outputCollection)`
  Selects all elements from inputCollection which don't match the given predicate and adds them to outputCollection.
  `static int`
  `size(Object object)`
  Gets the size of the collection/iterator specified.
  `static boolean`
  `sizeIsEmpty(Object object)`
  Checks if the specified collection/array/iterator is empty.
  `static <O> Collection<O>`
  `subtract(Iterable<? extends O> a, Iterable<? extends O> b)`
  Returns a new `Collection` containing `<i>a</i> - <i>b</i>`.
  `static <O> Collection<O>`
  `subtract(Iterable<? extends O> a, Iterable<? extends O> b, Predicate<O> p)`
  Returns a new `Collection` containing a minus a subset of b.
  `static <C> Collection<C>`
  `synchronizedCollection(Collection<C> collection)`
  Deprecated.
  since 4.1, use `Collections.synchronizedCollection(Collection)` instead
  `static <C> void`
  `transform(Collection<C> collection, Transformer<? super C,? extends C> transformer)`
  Transform the collection by applying a Transformer to each element.
  `static <E> Collection<E>`
  `transformingCollection(Collection<E> collection, Transformer<? super E,? extends E> transformer)`
  Returns a transformed bag backed by the given collection.
  `static <O> Collection<O>`
  `union(Iterable<? extends O> a, Iterable<? extends O> b)`
  Returns a `Collection` containing the union of the given `Iterable`s.
  `static <C> Collection<C>`
  `unmodifiableCollection(Collection<? extends C> collection)`
  Deprecated.
  since 4.1, use `Collections.unmodifiableCollection(Collection)` instead

  ### Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

  `clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait`

- ## Field Details

  - ### INDEX_NOT_FOUND

    public static final int INDEX_NOT_FOUND
    The index value when an element is not found in a collection or array: `-1`.
    Since:
      4.5
    See Also:
      - Constant Field Values

  - ### DEFAULT_TOSTRING_PREFIX

    public static final String DEFAULT_TOSTRING_PREFIX
    Default prefix used while converting an Iterator to its String representation.
    Since:
      4.5
    See Also:
      - Constant Field Values

  - ### DEFAULT_TOSTRING_SUFFIX

    public static final String DEFAULT_TOSTRING_SUFFIX
    Default suffix used while converting an Iterator to its String representation.
    Since:
      4.5
    See Also:
      - Constant Field Values

  - ### COLON

    public static final String COLON
    A String for Colon (":").
    Since:
      4.5
    See Also:
      - Constant Field Values

  - ### COMMA

    public static final String COMMA
    A String for Comma (",").
    Since:
      4.5
    See Also:
      - Constant Field Values

  - ### EMPTY_COLLECTION

    public static final Collection EMPTY_COLLECTION
    An empty unmodifiable collection. The JDK provides empty Set and List implementations which could be used for this purpose. However they could be cast to Set or List which might be undesirable. This implementation only implements Collection.

- ## Method Details

  - ### addAll

    public static <C> boolean addAll(Collection<C> collection, C... elements)
    Adds all elements in the array to the given collection.
    Type Parameters:
      `C` - the type of object the `Collection` contains
    Parameters:
      `collection` - the collection to add to, must not be null
      `elements` - the array of elements to add, must not be null
    Returns:
      `true` if the collection was changed, `false` otherwise
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if the collection or elements is null

  - ### addAll

    public static <C> boolean addAll(Collection<C> collection, Enumeration<? extends C> enumeration)
    Adds all elements in the enumeration to the given collection.
    Type Parameters:
      `C` - the type of object the `Collection` contains
    Parameters:
      `collection` - the collection to add to, must not be null
      `enumeration` - the enumeration of elements to add, must not be null
    Returns:
      `true` if the collections was changed, `false` otherwise
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if the collection or enumeration is null

  - ### addAll

    public static <C> boolean addAll(Collection<C> collection, Iterable<? extends C> iterable)
    Adds all elements in the `Iterable` to the given collection. If the `Iterable` is a `Collection` then it is cast and will be added using `Collection.addAll(Collection)` instead of iterating.
    Type Parameters:
      `C` - the type of object the `Collection` contains
    Parameters:
      `collection` - the collection to add to, must not be null
      `iterable` - the iterable of elements to add, must not be null
    Returns:
      a boolean indicating whether the collection has changed or not.
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if the collection or iterable is null

  - ### addAll

    public static <C> boolean addAll(Collection<C> collection, Iterator<? extends C> iterator)
    Adds all elements in the iteration to the given collection.
    Type Parameters:
      `C` - the type of object the `Collection` contains
    Parameters:
      `collection` - the collection to add to, must not be null
      `iterator` - the iterator of elements to add, must not be null
    Returns:
      a boolean indicating whether the collection has changed or not.
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if the collection or iterator is null

  - ### addIgnoreNull

    public static <T> boolean addIgnoreNull(Collection<T> collection, T object)
    Adds an element to the collection unless the element is null.
    Type Parameters:
      `T` - the type of object the `Collection` contains
    Parameters:
      `collection` - the collection to add to, must not be null
      `object` - the object to add, if null it will not be added
    Returns:
      true if the collection changed
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if the collection is null
    Since:
      3.2

  - ### cardinality

    @Deprecated public static <O> int cardinality(O obj, Iterable<? super O> collection)
    Deprecated.
    since 4.1, use `IterableUtils.frequency(Iterable, Object)` instead. Be aware that the order of parameters has changed.
    Returns the number of occurrences of obj in coll.
    Type Parameters:
      `O` - the type of object that the `Iterable` may contain.
    Parameters:
      `obj` - the object to find the cardinality of
      `collection` - the `Iterable` to search
    Returns:
      the number of occurrences of obj in coll
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if collection is null

  - ### collate

    public static <O extends Comparable<? super O>> List<O> collate(Iterable<? extends O> a, Iterable<? extends O> b)
    Merges two sorted Collections, a and b, into a single, sorted List such that the natural ordering of the elements is retained.

    Uses the standard O(n) merge algorithm for combining two sorted lists.

    Type Parameters:
      `O` - the element type
    Parameters:
      `a` - the first collection, must not be null
      `b` - the second collection, must not be null
    Returns:
      a new sorted List, containing the elements of Collection a and b
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if either collection is null
    Since:
      4.0

  - ### collate

    public static <O extends Comparable<? super O>> List<O> collate(Iterable<? extends O> a, Iterable<? extends O> b, boolean includeDuplicates)
    Merges two sorted Collections, a and b, into a single, sorted List such that the natural ordering of the elements is retained.

    Uses the standard O(n) merge algorithm for combining two sorted lists.

    Type Parameters:
      `O` - the element type
    Parameters:
      `a` - the first collection, must not be null
      `b` - the second collection, must not be null
      `includeDuplicates` - if `true` duplicate elements will be retained, otherwise they will be removed in the output collection
    Returns:
      a new sorted List, containing the elements of Collection a and b
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if either collection is null
    Since:
      4.0

  - ### collate

    public static <O> List<O> collate(Iterable<? extends O> a, Iterable<? extends O> b, Comparator<? super O> c)
    Merges two sorted Collections, a and b, into a single, sorted List such that the ordering of the elements according to Comparator c is retained.

    Uses the standard O(n) merge algorithm for combining two sorted lists.

    Type Parameters:
      `O` - the element type
    Parameters:
      `a` - the first collection, must not be null
      `b` - the second collection, must not be null
      `c` - the comparator to use for the merge.
    Returns:
      a new sorted List, containing the elements of Collection a and b
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if either collection or the comparator is null
    Since:
      4.0

  - ### collate

    public static <O> List<O> collate(Iterable<? extends O> iterableA, Iterable<? extends O> iterableB, Comparator<? super O> comparator, boolean includeDuplicates)
    Merges two sorted Collections, a and b, into a single, sorted List such that the ordering of the elements according to Comparator c is retained.

    Uses the standard O(n) merge algorithm for combining two sorted lists.

    Type Parameters:
      `O` - the element type
    Parameters:
      `iterableA` - the first collection, must not be null
      `iterableB` - the second collection, must not be null
      `comparator` - the comparator to use for the merge.
      `includeDuplicates` - if `true` duplicate elements will be retained, otherwise they will be removed in the output collection
    Returns:
      a new sorted List, containing the elements of Collection a and b
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if either collection or the comparator is null
    Since:
      4.0

  - ### collect

    public static <I, O, R extends Collection<? super O>> R collect(Iterable<? extends I> inputCollection, Transformer<? super I,? extends O> transformer, R outputCollection)
    Transforms all elements from input collection with the given transformer and adds them to the output collection.

    If the input collection or transformer is null, there is no change to the output collection.

    Type Parameters:
      `I` - the type of object in the input collection
      `O` - the type of object in the output collection
      `R` - the type of the output collection
    Parameters:
      `inputCollection` - the collection to get the input from, may be null
      `transformer` - the transformer to use, may be null
      `outputCollection` - the collection to output into, may not be null if inputCollection and transformer are not null
    Returns:
      the output collection with the transformed input added
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if the outputCollection is null and both, inputCollection and transformer are not null

  - ### collect

    public static <I, O> Collection<O> collect(Iterable<I> inputCollection, Transformer<? super I,? extends O> transformer)
    Returns a new Collection containing all elements of the input collection transformed by the given transformer.

    If the input collection or transformer is null, the result is an empty list.

    Type Parameters:
      `I` - the type of object in the input collection
      `O` - the type of object in the output collection
    Parameters:
      `inputCollection` - the collection to get the input from, may not be null
      `transformer` - the transformer to use, may be null
    Returns:
      the transformed result (new list)
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if the outputCollection is null and both, inputCollection and transformer are not null

  - ### collect

    public static <I, O, R extends Collection<? super O>> R collect(Iterator<? extends I> inputIterator, Transformer<? super I,? extends O> transformer, R outputCollection)
    Transforms all elements from the input iterator with the given transformer and adds them to the output collection.

    If the input iterator or transformer is null, there is no change to the output collection.

    Type Parameters:
      `I` - the type of object in the input collection
      `O` - the type of object in the output collection
      `R` - the type of the output collection
    Parameters:
      `inputIterator` - the iterator to get the input from, may be null
      `transformer` - the transformer to use, may be null
      `outputCollection` - the collection to output into, may not be null if inputIterator and transformer are not null
    Returns:
      the outputCollection with the transformed input added
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if the output collection is null and both, inputIterator and transformer are not null

  - ### collect

    public static <I, O> Collection<O> collect(Iterator<I> inputIterator, Transformer<? super I,? extends O> transformer)
    Transforms all elements from the input iterator with the given transformer and adds them to the output collection.

    If the input iterator or transformer is null, the result is an empty list.

    Type Parameters:
      `I` - the type of object in the input collection
      `O` - the type of object in the output collection
    Parameters:
      `inputIterator` - the iterator to get the input from, may be null
      `transformer` - the transformer to use, may be null
    Returns:
      the transformed result (new list)

  - ### containsAll

    public static boolean containsAll(Collection<?> coll1, Collection<?> coll2)
    Returns `true` iff all elements of `coll2` are also contained in `coll1`. The cardinality of values in `coll2` is not taken into account, which is the same behavior as `Collection.containsAll(Collection)`.

    In other words, this method returns `true` iff the `intersection(java.lang.Iterable<? extends O>, java.lang.Iterable<? extends O>)` of coll1 and coll2 has the same cardinality as the set of unique values from `coll2`. In case `coll2` is empty, `true` will be returned.

    This method is intended as a replacement for `Collection.containsAll(Collection)` with a guaranteed runtime complexity of `O(n + m)`. Depending on the type of `Collection` provided, this method will be much faster than calling `Collection.containsAll(Collection)` instead, though this will come at the cost of an additional space complexity O(n).

    Parameters:
      `coll1` - the first collection, must not be null
      `coll2` - the second collection, must not be null
    Returns:
      `true` iff the intersection of the collections has the same cardinality as the set of unique elements from the second collection
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if coll1 or coll2 is null
    Since:
      4.0

  - ### containsAny

    public static boolean containsAny(Collection<?> coll1, Collection<?> coll2)
    Returns `true` iff at least one element is in both collections.

    In other words, this method returns `true` iff the `intersection(java.lang.Iterable<? extends O>, java.lang.Iterable<? extends O>)` of coll1 and coll2 is not empty.

    Parameters:
      `coll1` - the first collection, must not be null
      `coll2` - the second collection, must not be null
    Returns:
      `true` iff the intersection of the collections is non-empty
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if coll1 or coll2 is null
    Since:
      2.1
    See Also:
      - `intersection(java.lang.Iterable<? extends O>, java.lang.Iterable<? extends O>)`

  - ### containsAny

    public static <T> boolean containsAny(Collection<?> coll1, T... coll2)
    Returns `true` iff at least one element is in both collections.

    In other words, this method returns `true` iff the `intersection(java.lang.Iterable<? extends O>, java.lang.Iterable<? extends O>)` of coll1 and coll2 is not empty.

    Type Parameters:
      `T` - the type of object to lookup in `coll1`.
    Parameters:
      `coll1` - the first collection, must not be null
      `coll2` - the second collection, must not be null
    Returns:
      `true` iff the intersection of the collections is non-empty
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if coll1 or coll2 is null
    Since:
      4.2
    See Also:
      - `intersection(java.lang.Iterable<? extends O>, java.lang.Iterable<? extends O>)`

  - ### countMatches

    @Deprecated public static <C> int countMatches(Iterable<C> input, Predicate<? super C> predicate)
    Deprecated.
    since 4.1, use `IterableUtils.countMatches(Iterable, Predicate)` instead
    Counts the number of elements in the input collection that match the predicate.

    A `null` collection or predicate matches no elements.

    Type Parameters:
      `C` - the type of object the `Iterable` contains
    Parameters:
      `input` - the `Iterable` to get the input from, may be null
      `predicate` - the predicate to use, may be null
    Returns:
      the number of matches for the predicate in the collection

  - ### disjunction

    public static <O> Collection<O> disjunction(Iterable<? extends O> a, Iterable<? extends O> b)
    Returns a `Collection` containing the exclusive disjunction (symmetric difference) of the given `Iterable`s.

    The cardinality of each element e in the returned `Collection` will be equal to `max(cardinality(e,a),cardinality(e,b)) - min(cardinality(e,a), cardinality(e,b))`.

    This is equivalent to `{@link #subtract subtract}({@link #union union(a,b)},{@link #intersection intersection(a,b)})` or `{@link #union union}({@link #subtract subtract(a,b)},{@link #subtract subtract(b,a)})`.

    Type Parameters:
      `O` - the generic type that is able to represent the types contained in both input collections.
    Parameters:
      `a` - the first collection, must not be null
      `b` - the second collection, must not be null
    Returns:
      the symmetric difference of the two collections
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if either collection is null

  - ### emptyCollection

    public static <T> Collection<T> emptyCollection()
    Returns the immutable EMPTY_COLLECTION with generic type safety.
    Type Parameters:
      `T` - the element type
    Returns:
      immutable empty collection
    Since:
      4.0
    See Also:
      - `EMPTY_COLLECTION`

  - ### emptyIfNull

    public static <T> Collection<T> emptyIfNull(Collection<T> collection)
    Returns an immutable empty collection if the argument is `null`, or the argument itself otherwise.
    Type Parameters:
      `T` - the element type
    Parameters:
      `collection` - the collection, possibly `null`
    Returns:
      an empty collection if the argument is `null`

  - ### exists

    @Deprecated public static <C> boolean exists(Iterable<C> input, Predicate<? super C> predicate)
    Deprecated.
    since 4.1, use `IterableUtils.matchesAny(Iterable, Predicate)` instead
    Answers true if a predicate is true for at least one element of a collection.

    A `null` collection or predicate returns false.

    Type Parameters:
      `C` - the type of object the `Iterable` contains
    Parameters:
      `input` - the `Iterable` to get the input from, may be null
      `predicate` - the predicate to use, may be null
    Returns:
      true if at least one element of the collection matches the predicate

  - ### extractSingleton

    public static <E> E extractSingleton(Collection<E> collection)
    Extract the lone element of the specified Collection.
    Type Parameters:
      `E` - collection type
    Parameters:
      `collection` - to read
    Returns:
      sole member of collection
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if collection is null
      `IllegalArgumentException` - if collection is empty or contains more than one element
    Since:
      4.0

  - ### filter

    public static <T> boolean filter(Iterable<T> collection, Predicate<? super T> predicate)
    Filter the collection by applying a Predicate to each element. If the predicate returns false, remove the element.

    If the input collection or predicate is null, there is no change made.

    Type Parameters:
      `T` - the type of object the `Iterable` contains
    Parameters:
      `collection` - the collection to get the input from, may be null
      `predicate` - the predicate to use as a filter, may be null
    Returns:
      true if the collection is modified by this call, false otherwise.

  - ### filterInverse

    public static <T> boolean filterInverse(Iterable<T> collection, Predicate<? super T> predicate)
    Filter the collection by applying a Predicate to each element. If the predicate returns true, remove the element.

    This is equivalent to `filter(collection, PredicateUtils.notPredicate(predicate))` if predicate is != null.

    If the input collection or predicate is null, there is no change made.

    Type Parameters:
      `T` - the type of object the `Iterable` contains
    Parameters:
      `collection` - the collection to get the input from, may be null
      `predicate` - the predicate to use as a filter, may be null
    Returns:
      true if the collection is modified by this call, false otherwise.

  - ### find

    @Deprecated public static <T> T find(Iterable<T> collection, Predicate<? super T> predicate)
    Deprecated.
    since 4.1, use `IterableUtils.find(Iterable, Predicate)` instead
    Finds the first element in the given collection which matches the given predicate.

    If the input collection or predicate is null, or no element of the collection matches the predicate, null is returned.

    Type Parameters:
      `T` - the type of object the `Iterable` contains
    Parameters:
      `collection` - the collection to search, may be null
      `predicate` - the predicate to use, may be null
    Returns:
      the first element of the collection which matches the predicate or null if none could be found

  - ### forAllButLastDo

    @Deprecated public static <T, C extends Closure<? super T>> T forAllButLastDo(Iterable<T> collection, C closure)
    Deprecated.
    since 4.1, use `IterableUtils.forEachButLast(Iterable, Closure)` instead
    Executes the given closure on each but the last element in the collection.

    If the input collection or closure is null, there is no change made.

    Type Parameters:
      `T` - the type of object the `Iterable` contains
      `C` - the closure type
    Parameters:
      `collection` - the collection to get the input from, may be null
      `closure` - the closure to perform, may be null
    Returns:
      the last element in the collection, or null if either collection or closure is null
    Since:
      4.0

  - ### forAllButLastDo

    @Deprecated public static <T, C extends Closure<? super T>> T forAllButLastDo(Iterator<T> iterator, C closure)
    Deprecated.
    since 4.1, use `IteratorUtils.forEachButLast(Iterator, Closure)` instead
    Executes the given closure on each but the last element in the collection.

    If the input collection or closure is null, there is no change made.

    Type Parameters:
      `T` - the type of object the `Collection` contains
      `C` - the closure type
    Parameters:
      `iterator` - the iterator to get the input from, may be null
      `closure` - the closure to perform, may be null
    Returns:
      the last element in the collection, or null if either iterator or closure is null
    Since:
      4.0

  - ### forAllDo

    @Deprecated public static <T, C extends Closure<? super T>> C forAllDo(Iterable<T> collection, C closure)
    Deprecated.
    since 4.1, use `IterableUtils.forEach(Iterable, Closure)` instead
    Executes the given closure on each element in the collection.

    If the input collection or closure is null, there is no change made.

    Type Parameters:
      `T` - the type of object the `Iterable` contains
      `C` - the closure type
    Parameters:
      `collection` - the collection to get the input from, may be null
      `closure` - the closure to perform, may be null
    Returns:
      closure

  - ### forAllDo

    @Deprecated public static <T, C extends Closure<? super T>> C forAllDo(Iterator<T> iterator, C closure)
    Deprecated.
    since 4.1, use `IteratorUtils.forEach(Iterator, Closure)` instead
    Executes the given closure on each element in the collection.

    If the input collection or closure is null, there is no change made.

    Type Parameters:
      `T` - the type of object the `Iterator` contains
      `C` - the closure type
    Parameters:
      `iterator` - the iterator to get the input from, may be null
      `closure` - the closure to perform, may be null
    Returns:
      closure
    Since:
      4.0

  - ### get

    @Deprecated public static <T> T get(Iterable<T> iterable, int index)
    Deprecated.
    since 4.1, use `IterableUtils.get(Iterable, int)` instead
    Returns the `index`-th value in the `iterable`'s `Iterator`, throwing `IndexOutOfBoundsException` if there is no such element.

    If the `Iterable` is a `List`, then it will use `List.get(int)`.

    Type Parameters:
      `T` - the type of object in the `Iterable`.
    Parameters:
      `iterable` - the `Iterable` to get a value from
      `index` - the index to get
    Returns:
      the object at the specified index
    Throws:
      `IndexOutOfBoundsException` - if the index is invalid

  - ### get

    @Deprecated public static <T> T get(Iterator<T> iterator, int index)
    Deprecated.
    since 4.1, use `IteratorUtils.get(Iterator, int)` instead
    Returns the `index`-th value in `Iterator`, throwing `IndexOutOfBoundsException` if there is no such element.

    The Iterator is advanced to `index` (or to the end, if `index` exceeds the number of entries) as a side effect of this method.

    Type Parameters:
      `T` - the type of object in the `Iterator`
    Parameters:
      `iterator` - the iterator to get a value from
      `index` - the index to get
    Returns:
      the object at the specified index
    Throws:
      `IndexOutOfBoundsException` - if the index is invalid
      `IllegalArgumentException` - if the object type is invalid
      `NullPointerException` - if iterator is null

  - ### get

    public static <K, V> Map.Entry<K,V> get(Map<K,V> map, int index)
    Returns the `index`-th `Map.Entry` in the `map`'s `entrySet`, throwing `IndexOutOfBoundsException` if there is no such element.
    Type Parameters:
      `K` - the key type in the `Map`
      `V` - the value type in the `Map`
    Parameters:
      `map` - the object to get a value from
      `index` - the index to get
    Returns:
      the object at the specified index
    Throws:
      `IndexOutOfBoundsException` - if the index is invalid

  - ### get

    public static Object get(Object object, int index)
    Returns the `index`-th value in `object`, throwing `IndexOutOfBoundsException` if there is no such element or `IllegalArgumentException` if `object` is not an instance of one of the supported types.

    The supported types, and associated semantics are:

    - Map -- the value returned is the `Map.Entry` in position `index` in the map's `entrySet` iterator, if there is such an entry.
    - List -- this method is equivalent to the list's get method.
    - Array -- the `index`-th array entry is returned, if there is such an entry; otherwise an `IndexOutOfBoundsException` is thrown.
    - Collection -- the value returned is the `index`-th object returned by the collection's default iterator, if there is such an element.
    - Iterator or Enumeration -- the value returned is the `index`-th object in the Iterator/Enumeration, if there is such an element. The Iterator/Enumeration is advanced to `index` (or to the end, if `index` exceeds the number of entries) as a side effect of this method.
    Parameters:
      `object` - the object to get a value from
      `index` - the index to get
    Returns:
      the object at the specified index
    Throws:
      `IndexOutOfBoundsException` - if the index is invalid
      `IllegalArgumentException` - if the object type is invalid

  - ### getCardinalityMap

    public static <O> Map<O,Integer> getCardinalityMap(Iterable<? extends O> coll)
    Returns a `Map` mapping each unique element in the given `Collection` to an `Integer` representing the number of occurrences of that element in the `Collection`.

    Only those elements present in the collection will appear as keys in the map.

    Type Parameters:
      `O` - the type of object in the returned `Map`. This is a super type of <I>.
    Parameters:
      `coll` - the collection to get the cardinality map for, must not be null
    Returns:
      the populated cardinality map
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if coll is null

  - ### hashCode

    public static <E> int hashCode(Collection<? extends E> collection, Equator<? super E> equator)
    Returns the hash code of the input collection using the hash method of an equator.

    Returns 0 if the input collection is `null`.

    Type Parameters:
      `E` - the element type
    Parameters:
      `collection` - the input collection
      `equator` - the equator used for generate hashCode
    Returns:
      the hash code of the input collection using the hash method of an equator
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if the equator is `null`
    Since:
      4.5

  - ### intersection

    public static <O> Collection<O> intersection(Iterable<? extends O> a, Iterable<? extends O> b)
    Returns a `Collection` containing the intersection of the given `Iterable`s.

    The cardinality of each element in the returned `Collection` will be equal to the minimum of the cardinality of that element in the two given `Iterable`s.

    Type Parameters:
      `O` - the generic type that is able to represent the types contained in both input collections.
    Parameters:
      `a` - the first collection, must not be null
      `b` - the second collection, must not be null
    Returns:
      the intersection of the two collections
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if either collection is null
    See Also:
      - `Collection.retainAll(java.util.Collection<?>)`
      - `containsAny(java.util.Collection<?>, java.util.Collection<?>)`

  - ### isEmpty

    public static boolean isEmpty(Collection<?> coll)
    Null-safe check if the specified collection is empty.

    Null returns true.

    Parameters:
      `coll` - the collection to check, may be null
    Returns:
      true if empty or null
    Since:
      3.2

  - ### isEqualCollection

    public static boolean isEqualCollection(Collection<?> a, Collection<?> b)
    Returns `true` iff the given `Collection`s contain exactly the same elements with exactly the same cardinalities.

    That is, iff the cardinality of e in a is equal to the cardinality of e in b, for each element e in a or b.

    Parameters:
      `a` - the first collection, must not be null
      `b` - the second collection, must not be null
    Returns:
      `true` iff the collections contain the same elements with the same cardinalities.
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if either collection is null

  - ### isEqualCollection

    public static <E> boolean isEqualCollection(Collection<? extends E> a, Collection<? extends E> b, Equator<? super E> equator)
    Returns `true` iff the given `Collection`s contain exactly the same elements with exactly the same cardinalities.

    That is, iff the cardinality of e in a is equal to the cardinality of e in b, for each element e in a or b.

    Note: from version 4.1 onwards this method requires the input collections and equator to be of compatible type (using bounded wildcards). Providing incompatible arguments (e.g. by casting to their rawtypes) will result in a `ClassCastException` thrown at runtime.

    Type Parameters:
      `E` - the element type
    Parameters:
      `a` - the first collection, must not be null
      `b` - the second collection, must not be null
      `equator` - the Equator used for testing equality
    Returns:
      `true` iff the collections contain the same elements with the same cardinalities.
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if either collection or equator is null
    Since:
      4.0

  - ### isFull

    public static boolean isFull(Collection<? extends Object> collection)
    Returns true if no more elements can be added to the Collection.

    This method uses the `BoundedCollection` interface to determine the full status. If the collection does not implement this interface then false is returned.

    The collection does not have to implement this interface directly. If the collection has been decorated using the decorators subpackage then these will be removed to access the BoundedCollection.

    Parameters:
      `collection` - the collection to check
    Returns:
      true if the BoundedCollection is full
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if the collection is null

  - ### isNotEmpty

    public static boolean isNotEmpty(Collection<?> coll)
    Null-safe check if the specified collection is not empty.

    Null returns false.

    Parameters:
      `coll` - the collection to check, may be null
    Returns:
      true if non-null and non-empty
    Since:
      3.2

  - ### isProperSubCollection

    public static boolean isProperSubCollection(Collection<?> a, Collection<?> b)
    Returns `true` iff a is a proper sub-collection of b, that is, iff the cardinality of e in a is less than or equal to the cardinality of e in b, for each element e in a, and there is at least one element f such that the cardinality of f in b is strictly greater than the cardinality of f in a.

    The implementation assumes

    - `a.size()` and `b.size()` represent the total cardinality of a and b, resp.
    - `a.size() &lt; Integer.MAXVALUE`
    Parameters:
      `a` - the first (sub?) collection, must not be null
      `b` - the second (super?) collection, must not be null
    Returns:
      `true` iff a is a proper sub-collection of b
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if either collection is null
    See Also:
      - `isSubCollection(java.util.Collection<?>, java.util.Collection<?>)`
      - `Collection.containsAll(java.util.Collection<?>)`

  - ### isSubCollection

    public static boolean isSubCollection(Collection<?> a, Collection<?> b)
    Returns `true` iff a is a sub-collection of b, that is, iff the cardinality of e in a is less than or equal to the cardinality of e in b, for each element e in a.
    Parameters:
      `a` - the first (sub?) collection, must not be null
      `b` - the second (super?) collection, must not be null
    Returns:
      `true` iff a is a sub-collection of b
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if either collection is null
    See Also:
      - `isProperSubCollection(java.util.Collection<?>, java.util.Collection<?>)`
      - `Collection.containsAll(java.util.Collection<?>)`

  - ### matchesAll

    @Deprecated public static <C> boolean matchesAll(Iterable<C> input, Predicate<? super C> predicate)
    Deprecated.
    since 4.1, use `IterableUtils.matchesAll(Iterable, Predicate)` instead
    Answers true if a predicate is true for every element of a collection.

    A `null` predicate returns false.

    A `null` or empty collection returns true.

    Type Parameters:
      `C` - the type of object the `Iterable` contains
    Parameters:
      `input` - the `Iterable` to get the input from, may be null
      `predicate` - the predicate to use, may be null
    Returns:
      true if every element of the collection matches the predicate or if the collection is empty, false otherwise
    Since:
      4.0

  - ### maxSize

    public static int maxSize(Collection<? extends Object> collection)
    Gets the maximum number of elements that the Collection can contain.

    This method uses the `BoundedCollection` interface to determine the maximum size. If the collection does not implement this interface then -1 is returned.

    The collection does not have to implement this interface directly. If the collection has been decorated using the decorators subpackage then these will be removed to access the BoundedCollection.

    Parameters:
      `collection` - the collection to check
    Returns:
      the maximum size of the BoundedCollection, -1 if no maximum size
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if the collection is null

  - ### permutations

    public static <E> Collection<List<E>> permutations(Collection<E> collection)
    Returns a `Collection` of all the permutations of the input collection.

    NOTE: the number of permutations of a given collection is equal to n!, where n is the size of the collection. Thus, the resulting collection will become very large for collections > 10 (e.g. 10! = 3628800, 15! = 1307674368000).

    For larger collections it is advised to use a `PermutationIterator` to iterate over all permutations.

    Type Parameters:
      `E` - the element type
    Parameters:
      `collection` - the collection to create permutations for, must not be null
    Returns:
      an unordered collection of all permutations of the input collection
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if collection is null
    Since:
      4.0
    See Also:
      - `PermutationIterator`

  - ### predicatedCollection

    public static <C> Collection<C> predicatedCollection(Collection<C> collection, Predicate<? super C> predicate)
    Returns a predicated (validating) collection backed by the given collection.

    Only objects that pass the test in the given predicate can be added to the collection. Trying to add an invalid object results in an IllegalArgumentException. It is important not to use the original collection after invoking this method, as it is a backdoor for adding invalid objects.

    Type Parameters:
      `C` - the type of objects in the Collection.
    Parameters:
      `collection` - the collection to predicate, must not be null
      `predicate` - the predicate for the collection, must not be null
    Returns:
      a predicated collection backed by the given collection
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if the collection or predicate is null

  - ### removeAll

    public static <E> Collection<E> removeAll(Collection<E> collection, Collection<?> remove)
    Removes the elements in `remove` from `collection`. That is, this method returns a collection containing all the elements in `c` that are not in `remove`. The cardinality of an element `e` in the returned collection is the same as the cardinality of `e` in `collection` unless `remove` contains `e`, in which case the cardinality is zero. This method is useful if you do not wish to modify the collection `c` and thus cannot call `collection.removeAll(remove);`.

    This implementation iterates over `collection`, checking each element in turn to see if it's contained in `remove`. If it's not contained, it's added to the returned list. As a consequence, it is advised to use a collection type for `remove` that provides a fast (e.g. O(1)) implementation of `Collection.contains(Object)`.

    Type Parameters:
      `E` - the type of object the `Collection` contains
    Parameters:
      `collection` - the collection from which items are removed (in the returned collection)
      `remove` - the items to be removed from the returned `collection`
    Returns:
      a `Collection` containing all the elements of `collection` except any elements that also occur in `remove`.
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if either parameter is null
    Since:
      4.0 (method existed in 3.2 but was completely broken)

  - ### removeAll

    public static <E> Collection<E> removeAll(Iterable<E> collection, Iterable<? extends E> remove, Equator<? super E> equator)
    Removes all elements in `remove` from `collection`. That is, this method returns a collection containing all the elements in `collection` that are not in `remove`. The cardinality of an element `e` in the returned collection is the same as the cardinality of `e` in `collection` unless `remove` contains `e`, in which case the cardinality is zero. This method is useful if you do not wish to modify the collection `c` and thus cannot call `collection.removeAll(remove)`.

    Moreover this method uses an `Equator` instead of `Object.equals(Object)` to determine the equality of the elements in `collection` and `remove`. Hence this method is useful in cases where the equals behavior of an object needs to be modified without changing the object itself.

    Type Parameters:
      `E` - the type of object the `Collection` contains
    Parameters:
      `collection` - the collection from which items are removed (in the returned collection)
      `remove` - the items to be removed from the returned collection
      `equator` - the Equator used for testing equality
    Returns:
      a `Collection` containing all the elements of `collection` except any element that if equal according to the `equator`
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if any of the parameters is null
    Since:
      4.1

  - ### removeCount

    public static <E> Collection<E> removeCount(Collection<E> input, int startIndex, int count)
    Removes the specified number of elements from the start index in the collection and returns them. This method modifies the input collections.
    Type Parameters:
      `E` - the type of object the `Collection` contains
    Parameters:
      `input` - the collection will be operated, can't be null
      `startIndex` - the start index (inclusive) to remove element, can't be less than 0
      `count` - the specified number to remove, can't be less than 1
    Returns:
      collection of elements that removed from the input collection
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if input is null
    Since:
      4.5

  - ### removeRange

    public static <E> Collection<E> removeRange(Collection<E> input, int startIndex, int endIndex)
    Removes elements whose index are between startIndex, inclusive and endIndex, exclusive in the collection and returns them. This method modifies the input collections.
    Type Parameters:
      `E` - the type of object the `Collection` contains
    Parameters:
      `input` - the collection will be operated, must not be null
      `startIndex` - the start index (inclusive) to remove element, must not be less than 0
      `endIndex` - the end index (exclusive) to remove, must not be less than startIndex
    Returns:
      collection of elements that removed from the input collection
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if input is null
    Since:
      4.5

  - ### retainAll

    public static <C> Collection<C> retainAll(Collection<C> collection, Collection<?> retain)
    Returns a collection containing all the elements in `collection` that are also in `retain`. The cardinality of an element `e` in the returned collection is the same as the cardinality of `e` in `collection` unless `retain` does not contain `e`, in which case the cardinality is zero. This method is useful if you do not wish to modify the collection `c` and thus cannot call `c.retainAll(retain);`.

    This implementation iterates over `collection`, checking each element in turn to see if it's contained in `retain`. If it's contained, it's added to the returned list. As a consequence, it is advised to use a collection type for `retain` that provides a fast (e.g. O(1)) implementation of `Collection.contains(Object)`.

    Type Parameters:
      `C` - the type of object the `Collection` contains
    Parameters:
      `collection` - the collection whose contents are the target of the #retailAll operation
      `retain` - the collection containing the elements to be retained in the returned collection
    Returns:
      a `Collection` containing all the elements of `collection` that occur at least once in `retain`.
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if either parameter is null
    Since:
      3.2

  - ### retainAll

    public static <E> Collection<E> retainAll(Iterable<E> collection, Iterable<? extends E> retain, Equator<? super E> equator)
    Returns a collection containing all the elements in `collection` that are also in `retain`. The cardinality of an element `e` in the returned collection is the same as the cardinality of `e` in `collection` unless `retain` does not contain `e`, in which case the cardinality is zero. This method is useful if you do not wish to modify the collection `c` and thus cannot call `c.retainAll(retain);`.

    Moreover this method uses an `Equator` instead of `Object.equals(Object)` to determine the equality of the elements in `collection` and `retain`. Hence this method is useful in cases where the equals behavior of an object needs to be modified without changing the object itself.

    Type Parameters:
      `E` - the type of object the `Collection` contains
    Parameters:
      `collection` - the collection whose contents are the target of the `retainAll` operation
      `retain` - the collection containing the elements to be retained in the returned collection
      `equator` - the Equator used for testing equality
    Returns:
      a `Collection` containing all the elements of `collection` that occur at least once in `retain` according to the `equator`
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if any of the parameters is null
    Since:
      4.1

  - ### reverseArray

    public static void reverseArray(Object[] array)
    Reverses the order of the given array.
    Parameters:
      `array` - the array to reverse

  - ### select

    public static <O> Collection<O> select(Iterable<? extends O> inputCollection, Predicate<? super O> predicate)
    Selects all elements from input collection which match the given predicate into an output collection.

    A `null` predicate matches no elements.

    Type Parameters:
      `O` - the type of object the `Iterable` contains
    Parameters:
      `inputCollection` - the collection to get the input from, may not be null
      `predicate` - the predicate to use, may be null
    Returns:
      the elements matching the predicate (new list)

  - ### select

    public static <O, R extends Collection<? super O>> R select(Iterable<? extends O> inputCollection, Predicate<? super O> predicate, R outputCollection)
    Selects all elements from input collection which match the given predicate and adds them to outputCollection.

    If the input collection or predicate is null, there is no change to the output collection.

    Type Parameters:
      `O` - the type of object the `Iterable` contains
      `R` - the type of the output `Collection`
    Parameters:
      `inputCollection` - the collection to get the input from, may be null
      `predicate` - the predicate to use, may be null
      `outputCollection` - the collection to output into, may not be null if the inputCollection and predicate or not null
    Returns:
      the outputCollection

  - ### select

    public static <O, R extends Collection<? super O>> R select(Iterable<? extends O> inputCollection, Predicate<? super O> predicate, R outputCollection, R rejectedCollection)
    Selects all elements from inputCollection into an output and rejected collection, based on the evaluation of the given predicate.

    Elements matching the predicate are added to the `outputCollection`, all other elements are added to the `rejectedCollection`.

    If the input predicate is `null`, no elements are added to `outputCollection` or `rejectedCollection`.

    Note: calling the method is equivalent to the following code snippet:

           select(inputCollection, predicate, outputCollection);
           selectRejected(inputCollection, predicate, rejectedCollection);

    Type Parameters:
      `O` - the type of object the `Iterable` contains
      `R` - the type of the output `Collection`
    Parameters:
      `inputCollection` - the collection to get the input from, may be null
      `predicate` - the predicate to use, may be null
      `outputCollection` - the collection to output selected elements into, may not be null if the inputCollection and predicate are not null
      `rejectedCollection` - the collection to output rejected elements into, may not be null if the inputCollection or predicate are not null
    Returns:
      the outputCollection
    Since:
      4.1

  - ### selectRejected

    public static <O> Collection<O> selectRejected(Iterable<? extends O> inputCollection, Predicate<? super O> predicate)
    Selects all elements from inputCollection which don't match the given predicate into an output collection.

    If the input predicate is `null`, the result is an empty list.

    Type Parameters:
      `O` - the type of object the `Iterable` contains
    Parameters:
      `inputCollection` - the collection to get the input from, may not be null
      `predicate` - the predicate to use, may be null
    Returns:
      the elements not matching the predicate (new list)

  - ### selectRejected

    public static <O, R extends Collection<? super O>> R selectRejected(Iterable<? extends O> inputCollection, Predicate<? super O> predicate, R outputCollection)
    Selects all elements from inputCollection which don't match the given predicate and adds them to outputCollection.

    If the input predicate is `null`, no elements are added to `outputCollection`.

    Type Parameters:
      `O` - the type of object the `Iterable` contains
      `R` - the type of the output `Collection`
    Parameters:
      `inputCollection` - the collection to get the input from, may be null
      `predicate` - the predicate to use, may be null
      `outputCollection` - the collection to output into, may not be null if the inputCollection and predicate or not null
    Returns:
      outputCollection

  - ### size

    public static int size(Object object)
    Gets the size of the collection/iterator specified.

    This method can handles objects as follows

    - Collection - the collection size
    - Map - the map size
    - Array - the array size
    - Iterator - the number of elements remaining in the iterator
    - Enumeration - the number of elements remaining in the enumeration
    Parameters:
      `object` - the object to get the size of, may be null
    Returns:
      the size of the specified collection or 0 if the object was null
    Throws:
      `IllegalArgumentException` - thrown if object is not recognized
    Since:
      3.1

  - ### sizeIsEmpty

    public static boolean sizeIsEmpty(Object object)
    Checks if the specified collection/array/iterator is empty.

    This method can handles objects as follows

    - Collection - via collection isEmpty
    - Map - via map isEmpty
    - Array - using array size
    - Iterator - via hasNext
    - Enumeration - via hasMoreElements

    Note: This method is named to avoid clashing with `isEmpty(Collection)`.

    Parameters:
      `object` - the object to get the size of, may be null
    Returns:
      true if empty or null
    Throws:
      `IllegalArgumentException` - thrown if object is not recognized
    Since:
      3.2

  - ### subtract

    public static <O> Collection<O> subtract(Iterable<? extends O> a, Iterable<? extends O> b)
    Returns a new `Collection` containing `<i>a</i> - <i>b</i>`. The cardinality of each element e in the returned `Collection` will be the cardinality of e in a minus the cardinality of e in b, or zero, whichever is greater.
    Type Parameters:
      `O` - the generic type that is able to represent the types contained in both input collections.
    Parameters:
      `a` - the collection to subtract from, must not be null
      `b` - the collection to subtract, must not be null
    Returns:
      a new collection with the results
    See Also:
      - `Collection.removeAll(java.util.Collection<?>)`

  - ### subtract

    public static <O> Collection<O> subtract(Iterable<? extends O> a, Iterable<? extends O> b, Predicate<O> p)
    Returns a new `Collection` containing a minus a subset of b. Only the elements of b that satisfy the predicate condition, p are subtracted from a.

    The cardinality of each element e in the returned `Collection` that satisfies the predicate condition will be the cardinality of e in a minus the cardinality of e in b, or zero, whichever is greater.

    The cardinality of each element e in the returned `Collection` that does not satisfy the predicate condition will be equal to the cardinality of e in a.

    Type Parameters:
      `O` - the generic type that is able to represent the types contained in both input collections.
    Parameters:
      `a` - the collection to subtract from, must not be null
      `b` - the collection to subtract, must not be null
      `p` - the condition used to determine which elements of b are subtracted.
    Returns:
      a new collection with the results
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if either collection or p is null
    Since:
      4.0
    See Also:
      - `Collection.removeAll(java.util.Collection<?>)`

  - ### synchronizedCollection

    @Deprecated public static <C> Collection<C> synchronizedCollection(Collection<C> collection)
    Deprecated.
    since 4.1, use `Collections.synchronizedCollection(Collection)` instead
    Returns a synchronized collection backed by the given collection.

    You must manually synchronize on the returned buffer's iterator to avoid non-deterministic behavior:

         Collection c = CollectionUtils.synchronizedCollection(myCollection);
         synchronized (c) {
             Iterator i = c.iterator();
             while (i.hasNext()) {
                 process (i.next());
             }
         }

    This method uses the implementation in the decorators subpackage.

    Type Parameters:
      `C` - the type of object the `Collection` contains
    Parameters:
      `collection` - the collection to synchronize, must not be null
    Returns:
      a synchronized collection backed by the given collection
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if the collection is null

  - ### transform

    public static <C> void transform(Collection<C> collection, Transformer<? super C,? extends C> transformer)
    Transform the collection by applying a Transformer to each element.

    If the input collection or transformer is null, there is no change made.

    This routine is best for Lists, for which set() is used to do the transformations "in place." For other Collections, clear() and addAll() are used to replace elements.

    If the input collection controls its input, such as a Set, and the Transformer creates duplicates (or are otherwise invalid), the collection may reduce in size due to calling this method.

    Type Parameters:
      `C` - the type of object the `Collection` contains
    Parameters:
      `collection` - the `Collection` to get the input from, may be null
      `transformer` - the transformer to perform, may be null

  - ### transformingCollection

    public static <E> Collection<E> transformingCollection(Collection<E> collection, Transformer<? super E,? extends E> transformer)
    Returns a transformed bag backed by the given collection.

    Each object is passed through the transformer as it is added to the Collection. It is important not to use the original collection after invoking this method, as it is a backdoor for adding untransformed objects.

    Existing entries in the specified collection will not be transformed. If you want that behavior, see `TransformedCollection.transformedCollection(java.util.Collection<E>, org.apache.commons.collections4.Transformer<? super E, ? extends E>)`.

    Type Parameters:
      `E` - the type of object the `Collection` contains
    Parameters:
      `collection` - the collection to predicate, must not be null
      `transformer` - the transformer for the collection, must not be null
    Returns:
      a transformed collection backed by the given collection
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if the collection or transformer is null

  - ### union

    public static <O> Collection<O> union(Iterable<? extends O> a, Iterable<? extends O> b)
    Returns a `Collection` containing the union of the given `Iterable`s.

    The cardinality of each element in the returned `Collection` will be equal to the maximum of the cardinality of that element in the two given `Iterable`s.

    Type Parameters:
      `O` - the generic type that is able to represent the types contained in both input collections.
    Parameters:
      `a` - the first collection, must not be null
      `b` - the second collection, must not be null
    Returns:
      the union of the two collections
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if either collection is null
    See Also:
      - `Collection.addAll(java.util.Collection<? extends E>)`

  - ### unmodifiableCollection

    @Deprecated public static <C> Collection<C> unmodifiableCollection(Collection<? extends C> collection)
    Deprecated.
    since 4.1, use `Collections.unmodifiableCollection(Collection)` instead
    Returns an unmodifiable collection backed by the given collection.

    This method uses the implementation in the decorators subpackage.

    Type Parameters:
      `C` - the type of object the `Collection` contains
    Parameters:
      `collection` - the collection to make unmodifiable, must not be null
    Returns:
      an unmodifiable collection backed by the given collection
    Throws:
      `NullPointerException` - if the collection is null