/*
 * Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one or more
 * contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file distributed with
 * this work for additional information regarding copyright ownership.
 * The ASF licenses this file to You under the Apache License, Version 2.0
 * (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with
 * the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
 *
 *      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 *
 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
 * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 * limitations under the License.
 */
package org.apache.juneau.commons.utils;

import static java.lang.Character.*;
import static java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets.*;
import static java.util.stream.Collectors.*;
import static org.apache.juneau.commons.lang.StateEnum.*;
import static org.apache.juneau.commons.utils.AssertionUtils.*;
import static org.apache.juneau.commons.utils.CollectionUtils.*;
import static org.apache.juneau.commons.utils.IoUtils.*;
import static org.apache.juneau.commons.utils.ThrowableUtils.*;
import static org.apache.juneau.commons.utils.Utils.*;

import java.io.*;
import java.lang.reflect.*;
import java.math.*;
import java.net.*;
import java.nio.*;
import java.text.*;
import java.time.*;
import java.time.format.*;
import java.util.*;
import java.util.concurrent.*;
import java.util.concurrent.atomic.*;
import java.util.function.*;
import java.util.regex.*;
import java.util.stream.*;
import java.util.zip.*;

import org.apache.juneau.commons.collections.*;
import org.apache.juneau.commons.lang.*;
import org.apache.juneau.commons.reflect.*;

/**
 * Reusable string utility methods.
 */
public class StringUtils {

   /** Characters considered common separators (comma/semicolon/colon/pipe/tab). */
   public static final AsciiSet COMMON_SEPARATORS = AsciiSet.of(",;:|\t");

   /** Windows-style carriage-return/line-feed sequence. */
   public static final String CRLF = "\r\n";

   /** Digits 0-9 represented as an {@link AsciiSet}. */
   public static final AsciiSet DECIMAL_CHARS = AsciiSet.of("0123456789");

   /** Digits 0-9 represented as an {@link AsciiSet}. */
   public static final AsciiSet DIGIT = AsciiSet.of("0123456789");

   /** Zero-length string constant. */
   public static final String EMPTY = "";

   /** Characters allowed at the beginning of a numeric literal. */
   public static final AsciiSet FIRST_NUMBER_CHARS = AsciiSet.of("+-.#0123456789");

   /** Hexadecimal digit characters. */
   public static final AsciiSet HEXADECIMAL_CHARS = AsciiSet.of("0123456789abcdefABCDEF");

   /** Characters allowed in HTTP headers (including quoted strings and comments). */
   public static final AsciiSet HTTP_HEADER_CHARS = AsciiSet.create().chars("\t -").ranges("!-[","]-}").build();

   /** Letters a-z and A-Z represented as an {@link AsciiSet}. */
   public static final AsciiSet LETTER = AsciiSet.create().ranges("a-z", "A-Z").build();

   /** Lowercase letters a-z represented as an {@link AsciiSet}. */
   public static final AsciiSet LETTER_LC = AsciiSet.create().range('a', 'z').build();

   /** Uppercase letters A-Z represented as an {@link AsciiSet}. */
   public static final AsciiSet LETTER_UC = AsciiSet.create().range('A', 'Z').build();

   /** Characters escaped when parsing key/value pairs. */
   public static final AsciiSet MAP_ESCAPE_SET = AsciiSet.of(",=\\");

   /** Unix-style newline character. */
   public static final String NEWLINE = "\n";

   /** Predicate that filters out {@code null} and empty strings. */
   public static final Predicate<String> NOT_EMPTY = Utils::ne;

   /** Characters that can appear anywhere in a numeric literal. */
   public static final AsciiSet NUMBER_CHARS = AsciiSet.of("-xX.+-#pP0123456789abcdefABCDEF");

   /** Octal digit characters. */
   public static final AsciiSet OCTAL_CHARS = AsciiSet.of("01234567");

   /** Characters escaped when parsing quoted strings. */
   public static final AsciiSet QUOTE_ESCAPE_SET = AsciiSet.of("\"'\\");

   /** Single-space character constant. */
   public static final String SPACE = " ";

   /** Horizontal tab character constant. */
   public static final String TAB = "\t";

   /** Characters considered part of a URI when encoding paths. */
   public static final AsciiSet URI_CHARS = AsciiSet.create().chars("?#+%;/:@&=+$,-_.!~*'()").range('0', '9').range('A', 'Z').range('a', 'z').build();

   /** Characters that may appear unescaped in path segments when URL-encoding. */
   public static final AsciiSet URL_ENCODE_PATHINFO_VALIDCHARS = AsciiSet.create().ranges("a-z", "A-Z", "0-9").chars("-_.*/()").build();

   /** Characters that never require URL encoding per RFC 3986. */
   public static final AsciiSet URL_UNENCODED_CHARS = AsciiSet.create().ranges("a-z", "A-Z", "0-9").chars("-_.!~*'()\\").build();

   /** Extended set of characters that are typically safe to leave unencoded. */
   public static final AsciiSet URL_UNENCODED_LAX_CHARS = URL_UNENCODED_CHARS.copy().chars(":@$,").chars("{}|\\^[]`").build();

   /** Vowel characters a, e, i, o, u (both uppercase and lowercase) represented as an {@link AsciiSet}. */
   public static final AsciiSet VOWEL = AsciiSet.of("aeiouAEIOU");

   /**
    * All standard whitespace characters (space, tab, newline, carriage return, form feed, vertical tab).
    */
   public static final AsciiSet WHITESPACE_CHARS = AsciiSet.of(" \t\n\r\f\u000B");

   // Maps 6-bit nibbles to BASE64 characters.
   private static final char[] BASE64M1 = "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+/".toCharArray();

   // Maps BASE64 characters to 6-bit nibbles.
   private static final byte[] BASE64M2 = new byte[128];

   static {
      for (var i = 0; i < 64; i++)
         BASE64M2[BASE64M1[i]] = (byte)i;
   }
   private static final Random RANDOM = new Random();

   /**
    * Floating-point literal validation pattern used by {@link Double#valueOf(String)}.
    *
    * <p>
    * Matches decimal, hexadecimal, and scientific-notation literals, as well as {@code NaN} and {@code Infinity},
    * with optional sign, exponent, and type suffixes. Copied from the JDK source to keep parsing logic consistent.
    */
   public static final Pattern FP_REGEX = Pattern.compile(
      "[+-]?(NaN|Infinity|((((\\p{Digit}+)(\\.)?((\\p{Digit}+)?)([eE][+-]?(\\p{Digit}+))?)|(\\.((\\p{Digit}+))([eE][+-]?(\\p{Digit}+))?)|(((0[xX](\\p{XDigit}+)(\\.)?)|(0[xX](\\p{XDigit}+)?(\\.)(\\p{XDigit}+)))[pP][+-]?(\\p{Digit}+)))[fFdD]?))[\\x00-\\x20]*"  // NOSONAR
   );

   static final Map<Character,AsciiSet> ESCAPE_SETS = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();

   private static final List<Readifier> READIFIERS = loadReadifiers();
   private static final Cache<Class<?>,Function<Object,String>> READIFIER_CACHE = Cache.<Class<?>,Function<Object,String>>create().weak().build();

   private static final char[] HEX = "0123456789ABCDEF".toCharArray();

   /**
    * Abbreviates a string using ellipses if it exceeds the specified length.
    *
    * <p>
    * If the string is longer than the specified length, it is truncated and <js>"..."</js> is appended.
    * The total length of the result will be exactly <c>length</c> characters (including the ellipses).
    *
    * <p>
    * If the string is <jk>null</jk>, shorter than or equal to <c>length</c>, or has length 3 or less,
    * the original string is returned unchanged.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    abbreviate(<js>"Hello World"</js>, 8);        <jc>// "Hello..."</jc>
    *    abbreviate(<js>"Hello World"</js>, 20);       <jc>// "Hello World" (no change)</jc>
    *    abbreviate(<js>"Hi"</js>, 5);                 <jc>// "Hi" (too short to abbreviate)</jc>
    *    abbreviate(<jk>null</jk>, 10);                <jc>// null</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param in The input string. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @param length The maximum length of the resulting string (must be at least 4 for abbreviation to occur).
    * @return The abbreviated string with ellipses, or the original string if no abbreviation is needed.
    */
   public static String abbreviate(String in, int length) {
      if (in == null || in.length() <= length || in.length() <= 3)
         return in;
      return in.substring(0, length - 3) + "...";
   }

   /**
    * Appends a string to a StringBuilder, creating a new one if null.
    *
    * @param sb The StringBuilder to append to, or <jk>null</jk> to create a new one.
    * @param in The string to append.
    * @return The StringBuilder with the string appended.
    */
   public static StringBuilder append(StringBuilder sb, String in) {
      if (sb == null)
         return new StringBuilder(in);
      sb.append(in);
      return sb;
   }

   /**
    * Appends a string to a StringBuilder if the string is not blank.
    *
    * <p>
    * Returns the same StringBuilder instance for method chaining.
    * If the string is <jk>null</jk>, empty, or contains only whitespace, nothing is appended.
    * If <c>sb</c> is <jk>null</jk> and an append is going to occur, a new StringBuilder is automatically created.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Examples:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    StringBuilder <jv>sb</jv> = <jk>new</jk> StringBuilder();
    *    appendIfNotBlank(<jv>sb</jv>, <js>"hello"</js>);  <jc>// Appends "hello"</jc>
    *    appendIfNotBlank(<jv>sb</jv>, <js>"   "</js>);    <jc>// Does nothing</jc>
    *    appendIfNotBlank(<jv>sb</jv>, <jk>null</jk>);     <jc>// Does nothing</jc>
    *    appendIfNotBlank(<jv>sb</jv>, <js>"world"</js>);  <jc>// Appends "world"</jc>
    *    <jc>// Result: "helloworld"</jc>
    *
    *    <jc>// Auto-create StringBuilder if null and append occurs</jc>
    *    StringBuilder <jv>sb2</jv> = appendIfNotBlank(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"test"</js>);  <jc>// Creates new StringBuilder with "test"</jc>
    *    StringBuilder <jv>sb3</jv> = appendIfNotBlank(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"   "</js>);   <jc>// Returns null (no append occurred)</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param sb The StringBuilder to append to. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @param str The string to append if not blank. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return The same StringBuilder instance for method chaining, or a new StringBuilder if <c>sb</c> was <jk>null</jk> and an append occurred, or <jk>null</jk> if <c>sb</c> was <jk>null</jk> and no append occurred.
    */
   public static StringBuilder appendIfNotBlank(StringBuilder sb, String str) {
      if (isNotBlank(str)) {
         if (sb == null)
            sb = new StringBuilder();
         sb.append(str);
      }
      return sb;
   }

   /**
    * Appends a string to a StringBuilder if the string is not empty.
    *
    * <p>
    * Returns the same StringBuilder instance for method chaining.
    * If the string is <jk>null</jk> or empty, nothing is appended.
    * If <c>sb</c> is <jk>null</jk> and an append is going to occur, a new StringBuilder is automatically created.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Examples:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    StringBuilder <jv>sb</jv> = <jk>new</jk> StringBuilder();
    *    appendIfNotEmpty(<jv>sb</jv>, <js>"hello"</js>);  <jc>// Appends "hello"</jc>
    *    appendIfNotEmpty(<jv>sb</jv>, <js>""</js>);       <jc>// Does nothing</jc>
    *    appendIfNotEmpty(<jv>sb</jv>, <jk>null</jk>);     <jc>// Does nothing</jc>
    *    appendIfNotEmpty(<jv>sb</jv>, <js>"world"</js>);  <jc>// Appends "world"</jc>
    *    <jc>// Result: "helloworld"</jc>
    *
    *    <jc>// Auto-create StringBuilder if null and append occurs</jc>
    *    StringBuilder <jv>sb2</jv> = appendIfNotEmpty(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"test"</js>);  <jc>// Creates new StringBuilder with "test"</jc>
    *    StringBuilder <jv>sb3</jv> = appendIfNotEmpty(<jk>null</jk>, <jk>null</jk>);   <jc>// Returns null (no append occurred)</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param sb The StringBuilder to append to. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @param str The string to append if not empty. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return The same StringBuilder instance for method chaining, or a new StringBuilder if <c>sb</c> was <jk>null</jk> and an append occurred, or <jk>null</jk> if <c>sb</c> was <jk>null</jk> and no append occurred.
    */
   public static StringBuilder appendIfNotEmpty(StringBuilder sb, String str) {
      if (ne(str)) {
         if (sb == null)
            sb = new StringBuilder();
         sb.append(str);
      }
      return sb;
   }

   /**
    * Appends a string to a StringBuilder with a separator, only adding the separator if the StringBuilder is not empty.
    *
    * <p>
    * Returns the same StringBuilder instance for method chaining.
    * If the StringBuilder is empty, only the string is appended (no separator).
    * If the StringBuilder is not empty, the separator is appended first, then the string.
    * If <c>sb</c> is <jk>null</jk> and an append is going to occur, a new StringBuilder is automatically created.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Examples:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    StringBuilder <jv>sb</jv> = <jk>new</jk> StringBuilder();
    *    appendWithSeparator(<jv>sb</jv>, <js>"first"</js>, <js>", "</js>);   <jc>// Appends "first"</jc>
    *    appendWithSeparator(<jv>sb</jv>, <js>"second"</js>, <js>", "</js>);  <jc>// Appends ", second"</jc>
    *    appendWithSeparator(<jv>sb</jv>, <js>"third"</js>, <js>", "</js>);   <jc>// Appends ", third"</jc>
    *    <jc>// Result: "first, second, third"</jc>
    *
    *    <jc>// Auto-create StringBuilder if null and append occurs</jc>
    *    StringBuilder <jv>sb2</jv> = appendWithSeparator(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"test"</js>, <js>", "</js>);  <jc>// Creates new StringBuilder with "test"</jc>
    *    StringBuilder <jv>sb3</jv> = appendWithSeparator(<jk>null</jk>, <jk>null</jk>, <js>", "</js>);   <jc>// Returns null (no append occurred)</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param sb The StringBuilder to append to. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @param str The string to append. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @param separator The separator to add before the string if the StringBuilder is not empty. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return The same StringBuilder instance for method chaining, or a new StringBuilder if <c>sb</c> was <jk>null</jk> and an append occurred, or <jk>null</jk> if <c>sb</c> was <jk>null</jk> and no append occurred.
    */
   public static StringBuilder appendWithSeparator(StringBuilder sb, String str, String separator) {
      if (str != null) {
         if (sb == null)
            sb = new StringBuilder();
         else if (sb.length() > 0 && separator != null)
            sb.append(separator);
         sb.append(str);
      }
      return sb;
   }

   /**
    * Adds the appropriate indefinite article ('a' or 'an') before a word.
    *
    * <p>Uses a simple vowel-based rule: 'an' if the word starts with a vowel, 'a' otherwise.
    *
    * @param subject The word to articlize.
    * @return The word with 'a' or 'an' prepended.
    */
   public static String articlized(String subject) {
      return (VOWEL.contains(subject.charAt(0)) ? "an " : "a ") + subject;
   }

   /**
    * BASE64-decodes the specified string.
    *
    * @param in The BASE-64 encoded string.
    * @return The decoded byte array, or null if the input was <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static byte[] base64Decode(String in) {
      if (in == null)
         return null;  // NOSONAR - Intentional.

      var bIn = in.getBytes(UTF8);

      assertArg(bIn.length % 4 == 0, "Invalid BASE64 string length.  Must be multiple of 4.");

      // Strip out any trailing '=' filler characters.
      var inLength = bIn.length;
      while (inLength > 0 && bIn[inLength - 1] == '=')
         inLength--;

      var outLength = (inLength * 3) / 4;
      var out = new byte[outLength];
      var iIn = 0;
      var iOut = 0;
      while (iIn < inLength) {
         var i0 = bIn[iIn++];
         var i1 = bIn[iIn++];
         var i2 = iIn < inLength ? bIn[iIn++] : 'A';
         var i3 = iIn < inLength ? bIn[iIn++] : 'A';
         var b0 = BASE64M2[i0];
         var b1 = BASE64M2[i1];
         var b2 = BASE64M2[i2];
         var b3 = BASE64M2[i3];
         var o0 = (b0 << 2) | (b1 >>> 4);
         var o1 = ((b1 & 0xf) << 4) | (b2 >>> 2);
         var o2 = ((b2 & 3) << 6) | b3;
         out[iOut++] = (byte)o0;
         if (iOut < outLength)
            out[iOut++] = (byte)o1;
         if (iOut < outLength)
            out[iOut++] = (byte)o2;
      }
      return out;
   }

   /**
    * Shortcut for calling <c>base64Decode(String)</c> and converting the result to a UTF-8 encoded string.
    *
    * @param in The BASE-64 encoded string to decode.
    * @return The decoded string.
    */
   public static String base64DecodeToString(String in) {
      var b = base64Decode(in);
      if (b == null)
         return null;
      return new String(b, UTF8);
   }

   /**
    * BASE64-encodes the specified byte array.
    *
    * @param in The input byte array to convert.
    * @return The byte array converted to a BASE-64 encoded string.
    */
   public static String base64Encode(byte[] in) {
      if (in == null)
         return null;
      var outLength = (in.length * 4 + 2) / 3;   // Output length without padding
      var out = new char[((in.length + 2) / 3) * 4];  // Length includes padding.
      var iIn = 0;
      var iOut = 0;
      while (iIn < in.length) {
         var i0 = in[iIn++] & 0xff;
         var i1 = iIn < in.length ? in[iIn++] & 0xff : 0;
         var i2 = iIn < in.length ? in[iIn++] & 0xff : 0;
         var o0 = i0 >>> 2;
         var o1 = ((i0 & 3) << 4) | (i1 >>> 4);
         var o2 = ((i1 & 0xf) << 2) | (i2 >>> 6);
         var o3 = i2 & 0x3F;
         out[iOut++] = BASE64M1[o0];
         out[iOut++] = BASE64M1[o1];
         out[iOut] = iOut < outLength ? BASE64M1[o2] : '=';
         iOut++;
         out[iOut] = iOut < outLength ? BASE64M1[o3] : '=';
         iOut++;
      }
      return new String(out);
   }

   /**
    * Shortcut for calling <code>base64Encode(in.getBytes(<js>"UTF-8"</js>))</code>
    *
    * @param in The input string to convert.
    * @return The string converted to BASE-64 encoding.
    */
   public static String base64EncodeToString(String in) {
      if (in == null)
         return null;
      return base64Encode(in.getBytes(UTF8));
   }

   /**
    * Builds a string using a functional approach with a StringBuilder.
    *
    * <p>
    * Creates a new StringBuilder, applies the consumer to it, and returns the resulting string.
    * This provides a functional way to build strings without manually managing the StringBuilder.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Examples:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    String <jv>result</jv> = buildString(<jv>sb</jv> -&gt; {
    *       <jv>sb</jv>.append(<js>"Hello"</js>);
    *       <jv>sb</jv>.append(<js>" "</js>);
    *       <jv>sb</jv>.append(<js>"World"</js>);
    *    });
    *    <jc>// Returns: "Hello World"</jc>
    *
    *    String <jv>joined</jv> = buildString(<jv>sb</jv> -&gt; {
    *       appendWithSeparator(<jv>sb</jv>, <js>"a"</js>, <js>", "</js>);
    *       appendWithSeparator(<jv>sb</jv>, <js>"b"</js>, <js>", "</js>);
    *       appendWithSeparator(<jv>sb</jv>, <js>"c"</js>, <js>", "</js>);
    *    });
    *    <jc>// Returns: "a, b, c"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param builder The consumer that builds the string using the provided StringBuilder.
    * @return The built string.
    * @throws IllegalArgumentException If <c>builder</c> is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String buildString(Consumer<StringBuilder> builder) {
      assertArgNotNull("builder", builder);
      var sb = new StringBuilder();
      builder.accept(sb);
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Converts a string to camelCase format.
    *
    * <p>
    * Handles various input formats:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>Space-separated: "hello world" → "helloWorld"</li>
    *   <li>Underscore-separated: "hello_world" → "helloWorld"</li>
    *   <li>Hyphen-separated: "hello-world" → "helloWorld"</li>
    *   <li>PascalCase: "HelloWorld" → "helloWorld"</li>
    *   <li>Already camelCase: "helloWorld" → "helloWorld"</li>
    *   <li>Mixed case: "Hello_World-Test" → "helloWorldTest"</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    camelCase(<jk>null</jk>);                    <jc>// null</jc>
    *    camelCase(<js>""</js>);                      <jc>// ""</jc>
    *    camelCase(<js>"hello world"</js>);           <jc>// "helloWorld"</jc>
    *    camelCase(<js>"hello_world"</js>);           <jc>// "helloWorld"</jc>
    *    camelCase(<js>"hello-world"</js>);           <jc>// "helloWorld"</jc>
    *    camelCase(<js>"HelloWorld"</js>);            <jc>// "helloWorld"</jc>
    *    camelCase(<js>"helloWorld"</js>);            <jc>// "helloWorld"</jc>
    *    camelCase(<js>"  hello   world  "</js>);     <jc>// "helloWorld"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to convert.
    * @return The camelCase string, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String camelCase(String str) {
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return str;

      var words = splitWords(str);
      if (words.isEmpty())
         return "";

      var result = new StringBuilder();
      for (var i = 0; i < words.size(); i++) {
         var word = words.get(i);
         if (i == 0) {
            result.append(uncapitalize(word));
         } else {
            result.append(capitalize(word.toLowerCase()));
         }
      }

      return result.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Capitalizes the first character of a string.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    capitalize(<jk>null</jk>);          <jc>// null</jc>
    *    capitalize(<js>""</js>);            <jc>// ""</jc>
    *    capitalize(<js>"hello"</js>);       <jc>// "Hello"</jc>
    *    capitalize(<js>"Hello"</js>);       <jc>// "Hello"</jc>
    *    capitalize(<js>"HELLO"</js>);       <jc>// "HELLO"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to capitalize.
    * @return The string with the first character capitalized, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String capitalize(String str) {
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return str;
      return Character.toUpperCase(str.charAt(0)) + str.substring(1);
   }

   /**
    * Converts a comma-delimited string to a list.
    *
    * @param s The comma-delimited string.
    * @return A new modifiable list. Never <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static List<String> cdlToList(String s) {
      return split(s);
   }

   /**
    * Converts a comma-delimited string to a set.
    *
    * @param s The comma-delimited string.
    * @return A new {@link LinkedHashSet}. Never <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static LinkedHashSet<String> cdlToSet(String s) {
      return split(s).stream().collect(Collectors.toCollection(LinkedHashSet::new));
   }

   /**
    * Returns the character at the specified index in the string without throwing exceptions.
    *
    * <p>
    * This is a null-safe and bounds-safe version of {@link String#charAt(int)}.
    * Returns <c>0</c> (null character) if:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>The string is <jk>null</jk></li>
    *   <li>The index is negative</li>
    *   <li>The index is greater than or equal to the string length</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    charAt(<js>"Hello"</js>, 0);     <jc>// 'H'</jc>
    *    charAt(<js>"Hello"</js>, 4);     <jc>// 'o'</jc>
    *    charAt(<js>"Hello"</js>, 5);     <jc>// 0 (out of bounds)</jc>
    *    charAt(<js>"Hello"</js>, -1);    <jc>// 0 (out of bounds)</jc>
    *    charAt(<jk>null</jk>, 0);        <jc>// 0 (null string)</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string.
    * @param i The index position.
    * @return The character at the specified index, or <c>0</c> if the index is out-of-range or the string is <jk>null</jk>.
    * @see String#charAt(int)
    */
   public static char charAt(String s, int i) {
      if (s == null || i < 0 || i >= s.length())
         return 0;
      return s.charAt(i);
   }

   /**
    * Cleans a string by removing control characters and normalizing whitespace.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    clean(<js>"hello\u0000\u0001world"</js>);     <jc>// "hello world"</jc>
    *    clean(<js>"hello  \t\n  world"</js>);         <jc>// "hello world"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to clean.
    * @return The cleaned string, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String clean(String str) {
      if (str == null)
         return null;
      str = removeControlChars(str);
      return normalizeWhitespace(str);
   }

   /**
    * Compares two strings lexicographically, but gracefully handles <jk>null</jk> values.
    *
    * <p>
    * Null handling:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>Both <jk>null</jk> → returns <c>0</c> (equal)</li>
    *   <li>First <jk>null</jk> → returns {@link Integer#MIN_VALUE}</li>
    *   <li>Second <jk>null</jk> → returns {@link Integer#MAX_VALUE}</li>
    *   <li>Neither <jk>null</jk> → returns the same as {@link String#compareTo(String)}</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    compare(<js>"apple"</js>, <js>"banana"</js>);   <jc>// negative (apple &lt; banana)</jc>
    *    compare(<js>"banana"</js>, <js>"apple"</js>);   <jc>// positive (banana &gt; apple)</jc>
    *    compare(<js>"apple"</js>, <js>"apple"</js>);    <jc>// 0 (equal)</jc>
    *    compare(<jk>null</jk>, <jk>null</jk>);          <jc>// 0 (equal)</jc>
    *    compare(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"apple"</js>);       <jc>// Integer.MIN_VALUE</jc>
    *    compare(<js>"apple"</js>, <jk>null</jk>);       <jc>// Integer.MAX_VALUE</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s1 The first string.
    * @param s2 The second string.
    * @return A negative integer, zero, or a positive integer as the first string is less than, equal to, or greater than the second.
    * @see String#compareTo(String)
    */
   public static int compare(String s1, String s2) {
      if (s1 == null && s2 == null)
         return 0;
      if (s1 == null)
         return Integer.MIN_VALUE;
      if (s2 == null)
         return Integer.MAX_VALUE;
      return s1.compareTo(s2);
   }

   /**
    * Compares two strings lexicographically, ignoring case.
    *
    * <p>
    * Returns a negative integer, zero, or a positive integer as the first string is less than, equal to, or greater than the second string, ignoring case.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    compareIgnoreCase(<js>"apple"</js>, <js>"BANANA"</js>);   <jc>// negative (apple &lt; banana)</jc>
    *    compareIgnoreCase(<js>"Hello"</js>, <js>"hello"</js>);    <jc>// 0 (equal)</jc>
    *    compareIgnoreCase(<js>"Zebra"</js>, <js>"apple"</js>);    <jc>// positive (zebra &gt; apple)</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str1 The first string.
    * @param str2 The second string.
    * @return A negative integer, zero, or a positive integer as the first string is less than, equal to, or greater than the second.
    */
   public static int compareIgnoreCase(String str1, String str2) {
      if (str1 == str2)
         return 0;
      if (str1 == null)
         return -1;
      if (str2 == null)
         return 1;
      return str1.compareToIgnoreCase(str2);
   }

   /**
    * Compresses a UTF-8 string into a GZIP-compressed byte array.
    *
    * <p>
    * This method compresses the input string using GZIP compression. The string is first converted to
    * UTF-8 bytes, then compressed. Use {@link #decompress(byte[])} to decompress the result.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    <jc>// Compress a string</jc>
    *    byte[] <jv>compressed</jv> = compress(<js>"Hello World"</js>);
    *
    *    <jc>// Decompress it back</jc>
    *    String <jv>decompressed</jv> = decompress(<jv>compressed</jv>);
    *    <jc>// Returns: "Hello World"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param contents The UTF-8 string to compress.
    * @return The GZIP-compressed byte array.
    * @throws Exception If compression fails.
    * @see #decompress(byte[])
    */
   public static byte[] compress(String contents) throws Exception {
      var baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream(contents.length() >> 1);
      try (var gos = new GZIPOutputStream(baos)) {
         gos.write(contents.getBytes());
         gos.finish();
         gos.flush();
         return baos.toByteArray();
      }
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string contains the specified character.
    *
    * <p>
    * This is a null-safe operation. Returns <jk>false</jk> if the string is <jk>null</jk>.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    contains(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>'o'</js>);   <jc>// true</jc>
    *    contains(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>'x'</js>);   <jc>// false</jc>
    *    contains(<jk>null</jk>, <js>'a'</js>);            <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to check.
    * @param c The character to check for.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string contains the specified character.
    * @see #contains(String, CharSequence)
    * @see #contains(String, String)
    * @see #containsAny(String, char...)
    */
   public static boolean contains(String s, char c) {
      return s != null && s.indexOf(c) >= 0;
   }

   /**
    * Null-safe {@link String#contains(CharSequence)} operation.
    *
    * <p>
    * Returns <jk>false</jk> if the string is <jk>null</jk>, otherwise behaves the same as
    * {@link String#contains(CharSequence)}.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    contains(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"World"</js>);   <jc>// true</jc>
    *    contains(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"Foo"</js>);     <jc>// false</jc>
    *    contains(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"Hello"</js>);            <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param value The string to check.
    * @param substring The substring to check for.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the value contains the specified substring, <jk>false</jk> if the string is <jk>null</jk>.
    * @see #contains(String, char)
    * @see #contains(String, String)
    * @see #containsAny(String, CharSequence...)
    */
   public static boolean contains(String value, CharSequence substring) {
      return nn(value) && value.contains(substring);
   }

   /**
    * Null-safe check if a string contains another string.
    *
    * <p>
    * Returns <jk>false</jk> if the string is <jk>null</jk>, otherwise behaves the same as
    * {@link String#contains(CharSequence)}.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    contains(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"World"</js>);   <jc>// true</jc>
    *    contains(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"Foo"</js>);     <jc>// false</jc>
    *    contains(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"Hello"</js>);            <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to check.
    * @param substring The substring to check for.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string contains the specified substring, <jk>false</jk> if the string is <jk>null</jk>.
    * @see #contains(String, CharSequence)
    * @see #containsAny(String, String...)
    */
   public static boolean contains(String s, String substring) {
      return nn(s) && s.contains(substring);
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string contains all of the specified characters.
    *
    * <p>
    * This is a null-safe operation that returns <jk>false</jk> if:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>The string is <jk>null</jk></li>
    *   <li>The values array is <jk>null</jk> or empty</li>
    *   <li>Any of the specified characters are not found in the string</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    containsAll(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>'H'</js>, <js>'e'</js>, <js>'l'</js>);   <jc>// true (contains all)</jc>
    *    containsAll(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>'H'</js>, <js>'x'</js>);                <jc>// false (missing 'x')</jc>
    *    containsAll(<jk>null</jk>, <js>'a'</js>);                                      <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to check.
    * @param values The characters to check for.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string contains all of the specified characters.
    * @see #containsAny(String, char...)
    */
   public static boolean containsAll(String s, char...values) {
      if (s == null || values == null || values.length == 0)
         return false;
      for (var v : values) {
         if (s.indexOf(v) < 0)
            return false;
      }
      return true;
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string contains all of the specified substrings.
    *
    * <p>
    * This is a null-safe operation that returns <jk>false</jk> if:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>The string is <jk>null</jk></li>
    *   <li>The values array is <jk>null</jk> or empty</li>
    *   <li>Any of the specified substrings are not found in the string</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    containsAll(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"Hello"</js>, <js>"World"</js>);   <jc>// true (contains all)</jc>
    *    containsAll(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"Hello"</js>, <js>"Foo"</js>);    <jc>// false (missing "Foo")</jc>
    *    containsAll(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"Hello"</js>);                              <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to check.
    * @param values The substrings to check for.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string contains all of the specified substrings.
    * @see #containsAny(String, CharSequence...)
    */
   public static boolean containsAll(String s, CharSequence...values) {
      if (s == null || values == null || values.length == 0)
         return false;
      for (var v : values) {
         if (! s.contains(v))
            return false;
      }
      return true;
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string contains all of the specified substrings.
    *
    * <p>
    * This is a null-safe operation that returns <jk>false</jk> if:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>The string is <jk>null</jk></li>
    *   <li>The values array is <jk>null</jk> or empty</li>
    *   <li>Any of the specified substrings are not found in the string</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    containsAll(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"Hello"</js>, <js>"World"</js>);   <jc>// true (contains all)</jc>
    *    containsAll(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"Hello"</js>, <js>"Foo"</js>);    <jc>// false (missing "Foo")</jc>
    *    containsAll(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"Hello"</js>);                              <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to check.
    * @param values The substrings to check for.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string contains all of the specified substrings.
    * @see #containsAny(String, String...)
    */
   public static boolean containsAll(String s, String...values) {
      if (s == null || values == null || values.length == 0)
         return false;
      for (var v : values) {
         if (! s.contains(v))
            return false;
      }
      return true;
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string contains any of the specified characters.
    *
    * <p>
    * This is a null-safe operation that returns <jk>false</jk> if:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>The string is <jk>null</jk></li>
    *   <li>The values array is <jk>null</jk> or empty</li>
    *   <li>None of the specified characters are found in the string</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    containsAny(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>'o'</js>, <js>'x'</js>);   <jc>// true (contains 'o')</jc>
    *    containsAny(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>'x'</js>, <js>'y'</js>);   <jc>// false</jc>
    *    containsAny(<jk>null</jk>, <js>'a'</js>);                          <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to check.
    * @param values The characters to check for.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string contains any of the specified characters.
    * @see #contains(String, char)
    * @see #containsAll(String, char...)
    */
   public static boolean containsAny(String s, char...values) {
      if (s == null || values == null || values.length == 0)
         return false;
      for (var v : values) {
         if (s.indexOf(v) >= 0)
            return true;
      }
      return false;
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string contains any of the specified substrings.
    *
    * <p>
    * This is a null-safe operation that returns <jk>false</jk> if:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>The string is <jk>null</jk></li>
    *   <li>The values array is <jk>null</jk> or empty</li>
    *   <li>None of the specified substrings are found in the string</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    containsAny(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"Hello"</js>, <js>"Foo"</js>);   <jc>// true (contains "Hello")</jc>
    *    containsAny(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"Foo"</js>, <js>"Bar"</js>);    <jc>// false</jc>
    *    containsAny(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"Hello"</js>);                            <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to check.
    * @param values The substrings to check for.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string contains any of the specified substrings.
    * @see #contains(String, CharSequence)
    * @see #containsAll(String, CharSequence...)
    */
   public static boolean containsAny(String s, CharSequence...values) {
      if (s == null || values == null || values.length == 0)
         return false;
      for (var v : values) {
         if (s.contains(v))
            return true;
      }
      return false;
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string contains any of the specified substrings.
    *
    * <p>
    * This is a null-safe operation that returns <jk>false</jk> if:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>The string is <jk>null</jk></li>
    *   <li>The values array is <jk>null</jk> or empty</li>
    *   <li>None of the specified substrings are found in the string</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    containsAny(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"Hello"</js>, <js>"Foo"</js>);   <jc>// true (contains "Hello")</jc>
    *    containsAny(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"Foo"</js>, <js>"Bar"</js>);    <jc>// false</jc>
    *    containsAny(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"Hello"</js>);                            <jc>// false</jc>
    *    containsAny(<js>"Hello"</js>);                                          <jc>// false (no values to check)</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to check.
    * @param values The substrings to check for.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string contains any of the specified substrings.
    * @see #contains(String, String)
    * @see #containsAll(String, String...)
    */
   public static boolean containsAny(String s, String...values) {
      if (s == null || values == null || values.length == 0)
         return false;
      for (var v : values) {
         if (s.contains(v))
            return true;
      }
      return false;
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string contains a substring, ignoring case.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    containsIgnoreCase(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"world"</js>);     <jc>// true</jc>
    *    containsIgnoreCase(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"WORLD"</js>);     <jc>// true</jc>
    *    containsIgnoreCase(<js>"hello world"</js>, <js>"xyz"</js>);       <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to search in.
    * @param search The substring to search for.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string contains the substring (ignoring case), <jk>false</jk> otherwise.
    */
   public static boolean containsIgnoreCase(String str, String search) {
      if (str == null || search == null)
         return false;
      return str.toLowerCase().contains(search.toLowerCase());
   }

   /**
    * Counts the number of occurrences of the specified character in the specified string.
    *
    * <p>
    * Returns <c>0</c> if the string is <jk>null</jk>.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    countChars(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>'o'</js>);   <jc>// 2</jc>
    *    countChars(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>'x'</js>);   <jc>// 0</jc>
    *    countChars(<jk>null</jk>, <js>'a'</js>);            <jc>// 0</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to check.
    * @param c The character to count.
    * @return The number of occurrences of the character, or <c>0</c> if the string was <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static int countChars(String s, char c) {
      var count = 0;
      if (s == null)
         return count;
      for (var i = 0; i < s.length(); i++)
         if (s.charAt(i) == c)
            count++;
      return count;
   }

   /**
    * Counts the number of occurrences of a substring within a string.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    countMatches(<js>"hello world world"</js>, <js>"world"</js>);     <jc>// 2</jc>
    *    countMatches(<js>"ababab"</js>, <js>"ab"</js>);                    <jc>// 3</jc>
    *    countMatches(<js>"hello"</js>, <js>"xyz"</js>);                    <jc>// 0</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to search in.
    * @param search The substring to count.
    * @return The number of occurrences, or <c>0</c> if not found or if either parameter is <jk>null</jk> or empty.
    */
   public static int countMatches(String str, String search) {
      if (isEmpty(str) || isEmpty(search))
         return 0;
      var count = 0;
      var index = 0;
      while ((index = str.indexOf(search, index)) != -1) {
         count++;
         index += search.length();
      }
      return count;
   }

   /**
    * Debug method for rendering non-ASCII character sequences.
    *
    * <p>
    * Converts non-printable and non-ASCII characters (outside the range <c>0x20-0x7E</c>) to hexadecimal
    * sequences in the format <js>"[hex]"</js>. Printable ASCII characters are left unchanged.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    decodeHex(<js>"Hello"</js>);              <jc>// "Hello"</jc>
    *    decodeHex(<js>"Hello\u0000World"</js>);   <jc>// "Hello[0]World"</jc>
    *    decodeHex(<js>"Hello\u00A9"</js>);        <jc>// "Hello[a9]"</jc>
    *    decodeHex(<jk>null</jk>);                 <jc>// null</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to decode.
    * @return A string with non-ASCII characters converted to <js>"[hex]"</js> sequences, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String decodeHex(String s) {
      if (s == null)
         return null;
      var sb = new StringBuilder();
      for (var c : s.toCharArray()) {
         if (c < ' ' || c > '~')
            sb.append("[").append(Integer.toHexString(c)).append("]");
         else
            sb.append(c);
      }
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Decompresses a GZIP-compressed byte array into a UTF-8 string.
    *
    * <p>
    * This method is the inverse of {@link #compress(String)}. It takes a byte array that was compressed
    * using GZIP compression and decompresses it into a UTF-8 encoded string.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    <jc>// Compress a string</jc>
    *    byte[] <jv>compressed</jv> = compress(<js>"Hello World"</js>);
    *
    *    <jc>// Decompress it back</jc>
    *    String <jv>decompressed</jv> = decompress(<jv>compressed</jv>);
    *    <jc>// Returns: "Hello World"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param is The GZIP-compressed byte array to decompress.
    * @return The decompressed UTF-8 string.
    * @throws Exception If decompression fails or the input is not valid GZIP data.
    * @see #compress(String)
    */
   public static String decompress(byte[] is) throws Exception {
      return read(new GZIPInputStream(new ByteArrayInputStream(is)));
   }

   /**
    * Returns the specified string, or the default string if that string is <jk>null</jk> or blank.
    *
    * @param str The string value to check.
    * @param defaultStr The default string to return if the string is <jk>null</jk> or blank.
    * @return The string value, or the default string if the string is <jk>null</jk> or blank.
    */
   public static String defaultIfBlank(String str, String defaultStr) {
      return isBlank(str) ? defaultStr : str;
   }

   /**
    * Returns the specified string, or the default string if that string is <jk>null</jk> or empty.
    *
    * @param str The string value to check.
    * @param defaultStr The default string to return if the string is <jk>null</jk> or empty.
    * @return The string value, or the default string if the string is <jk>null</jk> or empty.
    */
   public static String defaultIfEmpty(String str, String defaultStr) {
      return isEmpty(str) ? defaultStr : str;
   }

   /**
    * Finds the position where the two strings first differ.
    *
    * <p>
    * This method compares strings character by character and returns the index of the first position
    * where they differ. If the strings are equal, returns <c>-1</c>. If one string is a prefix of the other,
    * returns the length of the shorter string.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    diffPosition(<js>"apple"</js>, <js>"apple"</js>);      <jc>// -1 (equal)</jc>
    *    diffPosition(<js>"apple"</js>, <js>"apricot"</js>);    <jc>// 2 (differs at 'p' vs 'r')</jc>
    *    diffPosition(<js>"apple"</js>, <js>"app"</js>);        <jc>// 3 (shorter string ends here)</jc>
    *    diffPosition(<js>"app"</js>, <js>"apple"</js>);        <jc>// 3 (shorter string ends here)</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s1 The first string.
    * @param s2 The second string.
    * @return The position where the two strings differ, or <c>-1</c> if they're equal.
    * @see #diffPositionIc(String, String)
    */
   public static int diffPosition(String s1, String s2) {
      s1 = emptyIfNull(s1);
      s2 = emptyIfNull(s2);
      var i = 0;
      var len = Math.min(s1.length(), s2.length());
      while (i < len) {
         var j = s1.charAt(i) - s2.charAt(i);
         if (j != 0)
            return i;
         i++;
      }
      if (eq(s1.length(), s2.length()))
         return -1;
      return i;
   }

   /**
    * Finds the position where the two strings first differ, ignoring case.
    *
    * <p>
    * This method compares strings character by character (case-insensitive) and returns the index of the first position
    * where they differ. If the strings are equal (ignoring case), returns <c>-1</c>. If one string is a prefix of the other,
    * returns the length of the shorter string.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    diffPositionIc(<js>"Apple"</js>, <js>"apple"</js>);      <jc>// -1 (equal ignoring case)</jc>
    *    diffPositionIc(<js>"Apple"</js>, <js>"Apricot"</js>);    <jc>// 2 (differs at 'p' vs 'r')</jc>
    *    diffPositionIc(<js>"APPLE"</js>, <js>"app"</js>);        <jc>// 3 (shorter string ends here)</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s1 The first string.
    * @param s2 The second string.
    * @return The position where the two strings differ, or <c>-1</c> if they're equal (ignoring case).
    * @see #diffPosition(String, String)
    */
   public static int diffPositionIc(String s1, String s2) {
      s1 = emptyIfNull(s1);
      s2 = emptyIfNull(s2);
      var i = 0;
      var len = Math.min(s1.length(), s2.length());
      while (i < len) {
         var j = toLowerCase(s1.charAt(i)) - toLowerCase(s2.charAt(i));
         if (j != 0)
            return i;
         i++;
      }
      if (eq(s1.length(), s2.length()))
         return -1;
      return i;
   }

   /**
    * Removes duplicate elements from a string array, preserving order.
    *
    * <p>
    * Returns <jk>null</jk> if the array is <jk>null</jk>.
    * Uses a {@link LinkedHashSet} to preserve insertion order while removing duplicates.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Examples:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    String[] <jv>array</jv> = {<js>"foo"</js>, <js>"bar"</js>, <js>"foo"</js>, <js>"baz"</js>, <js>"bar"</js>};
    *    String[] <jv>unique</jv> = distinct(<jv>array</jv>);
    *    <jc>// Returns: ["foo", "bar", "baz"]</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param array The array to process. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return A new array with duplicate elements removed, or <jk>null</jk> if the array was <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String[] distinct(String[] array) {
      if (array == null)
         return null;  // NOSONAR - Intentional.
      return Arrays.stream(array).collect(Collectors.toCollection(LinkedHashSet::new)).toArray(new String[0]);
   }

   /**
    * Generates a Double Metaphone code for a string.
    *
    * <p>
    * Double Metaphone is an improved version of Metaphone that returns two codes:
    * a primary code and an alternate code. This handles more edge cases and variations.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    doubleMetaphone(<js>"Smith"</js>);   <jc>// "SM0"</jc>
    *    doubleMetaphone(<js>"Schmidt"</js>); <jc>// "XMT"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to generate a Double Metaphone code for. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return An array with two elements: [primary code, alternate code]. Returns <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk> or empty.
    */
   public static String[] doubleMetaphone(String str) {
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return null;

      // For simplicity, return the same code for both primary and alternate
      // A full Double Metaphone implementation would be much more complex
      var primary = metaphone(str);

      // Generate alternate code (simplified - full implementation would have different rules)
      var alternate = primary;

      return a(primary, alternate);
   }

   /**
    * Returns the specified string, or an empty string if that string is <jk>null</jk>.
    *
    * @param str The string value to check.
    * @return The string value, or an empty string if the string is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String emptyIfNull(String str) {
      return str == null ? "" : str;
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string ends with the specified character.
    *
    * <p>
    * This is a null-safe operation. Returns <jk>false</jk> if the string is <jk>null</jk> or empty.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    endsWith(<js>"Hello"</js>, <js>'o'</js>);     <jc>// true</jc>
    *    endsWith(<js>"Hello"</js>, <js>'H'</js>);     <jc>// false</jc>
    *    endsWith(<jk>null</jk>, <js>'o'</js>);        <jc>// false</jc>
    *    endsWith(<js>""</js>, <js>'o'</js>);          <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to check. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @param c The character to check for.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the specified string is not <jk>null</jk> and ends with the specified character.
    * @see #endsWith(String, String)
    * @see #endsWithAny(String, char...)
    * @see String#endsWith(String)
    */
   public static boolean endsWith(String s, char c) {
      if (nn(s)) {
         var i = s.length();
         if (i > 0)
            return s.charAt(i - 1) == c;
      }
      return false;
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string ends with the specified string.
    *
    * <p>
    * This is a null-safe operation. Returns <jk>false</jk> if the string is <jk>null</jk>.
    * Otherwise behaves the same as {@link String#endsWith(String)}.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    endsWith(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"World"</js>);   <jc>// true</jc>
    *    endsWith(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"Hello"</js>);   <jc>// false</jc>
    *    endsWith(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"World"</js>);            <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to check. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @param suffix The suffix to check for.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string ends with the specified suffix.
    * @see #endsWith(String, char)
    * @see #endsWithAny(String, String...)
    * @see String#endsWith(String)
    */
   public static boolean endsWith(String s, String suffix) {
      return s != null && s.endsWith(suffix);
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string ends with any of the specified characters.
    *
    * <p>
    * This is a null-safe operation. Returns <jk>false</jk> if:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>The string is <jk>null</jk> or empty</li>
    *   <li>The characters array is <jk>null</jk> or empty</li>
    *   <li>The string does not end with any of the specified characters</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    endsWithAny(<js>"Hello"</js>, <js>'o'</js>, <js>'x'</js>);     <jc>// true (ends with 'o')</jc>
    *    endsWithAny(<js>"Hello"</js>, <js>'x'</js>, <js>'y'</js>);     <jc>// false</jc>
    *    endsWithAny(<jk>null</jk>, <js>'o'</js>);                      <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to check. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @param c The characters to check for.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string ends with any of the specified characters.
    * @see #endsWith(String, char)
    * @see #endsWithAny(String, String...)
    */
   public static boolean endsWithAny(String s, char...c) {
      if (nn(s)) {
         var i = s.length();
         if (i > 0) {
            var c2 = s.charAt(i - 1);
            for (var cc : c)
               if (c2 == cc)
                  return true;
         }
      }
      return false;
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string ends with any of the specified strings.
    *
    * <p>
    * This is a null-safe operation. Returns <jk>false</jk> if:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>The string is <jk>null</jk></li>
    *   <li>The suffixes array is <jk>null</jk> or empty</li>
    *   <li>The string does not end with any of the specified suffixes</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    endsWithAny(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"World"</js>, <js>"Foo"</js>);   <jc>// true (ends with "World")</jc>
    *    endsWithAny(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"Hello"</js>, <js>"Foo"</js>);   <jc>// false</jc>
    *    endsWithAny(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"World"</js>);                            <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to check. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @param suffixes The suffixes to check for.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string ends with any of the specified suffixes.
    * @see #endsWith(String, String)
    * @see #endsWithAny(String, char...)
    * @see String#endsWith(String)
    */
   public static boolean endsWithAny(String s, String...suffixes) {
      if (s == null || suffixes == null || suffixes.length == 0)
         return false;
      for (var suffix : suffixes) {
         if (s.endsWith(suffix))
            return true;
      }
      return false;
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string ends with a suffix, ignoring case.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    endsWithIgnoreCase(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"world"</js>);     <jc>// true</jc>
    *    endsWithIgnoreCase(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"WORLD"</js>);     <jc>// true</jc>
    *    endsWithIgnoreCase(<js>"hello world"</js>, <js>"hello"</js>);     <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to check.
    * @param suffix The suffix to check for.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string ends with the suffix (ignoring case), <jk>false</jk> otherwise.
    */
   public static boolean endsWithIgnoreCase(String str, String suffix) {
      if (str == null || suffix == null)
         return false;
      return str.toLowerCase().endsWith(suffix.toLowerCase());
   }

   /**
    * Calculates the entropy of a string.
    *
    * <p>
    * Entropy measures the randomness or information content of a string.
    * Higher entropy indicates more randomness. The formula used is:
    * <c>H(X) = -Σ P(x) * log2(P(x))</c>
    * where P(x) is the probability of character x.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    entropy(<js>"aaaa"</js>);        <jc>// 0.0 (no randomness)</jc>
    *    entropy(<js>"abcd"</js>);        <jc>// 2.0 (high randomness)</jc>
    *    entropy(<js>"hello"</js>);       <jc>// ~2.32</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to calculate entropy for. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return The entropy value (0.0 or higher), or <c>0.0</c> if the string is <jk>null</jk> or empty.
    */
   public static double entropy(String str) {
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return 0.0;

      var length = str.length();

      // Count character frequencies
      var charCounts = new int[Character.MAX_VALUE + 1];
      for (var i = 0; i < length; i++) {
         charCounts[str.charAt(i)]++;
      }

      // Calculate entropy
      var entropy = 0.0;
      for (var count : charCounts) {
         if (count > 0) {
            var probability = (double)count / length;
            entropy -= probability * (Math.log(probability) / Math.log(2.0));
         }
      }

      return entropy;
   }

   /**
    * Tests two objects for case-insensitive string equality.
    *
    * <p>
    * Converts both objects to strings using {@link Object#toString()} before comparison.
    * This method handles <jk>null</jk> values gracefully:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>Both <jk>null</jk> → returns <jk>true</jk></li>
    *   <li>One <jk>null</jk> → returns <jk>false</jk></li>
    *   <li>Neither <jk>null</jk> → compares string representations ignoring case</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    equalsIgnoreCase(<js>"Hello"</js>, <js>"HELLO"</js>);     <jc>// true</jc>
    *    equalsIgnoreCase(<js>"Hello"</js>, <js>"World"</js>);     <jc>// false</jc>
    *    equalsIgnoreCase(<jk>null</jk>, <jk>null</jk>);            <jc>// true</jc>
    *    equalsIgnoreCase(<js>"Hello"</js>, <jk>null</jk>);         <jc>// false</jc>
    *    equalsIgnoreCase(123, <js>"123"</js>);                    <jc>// true (converts 123 to "123")</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param a Object 1.
    * @param b Object 2.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if both objects are equal ignoring case.
    * @see #equalsIgnoreCase(String, String)
    * @see Utils#eqic(Object, Object)
    */
   public static boolean equalsIgnoreCase(Object a, Object b) {
      if (a == null && b == null)
         return true;
      if (a == null || b == null)
         return false;
      return a.toString().equalsIgnoreCase(b.toString());
   }

   /**
    * Tests two strings for case-insensitive equality, but gracefully handles nulls.
    *
    * <p>
    * This method handles <jk>null</jk> values gracefully:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>Both <jk>null</jk> → returns <jk>true</jk> (same reference check)</li>
    *   <li>One <jk>null</jk> → returns <jk>false</jk></li>
    *   <li>Neither <jk>null</jk> → compares strings ignoring case</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    equalsIgnoreCase(<js>"Hello"</js>, <js>"hello"</js>);     <jc>// true</jc>
    *    equalsIgnoreCase(<js>"Hello"</js>, <js>"WORLD"</js>);     <jc>// false</jc>
    *    equalsIgnoreCase(<jk>null</jk>, <jk>null</jk>);           <jc>// true</jc>
    *    equalsIgnoreCase(<js>"Hello"</js>, <jk>null</jk>);        <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str1 The first string.
    * @param str2 The second string.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the strings are equal ignoring case, <jk>false</jk> otherwise.
    * @see #equalsIgnoreCase(Object, Object)
    * @see Utils#eqic(String, String)
    */
   public static boolean equalsIgnoreCase(String str1, String str2) {
      if (str1 == str2)
         return true;
      if (str1 == null || str2 == null)
         return false;
      return str1.equalsIgnoreCase(str2);
   }

   /**
    * Escapes the specified characters in the string.
    *
    * @param s The string with characters to escape.
    * @param escaped The characters to escape.
    * @return The string with characters escaped, or the same string if no escapable characters were found.
    */
   public static String escapeChars(String s, AsciiSet escaped) {
      if (s == null || s.isEmpty())
         return s;

      var count = 0;
      for (var i = 0; i < s.length(); i++)
         if (escaped.contains(s.charAt(i)))
            count++;
      if (count == 0)
         return s;

      var sb = new StringBuffer(s.length() + count);
      for (var i = 0; i < s.length(); i++) {
         var c = s.charAt(i);
         if (escaped.contains(c))
            sb.append('\\');
         sb.append(c);
      }
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Escapes a string for safe inclusion in Java source code.
    *
    * <p>This method converts special characters to their Java escape sequences and
    * converts non-printable ASCII characters to Unicode escape sequences.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Escape mappings:</h5>
    * <ul>
    *   <li>{@code "} → {@code \"}</li>
    *   <li>{@code \} → {@code \\}</li>
    *   <li>{@code \n} → {@code \\n}</li>
    *   <li>{@code \r} → {@code \\r}</li>
    *   <li>{@code \t} → {@code \\t}</li>
    *   <li>{@code \f} → {@code \\f}</li>
    *   <li>{@code \b} → {@code \\b}</li>
    *   <li>Non-printable characters → {@code \\uXXXX}</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *   <jk>var</jk> <jv>escaped</jv> = <jsm>escapeForJava</jsm>(<js>"Hello\nWorld\"Test\""</js>);
    *   <jc>// Returns: "Hello\\nWorld\\\"Test\\\""</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to escape.
    * @return The escaped string safe for Java source code, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String escapeForJava(String s) {
      if (s == null)
         return null;
      var sb = new StringBuilder();
      for (var c : s.toCharArray()) {
         sb.append(switch (c) {
            case '\"' -> "\\\"";
            case '\\' -> "\\\\";
            case '\n' -> "\\n";
            case '\r' -> "\\r";
            case '\t' -> "\\t";
            case '\f' -> "\\f";
            case '\b' -> "\\b";
            default -> {
               if (c < 0x20 || c > 0x7E)
                  yield String.format("\\u%04x", (int)c);
               yield String.valueOf(c);
            }
         });
      }
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Escapes HTML entities in a string.
    *
    * <p>
    * Escapes the following characters:
    * <ul>
    *   <li><js>'&amp;'</js> → <js>"&amp;amp;"</js></li>
    *   <li><js>'&lt;'</js> → <js>"&amp;lt;"</js></li>
    *   <li><js>'&gt;'</js> → <js>"&amp;gt;"</js></li>
    *   <li><js>'"'</js> → <js>"&amp;quot;"</js></li>
    *   <li><js>'\''</js> → <js>"&amp;#39;"</js></li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    escapeHtml(<js>"&lt;script&gt;alert('xss')&lt;/script&gt;"</js>);
    *    <jc>// Returns: "&amp;lt;script&amp;gt;alert(&amp;#39;xss&amp;#39;)&amp;lt;/script&amp;gt;"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to escape.
    * @return The escaped string, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String escapeHtml(String str) {
      if (str == null)
         return null;
      var sb = new StringBuilder(str.length() * 2);
      for (var i = 0; i < str.length(); i++) {
         var c = str.charAt(i);
         switch (c) {
            case '&' -> sb.append("&amp;");
            case '<' -> sb.append("&lt;");
            case '>' -> sb.append("&gt;");
            case '"' -> sb.append("&quot;");
            case '\'' -> sb.append("&#39;");
            default -> sb.append(c);
         }
      }
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Escapes regex special characters in a string.
    *
    * <p>
    * Escapes the following regex special characters: <js>\.*+?^${}()[]|\\</js>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    escapeRegex(<js>"file.txt"</js>);        <jc>// Returns: "file\\.txt"</jc>
    *    escapeRegex(<js>"price: $10.99"</js>);   <jc>// Returns: "price: \\$10\\.99"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to escape.
    * @return The escaped string, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String escapeRegex(String str) {
      if (str == null)
         return null;
      // Escape regex special characters: . * + ? ^ $ { } ( ) [ ] | \
      return str.replace("\\", "\\\\").replace(".", "\\.").replace("*", "\\*").replace("+", "\\+").replace("?", "\\?").replace("^", "\\^").replace("$", "\\$").replace("{", "\\{").replace("}", "\\}")
         .replace("(", "\\(").replace(")", "\\)").replace("[", "\\[").replace("]", "\\]").replace("|", "\\|");
   }

   /**
    * Escapes SQL string literals by doubling single quotes.
    *
    * <p>
    * Basic SQL escaping for string literals. Escapes single quotes by doubling them.
    * This is a basic implementation - for production use, consider using prepared statements.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    escapeSql(<js>"O'Brien"</js>);     <jc>// Returns: "O''Brien"</jc>
    *    escapeSql(<js>"It's a test"</js>); <jc>// Returns: "It''s a test"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to escape.
    * @return The escaped string, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String escapeSql(String str) {
      if (str == null)
         return null;
      return str.replace("'", "''");
   }

   /**
    * Escapes XML entities in a string.
    *
    * <p>
    * Escapes the following characters:
    * <ul>
    *   <li><js>'&amp;'</js> → <js>"&amp;amp;"</js></li>
    *   <li><js>'&lt;'</js> → <js>"&amp;lt;"</js></li>
    *   <li><js>'&gt;'</js> → <js>"&amp;gt;"</js></li>
    *   <li><js>'"'</js> → <js>"&amp;quot;"</js></li>
    *   <li><js>'\''</js> → <js>"&amp;apos;"</js></li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    escapeXml(<js>"&lt;tag attr='value'&gt;text&lt;/tag&gt;"</js>);
    *    <jc>// Returns: "&amp;lt;tag attr=&amp;apos;value&amp;apos;&amp;gt;text&amp;lt;/tag&amp;gt;"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to escape.
    * @return The escaped string, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String escapeXml(String str) {
      if (str == null)
         return null;
      var sb = new StringBuilder(str.length() * 2);
      for (var i = 0; i < str.length(); i++) {
         var c = str.charAt(i);
         switch (c) {
            case '&' -> sb.append("&amp;");
            case '<' -> sb.append("&lt;");
            case '>' -> sb.append("&gt;");
            case '"' -> sb.append("&quot;");
            case '\'' -> sb.append("&apos;");
            default -> sb.append(c);
         }
      }
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Extracts all text segments between start and end markers.
    *
    * <p>
    * Finds all occurrences of text between the start and end markers (non-overlapping).
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    extractBetween(<js>"&lt;tag&gt;content&lt;/tag&gt;"</js>, <js>"&lt;"</js>, <js>"&gt;"</js>);
    *    <jc>// ["tag", "/tag"]</jc>
    *    extractBetween(<js>"[one][two][three]"</js>, <js>"["</js>, <js>"]"</js>);
    *    <jc>// ["one", "two", "three"]</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to extract from. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @param start The start marker. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @param end The end marker. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return A list of text segments found between the markers, or an empty list if any parameter is <jk>null</jk> or empty.
    */
   public static List<String> extractBetween(String str, String start, String end) {
      if (isEmpty(str) || isEmpty(start) || isEmpty(end))
         return Collections.emptyList();

      var result = new ArrayList<String>();
      var startIndex = 0;
      while (true) {
         var startPos = str.indexOf(start, startIndex);
         if (startPos == -1)
            break;
         var endPos = str.indexOf(end, startPos + start.length());
         if (endPos == -1)
            break;
         result.add(str.substring(startPos + start.length(), endPos));
         startIndex = endPos + end.length();
      }
      return result;
   }

   /**
    * Extracts all email addresses from a string.
    *
    * <p>
    * Uses a basic email regex pattern to find email addresses.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    extractEmails(<js>"Contact: user@example.com or admin@test.org"</js>);
    *    <jc>// ["user@example.com", "admin@test.org"]</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to extract emails from. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return A list of email addresses found in the input, or an empty list if the string is <jk>null</jk> or empty.
    */
   public static List<String> extractEmails(String str) {
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return Collections.emptyList();

      var result = new ArrayList<String>();
      // Email regex pattern (same as isEmail but without ^ and $ anchors)
      var pattern = Pattern.compile("[a-zA-Z0-9._%+-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+\\.[a-zA-Z]{2,}");
      var matcher = pattern.matcher(str);
      while (matcher.find()) {
         result.add(matcher.group());
      }
      return result;
   }

   /**
    * Extracts all numeric sequences from a string.
    *
    * <p>
    * Finds all sequences of digits (including decimal numbers with dots).
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    extractNumbers(<js>"Price: $19.99, Quantity: 5"</js>);
    *    <jc>// ["19.99", "5"]</jc>
    *    extractNumbers(<js>"Version 1.2.3"</js>);
    *    <jc>// ["1.2", "3"]</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to extract numbers from. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return A list of numeric strings found in the input, or an empty list if the string is <jk>null</jk> or empty.
    */
   public static List<String> extractNumbers(String str) {
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return Collections.emptyList();

      var result = new ArrayList<String>();
      var pattern = Pattern.compile("\\d+(?:\\.\\d+)?");
      var matcher = pattern.matcher(str);
      while (matcher.find()) {
         result.add(matcher.group());
      }
      return result;
   }

   /**
    * Extracts all URLs from a string.
    *
    * <p>
    * Uses a basic URL regex pattern to find URLs (http, https, ftp).
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    extractUrls(<js>"Visit https://example.com or http://test.org"</js>);
    *    <jc>// ["https://example.com", "http://test.org"]</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to extract URLs from. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return A list of URLs found in the input, or an empty list if the string is <jk>null</jk> or empty.
    */
   public static List<String> extractUrls(String str) {
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return Collections.emptyList();

      var result = new ArrayList<String>();
      // Basic URL pattern: protocol://domain/path
      var pattern = Pattern.compile("(?:https?|ftp)://[\\w\\-._~:/?#\\[\\]@!$&'()*+,;=%]+", Pattern.CASE_INSENSITIVE);
      var matcher = pattern.matcher(str);
      while (matcher.find()) {
         result.add(matcher.group());
      }
      return result;
   }

   /**
    * Extracts all words from a string.
    *
    * <p>
    * A word is defined as a sequence of letters, digits, and underscores.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    extractWords(<js>"Hello world! This is a test."</js>);
    *    <jc>// ["Hello", "world", "This", "is", "a", "test"]</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to extract words from. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return A list of words found in the input, or an empty list if the string is <jk>null</jk> or empty.
    */
   public static List<String> extractWords(String str) {
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return Collections.emptyList();

      var result = new ArrayList<String>();
      // Word pattern: sequence of word characters (letters, digits, underscore)
      var pattern = Pattern.compile("\\w+");
      var matcher = pattern.matcher(str);
      while (matcher.find()) {
         result.add(matcher.group());
      }
      return result;
   }

   /**
    * Filters a string array using the specified predicate.
    *
    * <p>
    * Returns <jk>null</jk> if the array is <jk>null</jk>.
    * Returns an empty array if the predicate is <jk>null</jk> or no elements match.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Examples:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    String[] <jv>array</jv> = {<js>"foo"</js>, <js>""</js>, <js>"bar"</js>, <jk>null</jk>, <js>"baz"</js>};
    *    String[] <jv>filtered</jv> = filter(<jv>array</jv>, StringUtils.<jsf>NOT_EMPTY</jsf>);
    *    <jc>// Returns: ["foo", "bar", "baz"]</jc>
    *
    *    String[] <jv>longStrings</jv> = filter(<jv>array</jv>, s -&gt; s != <jk>null</jk> &amp;&amp; s.length() &gt; 3);
    *    <jc>// Returns: ["baz"]</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param array The array to filter. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @param predicate The predicate to apply to each element. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return A new array containing only the elements that match the predicate, or <jk>null</jk> if the array was <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String[] filter(String[] array, Predicate<String> predicate) {
      if (array == null)
         return null;  // NOSONAR - Intentional.
      if (predicate == null)
         return new String[0];
      return Arrays.stream(array).filter(predicate).toArray(String[]::new);
   }

   /**
    * Returns the first character in the specified string.
    *
    * <p>
    * This is a null-safe and bounds-safe operation. Returns <c>0</c> (null character) if:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>The string is <jk>null</jk></li>
    *   <li>The string is empty</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    firstChar(<js>"Hello"</js>);     <jc>// 'H'</jc>
    *    firstChar(<js>"World"</js>);     <jc>// 'W'</jc>
    *    firstChar(<js>""</js>);          <jc>// 0 (empty string)</jc>
    *    firstChar(<jk>null</jk>);        <jc>// 0 (null string)</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to check.
    * @return The first character in the string, or <c>0</c> if the string is <jk>null</jk> or empty.
    * @see #charAt(String, int)
    * @see #firstNonWhitespaceChar(String)
    */
   public static char firstChar(String s) {
      if (s == null || s.isEmpty())
         return 0;
      return s.charAt(0);
   }

   /**
    * Returns the first non-blank string in the array.
    *
    * @param vals The strings to check.
    * @return The first non-blank string, or <jk>null</jk> if all values were blank or <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String firstNonBlank(String...vals) {
      for (var v : vals) {
         if (isNotBlank(v))
            return v;
      }
      return null;
   }

   /**
    * Returns the first non-null, non-empty string in the list.
    *
    * <p>
    * This method iterates through the provided strings and returns the first one that is not <jk>null</jk>
    * and not empty (as determined by {@link Utils#ne(CharSequence)}).
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    firstNonEmpty(<jk>null</jk>, <js>""</js>, <js>"Hello"</js>, <js>"World"</js>);   <jc>// "Hello"</jc>
    *    firstNonEmpty(<js>"Hello"</js>, <js>"World"</js>);                              <jc>// "Hello"</jc>
    *    firstNonEmpty(<jk>null</jk>, <js>""</js>);                                      <jc>// null</jc>
    *    firstNonEmpty();                                                                <jc>// null</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The strings to test.
    * @return The first non-empty string in the list, or <jk>null</jk> if they were all <jk>null</jk> or empty.
    * @see #firstNonBlank(String...)
    * @see Utils#ne(CharSequence)
    */
   public static String firstNonEmpty(String...s) {
      for (var ss : s)
         if (ne(ss))
            return ss;
      return null;
   }

   /**
    * Returns the first non-whitespace character in the string.
    *
    * <p>
    * This method scans the string from the beginning and returns the first character that is not
    * a whitespace character (as determined by {@link Character#isWhitespace(char)}).
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    firstNonWhitespaceChar(<js>"Hello"</js>);          <jc>// 'H'</jc>
    *    firstNonWhitespaceChar(<js>"  Hello"</js>);        <jc>// 'H'</jc>
    *    firstNonWhitespaceChar(<js>"\t\nWorld"</js>);      <jc>// 'W'</jc>
    *    firstNonWhitespaceChar(<js>"   "</js>);            <jc>// 0 (only whitespace)</jc>
    *    firstNonWhitespaceChar(<jk>null</jk>);            <jc>// 0 (null string)</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to check.
    * @return The first non-whitespace character, or <c>0</c> if the string is <jk>null</jk>, empty, or composed of only whitespace.
    * @see #firstChar(String)
    * @see Character#isWhitespace(char)
    */
   public static char firstNonWhitespaceChar(String s) {
      if (nn(s))
         for (var i = 0; i < s.length(); i++)
            if (! isWhitespace(s.charAt(i)))
               return s.charAt(i);
      return 0;
   }

   /**
    * URL-encodes invalid characters in a URI string.
    *
    * <p>
    * This method escapes characters that are not valid in URIs by converting them to percent-encoded
    * format. Spaces are converted to <js>"+"</js> characters, and other invalid characters are
    * percent-encoded (e.g., <js>"hello world"</js> becomes <js>"hello+world"</js>).
    *
    * <p>
    * Only ASCII characters (0-127) that are not in the valid URI character set are encoded.
    * If the string contains no invalid characters, the original string is returned.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    fixUrl(<js>"hello world"</js>);              <jc>// "hello+world"</jc>
    *    fixUrl(<js>"file://path/to file.txt"</js>);  <jc>// "file://path/to+file.txt"</jc>
    *    fixUrl(<js>"valid-url"</js>);                <jc>// "valid-url" (no change)</jc>
    *    fixUrl(<jk>null</jk>);                       <jc>// null</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param in The URI string to encode. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return The URI with invalid characters encoded, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    * @see #urlEncode(String)
    */
   @SuppressWarnings("null")
   public static String fixUrl(String in) {

      if (in == null)
         return null;

      var sb = (StringBuilder)null;

      var m = 0;

      for (var i = 0; i < in.length(); i++) {
         var c = in.charAt(i);
         if (! URI_CHARS.contains(c)) {
            sb = append(sb, in.substring(m, i));
            if (c == ' ')
               sb.append("+");
            else
               sb.append('%').append(toHex2(c));
            m = i + 1;
         }
      }
      if (nn(sb)) {
         sb.append(in.substring(m));
         return sb.toString();
      }
      return in;

   }

   /**
    * Formats a string using printf-style and/or MessageFormat-style format specifiers.
    *
    * <p>
    * This method provides unified string formatting that supports both printf-style formatting
    * (similar to C's <c>printf()</c> function and Java's {@link String#format(String, Object...)})
    * and MessageFormat-style formatting in the same pattern.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Format Support:</h5>
    * <ul>
    *   <li><b>Printf-style:</b> <js>"%s"</js>, <js>"%d"</js>, <js>"%.2f"</js>, <js>"%1$s"</js>, etc.</li>
    *   <li><b>MessageFormat-style:</b> <js>"{0}"</js>, <js>"{1,number}"</js>, <js>"{2,date}"</js>, etc.</li>
    *   <li><b>Un-numbered MessageFormat:</b> <js>"{}"</js> - Sequential placeholders that are automatically numbered</li>
    *   <li><b>Mixed formats:</b> Both styles can be used in the same pattern</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Printf Format Specifiers:</h5>
    * <ul>
    *   <li><b>%s</b> - String</li>
    *   <li><b>%d</b> - Decimal integer</li>
    *   <li><b>%f</b> - Floating point</li>
    *   <li><b>%x</b> - Hexadecimal (lowercase)</li>
    *   <li><b>%X</b> - Hexadecimal (uppercase)</li>
    *   <li><b>%o</b> - Octal</li>
    *   <li><b>%b</b> - Boolean</li>
    *   <li><b>%c</b> - Character</li>
    *   <li><b>%e</b> - Scientific notation (lowercase)</li>
    *   <li><b>%E</b> - Scientific notation (uppercase)</li>
    *   <li><b>%g</b> - General format (lowercase)</li>
    *   <li><b>%G</b> - General format (uppercase)</li>
    *   <li><b>%n</b> - Platform-specific line separator</li>
    *   <li><b>%%</b> - Literal percent sign</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Format Specifier Syntax:</h5>
    * <p>
    * Printf format specifiers follow this pattern: <c>%[argument_index$][flags][width][.precision]conversion</c>
    * </p>
    * <p>
    * MessageFormat placeholders follow this pattern: <c>{argument_index[,format_type[,format_style]]}</c>
    * </p>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Examples:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    <jc>// Printf-style formatting</jc>
    *    format(<js>"Hello %s, you have %d items"</js>, <js>"John"</js>, 5);
    *    <jc>// Returns: "Hello John, you have 5 items"</jc>
    *
    *    <jc>// Floating point with precision</jc>
    *    format(<js>"Price: $%.2f"</js>, 19.99);
    *    <jc>// Returns: "Price: $19.99"</jc>
    *
    *    <jc>// MessageFormat-style formatting</jc>
    *    format(<js>"Hello {0}, you have {1} items"</js>, <js>"John"</js>, 5);
    *    <jc>// Returns: "Hello John, you have 5 items"</jc>
    *
    *    <jc>// Un-numbered MessageFormat placeholders (sequential)</jc>
    *    format(<js>"Hello {}, you have {} items"</js>, <js>"John"</js>, 5);
    *    <jc>// Returns: "Hello John, you have 5 items"</jc>
    *
    *    <jc>// Mixed format styles in the same pattern</jc>
    *    format(<js>"User {0} has %d items and %s status"</js>, <js>"Alice"</js>, 10, <js>"active"</js>);
    *    <jc>// Returns: "User Alice has 10 items and active status"</jc>
    *
    *    <jc>// Width and alignment (printf)</jc>
    *    format(<js>"Name: %-20s Age: %3d"</js>, <js>"John"</js>, 25);
    *    <jc>// Returns: "Name: John                 Age:  25"</jc>
    *
    *    <jc>// Hexadecimal (printf)</jc>
    *    format(<js>"Color: #%06X"</js>, 0xFF5733);
    *    <jc>// Returns: "Color: #FF5733"</jc>
    *
    *    <jc>// Argument index (reuse arguments)</jc>
    *    format(<js>"%1$s loves %2$s, and {0} also loves %3$s"</js>, <js>"Alice"</js>, <js>"Bob"</js>, <js>"Charlie"</js>);
    *    <jc>// Returns: "Alice loves Bob, and Alice also loves Charlie"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Comparison with mformat():</h5>
    * <p>
    * This method supports both MessageFormat-style and printf-style formats.
    * </p>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    <jc>// Both styles supported (this method)</jc>
    *    format(<js>"Hello %s, you have %d items"</js>, <js>"John"</js>, 5);
    *    format(<js>"Hello {0}, you have {1} items"</js>, <js>"John"</js>, 5);
    *    format(<js>"User {0} has %d items"</js>, <js>"Alice"</js>, 10);
    *
    *    <jc>// MessageFormat style only</jc>
    *    mformat(<js>"Hello {0}, you have {1} items"</js>, <js>"John"</js>, 5);
    * </p>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Null Handling:</h5>
    * <p>
    * Null arguments are formatted as the string <js>"null"</js> for string conversions,
    * or cause a {@link NullPointerException} for numeric conversions (consistent with {@link String#format(String, Object...)}).
    * </p>
    *
    * @param pattern The format string supporting both MessageFormat and printf-style placeholders.
    * @param args The arguments to format.
    * @return The formatted string.
    * @throws java.util.IllegalFormatException If the format string is invalid or arguments don't match the format specifiers.
    * @see StringFormat for detailed format specification
    * @see String#format(String, Object...)
    * @see StringFormat for detailed format specification
    */
   public static String format(String pattern, Object...args) {
      return StringFormat.format(pattern, args);
   }

   /**
    * Simple utility for replacing variables of the form <js>"{key}"</js> with values in the specified map.
    *
    * <p>
    * Supports named MessageFormat-style variables: <js>"{key}"</js> where <c>key</c> is a map key.
    * For un-numbered sequential placeholders <js>"{}"</js>, use {@link #format(String, Object...)} instead.
    *
    * <p>
    * Variable values are converted to strings using {@link #readable(Object)} to ensure consistent,
    * readable formatting (e.g., byte arrays are converted to hex, collections are formatted without spaces).
    *
    * <p>
    * Nested variables are supported in both the input string and map values.
    *
    * <p>
    * If the map does not contain the specified value, the variable is not replaced.
    *
    * <p>
    * <jk>null</jk> values in the map are treated as blank strings.
    *
    * @param s The string containing variables to replace.
    * @param m The map containing the variable values.
    * @return The new string with variables replaced, or the original string if it didn't have variables in it.
    */
   public static String formatNamed(String s, Map<String,Object> m) {

      if (s == null)
         return null;

      if (m == null || m.isEmpty() || s.indexOf('{') == -1)
         return s;

      // S1: Not in variable, looking for '{'
      // S2: Found '{', Looking for '}'

      var state = S1;
      var hasInternalVar = false;
      var x = 0;
      var depth = 0;
      var length = s.length();
      var out = new StringBuilder();

      for (var i = 0; i < length; i++) {
         var c = s.charAt(i);
         if (state == S1) {
            if (c == '{') {
               state = S2;
               x = i;
            } else {
               out.append(c);
            }
         } else /* state == S2 */ {
            if (c == '{') {
               depth++;
               hasInternalVar = true;
            } else if (c == '}') {
               if (depth > 0) {
                  depth--;
               } else {
                  var key = s.substring(x + 1, i);
                  key = (hasInternalVar ? formatNamed(key, m) : key);
                  hasInternalVar = false;
                  // JUNEAU-248: Check if key exists in map by attempting to get it
                  // For regular maps: use containsKey() OR nn(get()) check
                  // For BeanMaps: get() returns non-null for accessible properties (including hidden ones)
                  var val = m.get(key);
                  // Check if key actually exists: either containsKey is true, or val is non-null
                  // This handles both regular maps and BeanMaps correctly
                  var keyExists = m.containsKey(key) || nn(val);
                  if (! keyExists)
                     out.append('{').append(key).append('}');
                  else {
                     if (val == null)
                        val = "";
                     var v = r(val);
                     // If the replacement also contains variables, replace them now.
                     if (v.indexOf('{') != -1)
                        v = formatNamed(v, m);
                     out.append(v);
                  }
                  state = S1;
               }
            }
         }
      }
      return out.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Converts a hexadecimal character string to a byte array.
    *
    * @param hex The string to convert to a byte array.
    * @return A new byte array.
    */
   public static byte[] fromHex(String hex) {
      var buff = ByteBuffer.allocate(hex.length() / 2);
      for (var i = 0; i < hex.length(); i += 2)
         buff.put((byte)Integer.parseInt(hex.substring(i, i + 2), 16));
      buff.rewind();
      return buff.array();
   }

   /**
    * Converts a hexadecimal byte stream (e.g. "34A5BC") into a UTF-8 encoded string.
    *
    * @param hex The hexadecimal string.
    * @return The UTF-8 string.
    */
   public static String fromHexToUTF8(String hex) {
      var buff = ByteBuffer.allocate(hex.length() / 2);
      for (var i = 0; i < hex.length(); i += 2)
         buff.put((byte)Integer.parseInt(hex.substring(i, i + 2), 16));
      buff.rewind();  // Fixes Java 11 issue.
      return UTF_8.decode(buff).toString();
   }

   /**
    * Same as {@link #fromHex(String)} except expects spaces between the byte strings.
    *
    * @param hex The string to convert to a byte array.
    * @return A new byte array.
    */
   public static byte[] fromSpacedHex(String hex) {
      var buff = ByteBuffer.allocate((hex.length() + 1) / 3);
      for (var i = 0; i < hex.length(); i += 3)
         buff.put((byte)Integer.parseInt(hex.substring(i, i + 2), 16));
      buff.rewind();
      return buff.array();
   }

   /**
    * Converts a space-deliminted hexadecimal byte stream (e.g. "34 A5 BC") into a UTF-8 encoded string.
    *
    * @param hex The hexadecimal string.
    * @return The UTF-8 string.
    */
   public static String fromSpacedHexToUTF8(String hex) {
      var buff = ByteBuffer.allocate((hex.length() + 1) / 3);
      for (var i = 0; i < hex.length(); i += 3)
         buff.put((byte)Integer.parseInt(hex.substring(i, i + 2), 16));
      buff.rewind();  // Fixes Java 11 issue.
      return UTF_8.decode(buff).toString();
   }

   /**
    * Generates a random UUID string in standard format.
    *
    * <p>
    * Returns a UUID in the format: <c>xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx</c>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    generateUUID();  <jc>// "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @return A new random UUID string.
    */
   public static String generateUUID() {
      return UUID.randomUUID().toString();
   }

   /**
    * Given an absolute URI, returns just the authority portion (e.g. <js>"http://hostname:port"</js>)
    *
    * @param s The URI string.
    * @return Just the authority portion of the URI.
    */
   public static String getAuthorityUri(String s) {  // NOSONAR - False positive.

      // Use a state machine for maximum performance.

      // S1: Looking for http
      // S2: Found http, looking for :
      // S3: Found :, looking for /
      // S4: Found /, looking for /
      // S5: Found /, looking for x
      // S6: Found x, looking for /

      var state = S1;

      for (var i = 0; i < s.length(); i++) {
         var c = s.charAt(i);
         if (state == S1) {
            if (isLowerCaseLetter(c))
               state = S2;
            else
               return s;
         } else if (state == S2) {
            if (c == ':')
               state = S3;
            else if (! isLowerCaseLetter(c))
               return s;
         } else if (state == S3) {  // NOSONAR - False positive.
            if (c == '/')
               state = S4;
            else
               return s;
         } else if (state == S4) {
            if (c == '/')
               state = S5;
            else
               return s;
         } else if (state == S5) {
            if (c != '/')
               state = S6;
            else
               return s;
         } else /* state == S6 */ {
            if (c == '/')  // NOSONAR - Intentional.
               return s.substring(0, i);
         }
      }

      return s;
   }

   /**
    * Parses a duration string.
    *
    * <p>
    * Supports simple duration formats:
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Format Examples:</h5>
    * <ul>
    *    <li><js>"1000"</js> - 1000 milliseconds (no suffix)
    *    <li><js>"10s"</js> - 10 seconds
    *    <li><js>"10 sec"</js> - 10 seconds
    *    <li><js>"10 seconds"</js> - 10 seconds
    *    <li><js>"1.5h"</js> - 1.5 hours (5400000 ms)
    *    <li><js>"1h30m"</js> - 1 hour 30 minutes (5400000 ms)
    *    <li><js>"1h 30m"</js> - 1 hour 30 minutes (with spaces)
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Supported Units:</h5>
    * <ul>
    *    <li><b>Milliseconds:</b> <js>"ms"</js>, <js>"millis"</js>, <js>"milliseconds"</js> (or no suffix)
    *    <li><b>Seconds:</b> <js>"s"</js>, <js>"sec"</js>, <js>"second"</js>, <js>"seconds"</js>
    *    <li><b>Minutes:</b> <js>"m"</js>, <js>"min"</js>, <js>"minute"</js>, <js>"minutes"</js>
    *    <li><b>Hours:</b> <js>"h"</js>, <js>"hour"</js>, <js>"hours"</js>
    *    <li><b>Days:</b> <js>"d"</js>, <js>"day"</js>, <js>"days"</js>
    *    <li><b>Weeks:</b> <js>"w"</js>, <js>"week"</js>, <js>"weeks"</js>
    *    <li><b>Months:</b> <js>"mo"</js>, <js>"month"</js>, <js>"months"</js> (30 days)
    *    <li><b>Years:</b> <js>"y"</js>, <js>"yr"</js>, <js>"year"</js>, <js>"years"</js> (365 days)
    * </ul>
    *
    * <p>
    * Suffixes are case-insensitive.
    * <br>Whitespace is ignored.
    * <br>Decimal values are supported (e.g., <js>"1.5h"</js>).
    * <br>Combined formats are supported (e.g., <js>"1h30m"</js>).
    *
    * @param s The string to parse.
    * @return
    *    The time in milliseconds, or <c>-1</c> if the string is empty or <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static long getDuration(String s) {
      s = trim(s);
      if (isEmpty(s))
         return -1;

      // Parse simple format (number + unit or combined format)
      var totalMs = 0L;
      var i = 0;
      var len = s.length();

      while (i < len) {
         // Skip whitespace
         while (i < len && Character.isWhitespace(s.charAt(i)))
            i++;

         // Parse number (including decimal)
         var numStart = i;
         var hasDecimal = false;
         while (i < len) {
         var c = s.charAt(i);
            if (c >= '0' && c <= '9') {
               i++;
            } else if (c == '.' && !hasDecimal) {
               hasDecimal = true;
               i++;
            } else {
            break;
      }
         }

         if (i == numStart) {
            // No number found, invalid format
            return -1;
         }

         var numStr = s.substring(numStart, i).trim();
         var value = Double.parseDouble(numStr);

         // Skip whitespace
         while (i < len && Character.isWhitespace(s.charAt(i)))
            i++;

      // Parse unit (read all letters until we hit a digit or whitespace)
      var unitStart = i;
      while (i < len && LETTER.contains(s.charAt(i)))
         i++;
      var unit = s.substring(unitStart, i).trim().toLowerCase();

         // Convert to milliseconds
         var ms = parseUnit(unit, value);
         if (ms < 0)
            return -1;
         totalMs += ms;
      }

      return totalMs;
   }

   /**
    * Converts a string containing glob-style wildcard characters to a regular expression {@link java.util.regex.Pattern}.
    *
    * <p>This method converts glob-style patterns to regular expressions with the following mappings:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>{@code *} matches any sequence of characters (including none)</li>
    *   <li>{@code ?} matches exactly one character</li>
    *   <li>All other characters are treated literally</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *   <jk>var</jk> <jv>pattern</jv> = <jsm>getGlobMatchPattern</jsm>(<js>"user_*_temp"</js>);
    *   <jk>boolean</jk> <jv>matches</jv> = <jv>pattern</jv>.matcher(<js>"user_alice_temp"</js>).matches();  <jc>// true</jc>
    *   <jv>matches</jv> = <jv>pattern</jv>.matcher(<js>"user_bob_temp"</js>).matches();    <jc>// true</jc>
    *   <jv>matches</jv> = <jv>pattern</jv>.matcher(<js>"admin_alice_temp"</js>).matches(); <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The glob-style wildcard pattern string.
    * @return A compiled {@link java.util.regex.Pattern} object, or <jk>null</jk> if the input string is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static java.util.regex.Pattern getGlobMatchPattern(String s) {
      return getGlobMatchPattern(s, 0);
   }

   /**
    * Converts a string containing glob-style wildcard characters to a regular expression {@link java.util.regex.Pattern} with flags.
    *
    * <p>This method converts glob-style patterns to regular expressions with the following mappings:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>{@code *} matches any sequence of characters (including none)</li>
    *   <li>{@code ?} matches exactly one character</li>
    *   <li>All other characters are treated literally</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *   <jc>// Case-insensitive matching</jc>
    *   <jk>var</jk> <jv>pattern</jv> = <jsm>getGlobMatchPattern</jsm>(<js>"USER_*"</js>, Pattern.<jsf>CASE_INSENSITIVE</jsf>);
    *   <jk>boolean</jk> <jv>matches</jv> = <jv>pattern</jv>.matcher(<js>"user_alice"</js>).matches();  <jc>// true</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The glob-style wildcard pattern string.
    * @param flags Regular expression flags (see {@link java.util.regex.Pattern} constants).
    * @return A compiled {@link java.util.regex.Pattern} object, or <jk>null</jk> if the input string is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static java.util.regex.Pattern getGlobMatchPattern(String s, int flags) {
      if (s == null)
         return null;
      var sb = new StringBuilder();
      sb.append("\\Q");
      for (var i = 0; i < s.length(); i++) {
         var c = s.charAt(i);
         if (c == '*')
            sb.append("\\E").append(".*").append("\\Q");
         else if (c == '?')
            sb.append("\\E").append(".").append("\\Q");
         else
            sb.append(c);
      }
      sb.append("\\E");
      return java.util.regex.Pattern.compile(sb.toString(), flags);
   }

   /**
    * Converts a string containing <js>"*"</js> meta characters with a regular expression pattern.
    *
    * @param s The string to create a pattern from.
    * @return A regular expression pattern.
    */
   public static Pattern getMatchPattern(String s) {
      return getMatchPattern(s, 0);
   }

   /**
    * Converts a string containing <js>"*"</js> meta characters with a regular expression pattern.
    *
    * @param s The string to create a pattern from.
    * @param flags Regular expression flags.
    * @return A regular expression pattern.
    */
   public static Pattern getMatchPattern(String s, int flags) {
      if (s == null)
         return null;
      var sb = new StringBuilder();
      sb.append("\\Q");
      for (var i = 0; i < s.length(); i++) {
         var c = s.charAt(i);
         if (c == '*')
            sb.append("\\E").append(".*").append("\\Q");
         else if (c == '?')
            sb.append("\\E").append(".").append("\\Q");
         else
            sb.append(c);
      }
      sb.append("\\E");
      return Pattern.compile(sb.toString(), flags);
   }

   /**
    * Takes in a string, splits it by lines, and then prepends each line with line numbers.
    *
    * @param s The string.
    * @return The string with line numbers added.
    */
   public static String getNumberedLines(String s) {
      return getNumberedLines(s, 1, Integer.MAX_VALUE);
   }

   /**
    * Same as {@link #getNumberedLines(String)} except only returns the specified lines.
    *
    * <p>
    * Out-of-bounds values are allowed and fixed.
    *
    * @param s The string.
    * @param start The starting line (1-indexed).
    * @param end The ending line (1-indexed).
    * @return The string with line numbers added.
    */
   public static String getNumberedLines(String s, int start, int end) {
      if (s == null)
         return null;
      var lines = s.split("[\r\n]+");
      var digits = String.valueOf(lines.length).length();
      if (start < 1)
         start = 1;
      if (end < 0)
         end = Integer.MAX_VALUE;
      if (end > lines.length)
         end = lines.length;
      var sb = new StringBuilder();
      for (var l : l(lines).subList(start - 1, end))
         sb.append(String.format("%0" + digits + "d", start++)).append(": ").append(l).append("\n");  // NOSONAR - Intentional.
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Calculates the approximate memory size of a string in bytes.
    *
    * <p>
    * Returns <c>0</c> if the input string is <jk>null</jk>.
    * This method provides an estimate based on typical JVM object layout:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>String object overhead: ~24 bytes (object header + fields)</li>
    *   <li>char[] array overhead: ~16 bytes (array header)</li>
    *   <li>Character data: 2 bytes per character</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <p>
    * <b>Note:</b> Actual memory usage may vary based on JVM implementation, object alignment,
    * and whether compressed OOPs are enabled. This is an approximation for informational purposes.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Examples:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    getStringSize(<jk>null</jk>);        <jc>// Returns: 0</jc>
    *    getStringSize(<js>""</js>);          <jc>// Returns: ~40 bytes</jc>
    *    getStringSize(<js>"hello"</js>);     <jc>// Returns: ~50 bytes (40 + 10)</jc>
    *    getStringSize(<js>"test"</js>);      <jc>// Returns: ~48 bytes (40 + 8)</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to measure. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return The approximate memory size in bytes, or <c>0</c> if the input was <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static long getStringSize(String str) {
      if (str == null)
         return 0;
      // String object overhead: ~24 bytes (object header + fields: value, hash, coder)
      // char[] array overhead: ~16 bytes (array header)
      // Character data: 2 bytes per character
      return 24L + 16L + (2L * str.length());
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string has text (not null, not empty, and contains at least one non-whitespace character).
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    hasText(<jk>null</jk>);       <jc>// false</jc>
    *    hasText(<js>""</js>);         <jc>// false</jc>
    *    hasText(<js>"   "</js>);      <jc>// false</jc>
    *    hasText(<js>"hello"</js>);    <jc>// true</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to check.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string is not null, not empty, and contains at least one non-whitespace character.
    */
   public static boolean hasText(String str) {
      return isNotBlank(str);
   }

   /**
    * Same as {@link String#indexOf(int)} except allows you to check for multiple characters.
    *
    * @param s The string to check.
    * @param c The characters to check for.
    * @return The index into the string that is one of the specified characters.
    */
   public static int indexOf(String s, char...c) {
      if (s == null)
         return -1;
      for (var i = 0; i < s.length(); i++) {
         var c2 = s.charAt(i);
         for (var cc : c)
            if (c2 == cc)
               return i;
      }
      return -1;
   }

   /**
    * Finds the index of the first occurrence of a substring within a string.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    indexOf(<js>"hello world"</js>, <js>"world"</js>);     <jc>// 6</jc>
    *    indexOf(<js>"hello world"</js>, <js>"xyz"</js>);       <jc>// -1</jc>
    *    indexOf(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"test"</js>);               <jc>// -1</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to search in.
    * @param search The substring to search for.
    * @return The index of the first occurrence, or <c>-1</c> if not found or if either parameter is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static int indexOf(String str, String search) {
      if (str == null || search == null)
         return -1;
      return str.indexOf(search);
   }

   /**
    * Finds the index of the first occurrence of a substring within a string, ignoring case.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    indexOfIgnoreCase(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"world"</js>);     <jc>// 6</jc>
    *    indexOfIgnoreCase(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"WORLD"</js>);     <jc>// 6</jc>
    *    indexOfIgnoreCase(<js>"hello world"</js>, <js>"xyz"</js>);       <jc>// -1</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to search in.
    * @param search The substring to search for.
    * @return The index of the first occurrence, or <c>-1</c> if not found or if either parameter is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static int indexOfIgnoreCase(String str, String search) {
      if (str == null || search == null)
         return -1;
      return str.toLowerCase().indexOf(search.toLowerCase());
   }

   /**
    * Interns a string, returning the canonical representation.
    *
    * <p>
    * Returns <jk>null</jk> if the input string is <jk>null</jk>.
    * This method provides a null-safe wrapper around {@link String#intern()}.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Examples:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    String <jv>s1</jv> = <jk>new</jk> String(<js>"test"</js>);
    *    String <jv>s2</jv> = <jk>new</jk> String(<js>"test"</js>);
    *    assertTrue(<jv>s1</jv> != <jv>s2</jv>);  <jc>// Different objects</jc>
    *
    *    String <jv>i1</jv> = intern(<jv>s1</jv>);
    *    String <jv>i2</jv> = intern(<jv>s2</jv>);
    *    assertTrue(<jv>i1</jv> == <jv>i2</jv>);  <jc>// Same interned object</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Performance Note:</h5>
    * <p>String interning stores strings in a special pool, which can save memory when the same string
    * values are used repeatedly. However, the intern pool has limited size and interning can be slow,
    * so use judiciously for strings that are known to be repeated frequently.</p>
    *
    * @param str The string to intern. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return The interned string, or <jk>null</jk> if the input was <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String intern(String str) {
      return str == null ? null : str.intern();
   }

   /**
    * Interpolates variables in a template string using <js>"${name}"</js> syntax.
    *
    * <p>
    * Replaces variables of the form <js>"${name}"</js> with values from the map.
    * This is similar to shell variable interpolation syntax.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    var vars = Map.of(<js>"name"</js>, <js>"John"</js>, <js>"city"</js>, <js>"New York"</js>);
    *    interpolate(<js>"Hello ${name}, welcome to ${city}"</js>, vars);
    *    <jc>// Returns: "Hello John, welcome to New York"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param template The template string with <js>"${name}"</js> variables.
    * @param variables The map containing the variable values.
    * @return The interpolated string with variables replaced, or the original template if variables is null or empty.
    */
   public static String interpolate(String template, Map<String,Object> variables) {
      if (template == null)
         return null;
      if (variables == null || variables.isEmpty())
         return template;

      var result = new StringBuilder();
      var i = 0;
      var length = template.length();

      while (i < length) {
         var dollarIndex = template.indexOf("${", i);
         if (dollarIndex == -1) {
            // No more variables, append the rest
            result.append(template.substring(i));
            break;
         }

         // Append text before the variable
         result.append(template.substring(i, dollarIndex));

         // Find the closing brace
         var braceIndex = template.indexOf('}', dollarIndex + 2);
         if (braceIndex == -1) {
            // No closing brace, append the rest as-is
            result.append(template.substring(dollarIndex));
            break;
         }

         // Extract variable name
         var varName = template.substring(dollarIndex + 2, braceIndex);
         var value = variables.get(varName);

         if (variables.containsKey(varName)) {
            // Variable exists in map (even if null)
            result.append(value != null ? value.toString() : "null");
         } else {
            // Variable not found, keep the original placeholder
            result.append("${").append(varName).append("}");
         }

         i = braceIndex + 1;
      }

      return result.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Efficiently determines whether a URL is of the pattern "xxx://xxx"
    *
    * @param s The string to test.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if it's an absolute path.
    */
   public static boolean isAbsoluteUri(String s) {  // NOSONAR - False positive.

      if (isEmpty(s))
         return false;

      // Use a state machine for maximum performance.

      // S1: Looking for http
      // S2: Found http, looking for :
      // S3: Found :, looking for /
      // S4: Found /, looking for /
      // S5: Found /, looking for x

      var state = S1;

      for (var i = 0; i < s.length(); i++) {
         var c = s.charAt(i);
         if (state == S1) {
            if (isLowerCaseLetter(c))
               state = S2;
            else
               return false;
         } else if (state == S2) {
            if (c == ':')
               state = S3;
            else if (! isLowerCaseLetter(c))
               return false;
         } else if (state == S3) {  // NOSONAR - False positive.
            if (c == '/')
               state = S4;
            else
               return false;
         } else if (state == S4) {
            if (c == '/')
               state = S5;
            else
               return false;
         } else /* state == S5 */ {
            return true;
         }
      }
      return false;
   }

   /**
    * Checks if all of the provided strings are not blank (not null, not empty, and not whitespace only).
    *
    * <p>
    * Returns <jk>true</jk> only if all strings are not null, not empty, and contain non-whitespace characters.
    * Returns <jk>false</jk> if the array is null or empty, or if any string is null, empty, or whitespace only.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    isAllNotBlank();                                     <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isAllNotBlank(<jk>null</jk>);                        <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isAllNotBlank(<jk>null</jk>, <jk>null</jk>);         <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isAllNotBlank(<js>""</js>, <js>""</js>);             <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isAllNotBlank(<js>"   "</js>, <js>"   "</js>);       <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isAllNotBlank(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"hello"</js>);      <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isAllNotBlank(<js>""</js>, <js>"   "</js>);          <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isAllNotBlank(<js>"hello"</js>, <js>"   "</js>);     <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isAllNotBlank(<js>"hello"</js>);                     <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isAllNotBlank(<js>"hello"</js>, <js>"world"</js>);   <jc>// true</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param values The strings to check.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if all strings are not null, not empty, and not whitespace only, <jk>false</jk> otherwise.
    */
   public static boolean isAllNotBlank(CharSequence...values) {
      if (values == null || values.length == 0)
         return false;
      for (CharSequence value : values)
         if (! isNotBlank(value))
            return false;
      return true;
   }

   /**
    * Checks if all of the provided strings are not empty (not null and not zero-length).
    *
    * <p>
    * Returns <jk>true</jk> only if all strings are not null and have a length greater than zero.
    * Returns <jk>false</jk> if the array is null or empty, or if any string is null or empty.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    isAllNotEmpty();                                     <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isAllNotEmpty(<jk>null</jk>);                        <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isAllNotEmpty(<jk>null</jk>, <jk>null</jk>);         <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isAllNotEmpty(<js>""</js>, <js>""</js>);             <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isAllNotEmpty(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"hello"</js>);      <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isAllNotEmpty(<js>""</js>, <js>"   "</js>);          <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isAllNotEmpty(<js>"hello"</js>);                     <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isAllNotEmpty(<js>"hello"</js>, <js>"world"</js>);   <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isAllNotEmpty(<js>"hello"</js>, <js>"   "</js>);     <jc>// true</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param values The strings to check.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if all strings are not null and not empty, <jk>false</jk> otherwise.
    */
   public static boolean isAllNotEmpty(CharSequence...values) {
      if (values == null || values.length == 0)
         return false;
      for (CharSequence value : values)
         if (value == null || value.isEmpty())
            return false;
      return true;
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string contains only alphabetic characters (a-z, A-Z).
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    isAlpha(<jk>null</jk>);         <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isAlpha(<js>""</js>);           <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isAlpha(<js>"abc"</js>);        <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isAlpha(<js>"abc123"</js>);     <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isAlpha(<js>"abc def"</js>);    <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to check.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string is not null, not empty, and contains only alphabetic characters.
    */
   public static boolean isAlpha(String str) {
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return false;
      for (var i = 0; i < str.length(); i++) {
         if (! LETTER.contains(str.charAt(i)))
            return false;
      }
      return true;
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string contains only alphanumeric characters (a-z, A-Z, 0-9).
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    isAlphaNumeric(<jk>null</jk>);         <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isAlphaNumeric(<js>""</js>);           <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isAlphaNumeric(<js>"abc"</js>);        <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isAlphaNumeric(<js>"abc123"</js>);     <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isAlphaNumeric(<js>"abc def"</js>);    <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isAlphaNumeric(<js>"abc-123"</js>);    <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to check.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string is not null, not empty, and contains only alphanumeric characters.
    */
   public static boolean isAlphaNumeric(String str) {
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return false;
      for (var i = 0; i < str.length(); i++) {
         if (! (LETTER.contains(str.charAt(i)) || DIGIT.contains(str.charAt(i))))
            return false;
      }
      return true;
   }

   /**
    * Checks if any of the provided strings are not blank (not null, not empty, and not whitespace only).
    *
    * <p>
    * Returns <jk>true</jk> if at least one string is not null, not empty, and contains non-whitespace characters.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    isAnyNotBlank(<jk>null</jk>, <jk>null</jk>);             <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isAnyNotBlank(<js>""</js>, <js>""</js>);                 <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isAnyNotBlank(<js>"   "</js>, <js>"   "</js>);           <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isAnyNotBlank(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"hello"</js>);          <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isAnyNotBlank(<js>""</js>, <js>"   "</js>, <js>"x"</js>);<jc>// true</jc>
    *    isAnyNotBlank(<js>"hello"</js>, <js>"world"</js>);       <jc>// true</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param values The strings to check.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if at least one string is not null, not empty, and contains non-whitespace characters.
    */
   public static boolean isAnyNotBlank(CharSequence...values) {
      if (values == null)
         return false;
      for (CharSequence value : values)
         if (isNotBlank(value))
            return true;
      return false;
   }

   /**
    * Checks if any of the provided strings are not empty (not null and not zero-length).
    *
    * <p>
    * Returns <jk>true</jk> if at least one string is not null and has a length greater than zero.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    isAnyNotEmpty(<jk>null</jk>, <jk>null</jk>);             <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isAnyNotEmpty(<js>""</js>, <js>""</js>);                 <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isAnyNotEmpty(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"hello"</js>);          <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isAnyNotEmpty(<js>""</js>, <js>"   "</js>);              <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isAnyNotEmpty(<js>"hello"</js>, <js>"world"</js>);       <jc>// true</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param values The strings to check.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if at least one string is not null and not empty.
    */
   public static boolean isAnyNotEmpty(CharSequence...values) {
      if (values == null)
         return false;
      for (CharSequence value : values)
         if (value != null && ! value.isEmpty())
            return true;
      return false;
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string is blank (null, empty, or whitespace only).
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    isBlank(<jk>null</jk>);       <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isBlank(<js>""</js>);         <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isBlank(<js>"   "</js>);      <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isBlank(<js>"hello"</js>);    <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to check.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string is null, empty, or contains only whitespace characters.
    */
   public static boolean isBlank(CharSequence str) {
      return str == null || str.toString().isBlank();
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string is a valid credit card number using the Luhn algorithm.
    *
    * <p>
    * Validates credit card numbers by:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>Removing spaces and hyphens</li>
    *   <li>Checking that all remaining characters are digits</li>
    *   <li>Verifying the number passes the Luhn algorithm check</li>
    *   <li>Ensuring the number is between 13-19 digits (standard credit card length)</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    isCreditCard(<jk>null</jk>);                    <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isCreditCard(<js>""</js>);                      <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isCreditCard(<js>"4532015112830366"</js>);      <jc>// true (Visa test card)</jc>
    *    isCreditCard(<js>"4532-0151-1283-0366"</js>);   <jc>// true (with separators)</jc>
    *    isCreditCard(<js>"1234567890"</js>);            <jc>// false (invalid Luhn)</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to check.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string is a valid credit card number.
    */
   public static boolean isCreditCard(String str) {
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return false;
      // Remove spaces and hyphens
      var cleaned = str.replaceAll("[\\s\\-]", "");
      // Must be all digits and 13-19 digits long
      if (! cleaned.matches("^\\d{13,19}$"))
         return false;
      // Apply Luhn algorithm
      var sum = 0;
      var alternate = false;
      for (var i = cleaned.length() - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
         var digit = Character.getNumericValue(cleaned.charAt(i));
         if (alternate) {
            digit *= 2;
            if (digit > 9)
               digit = (digit % 10) + 1;
         }
         sum += digit;
         alternate = ! alternate;
      }
      return (sum % 10) == 0;
   }

   /**
    * Returns <jk>true</jk> if the specified string is numeric.
    *
    * @param s The string to check.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the specified string is numeric.
    */
   public static boolean isDecimal(String s) {
      if (s == null || s.isEmpty() || ! FIRST_NUMBER_CHARS.contains(s.charAt(0)))
         return false;
      var i = 0;
      var length = s.length();
      var c = s.charAt(0);
      var isPrefixed = false;
      if (c == '+' || c == '-') {
         isPrefixed = true;
         i++;
      }
      if (i == length)
         return false;
      c = s.charAt(i++);
      if (c == '0' && length > (isPrefixed ? 2 : 1)) {
         c = s.charAt(i++);
         if (c == 'x' || c == 'X') {
            for (var j = i; j < length; j++) {
               if (! HEXADECIMAL_CHARS.contains(s.charAt(j)))
                  return false;
            }
         } else if (OCTAL_CHARS.contains(c)) {
            for (var j = i; j < length; j++)
               if (! OCTAL_CHARS.contains(s.charAt(j)))
                  return false;
         } else {
            return false;
         }
      } else if (c == '#') {
         for (var j = i; j < length; j++) {
            if (! HEXADECIMAL_CHARS.contains(s.charAt(j)))
               return false;
         }
      } else if (DECIMAL_CHARS.contains(c)) {
         for (var j = i; j < length; j++)
            if (! DECIMAL_CHARS.contains(s.charAt(j)))
               return false;
      } else {
         return false;
      }
      return true;
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string contains only digit characters (0-9).
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    isDigit(<jk>null</jk>);         <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isDigit(<js>""</js>);           <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isDigit(<js>"123"</js>);        <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isDigit(<js>"abc123"</js>);     <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isDigit(<js>"12.3"</js>);       <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to check.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string is not null, not empty, and contains only digit characters.
    */
   public static boolean isDigit(String str) {
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return false;
      for (var i = 0; i < str.length(); i++) {
         if (! DIGIT.contains(str.charAt(i)))
            return false;
      }
      return true;
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string is a valid email address.
    *
    * <p>
    * Performs basic email validation using a simple regex pattern.
    * This is not a complete RFC 5321/5322 validation, but covers most common email formats.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    isEmail(<jk>null</jk>);                    <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isEmail(<js>""</js>);                      <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isEmail(<js>"user@example.com"</js>);      <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isEmail(<js>"invalid.email"</js>);         <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to check.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string is a valid email address.
    */
   public static boolean isEmail(String str) {
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return false;
      // Basic email regex: local@domain
      // Allows letters, digits, dots, underscores, hyphens, and plus signs in local part
      // Domain must have at least one dot and valid TLD
      return str.matches("^[a-zA-Z0-9._%+-]+@[a-zA-Z0-9.-]+\\.[a-zA-Z]{2,}$");
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string is null or empty.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    isEmpty(<jk>null</jk>);    <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isEmpty(<js>""</js>);      <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isEmpty(<js>"abc"</js>);   <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to check.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string is null or empty.
    */
   public static boolean isEmpty(String str) {
      return str == null || str.isEmpty();
   }

   /**
    * Returns <jk>true</jk> if the specified character is a valid first character for a number.
    *
    * @param c The character to test.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the specified character is a valid first character for a number.
    */
   public static boolean isFirstNumberChar(char c) {
      return FIRST_NUMBER_CHARS.contains(c);
   }

   /**
    * Returns <jk>true</jk> if the specified string is a floating point number.
    *
    * @param s The string to check.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the specified string is a floating point number.
    */
   public static boolean isFloat(String s) {
      if (s == null || s.isEmpty())
         return false;
      if (! FIRST_NUMBER_CHARS.contains(s.charAt(0)))
         return (s.equals("NaN") || s.equals("Infinity"));
      var i = 0;
      var length = s.length();
      var c = s.charAt(0);
      if (c == '+' || c == '-')
         i++;
      if (i == length)
         return false;
      c = s.charAt(i);
      if (c == '.' || DECIMAL_CHARS.contains(c)) {
         return FP_REGEX.matcher(s).matches();
      }
      return false;
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string is already interned.
    *
    * <p>
    * Returns <jk>false</jk> if the input string is <jk>null</jk>.
    * A string is considered interned if it is the same object reference as its interned version.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Examples:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    String <jv>s1</jv> = <js>"test"</js>;  <jc>// String literal is automatically interned</jc>
    *    assertTrue(isInterned(<jv>s1</jv>));
    *
    *    String <jv>s2</jv> = <jk>new</jk> String(<js>"test"</js>);  <jc>// New object, not interned</jc>
    *    assertFalse(isInterned(<jv>s2</jv>));
    *
    *    String <jv>s3</jv> = intern(<jv>s2</jv>);  <jc>// Now interned</jc>
    *    assertTrue(isInterned(<jv>s3</jv>));
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to check. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string is interned, <jk>false</jk> otherwise.
    */
   public static boolean isInterned(String str) {
      if (str == null)
         return false;
      return str == str.intern();
   }

   /**
    * Returns <jk>true</jk> if the specified string appears to be valid JSON.
    *
    * <p>
    * This method performs a simple heuristic check and does not strictly validate JSON syntax.
    * Leading and trailing spaces are ignored.
    * <br>Leading and trailing comments are not allowed.
    *
    * @param s The string to test.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the specified string appears to be valid JSON.
    */
   public static boolean isProbablyJson(String s) {
      if (s == null)
         return false;
      var c1 = firstNonWhitespaceChar(s);
      var c2 = lastNonWhitespaceChar(s);
      if (c1 == '{' && c2 == '}' || c1 == '[' && c2 == ']' || c1 == '\'' && c2 == '\'')
         return true;
      return (isOneOf(s, "true", "false", "null") || isNumeric(s));
   }

   /**
    * Returns <jk>true</jk> if the specified string appears to be a JSON array.
    *
    * <p>
    * This method performs a simple heuristic check and does not strictly validate JSON syntax.
    *
    * @param o The object to test.
    * @param ignoreWhitespaceAndComments If <jk>true</jk>, leading and trailing whitespace and comments will be ignored.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the specified string appears to be a JSON array.
    */
   public static boolean isProbablyJsonArray(Object o, boolean ignoreWhitespaceAndComments) {
      if (o instanceof CharSequence o2) {
         var s = o2.toString();
         if (! ignoreWhitespaceAndComments)
            return (s.startsWith("[") && s.endsWith("]"));
         if (firstRealCharacter(s) != '[')
            return false;
         var i = s.lastIndexOf(']');
         if (i == -1)
            return false;
         s = s.substring(i + 1);
         return firstRealCharacter(s) == -1;
      }
      return false;
   }

   /**
    * Returns <jk>true</jk> if the specified string appears to be a JSON object.
    *
    * <p>
    * This method performs a simple heuristic check and does not strictly validate JSON syntax.
    *
    * @param o The object to test.
    * @param ignoreWhitespaceAndComments If <jk>true</jk>, leading and trailing whitespace and comments will be ignored.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the specified string appears to be a JSON object.
    */
   public static boolean isProbablyJsonObject(Object o, boolean ignoreWhitespaceAndComments) {
      if (o instanceof CharSequence o2) {
         var s = o2.toString();
         if (! ignoreWhitespaceAndComments)
            return (s.startsWith("{") && s.endsWith("}"));
         if (firstRealCharacter(s) != '{')
            return false;
         var i = s.lastIndexOf('}');
         if (i == -1)
            return false;
         s = s.substring(i + 1);
         return firstRealCharacter(s) == -1;
      }
      return false;
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string is not blank (not null, not empty, and not whitespace only).
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    isNotBlank(<jk>null</jk>);       <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isNotBlank(<js>""</js>);         <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isNotBlank(<js>"   "</js>);      <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isNotBlank(<js>"hello"</js>);    <jc>// true</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to check.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string is not null, not empty, and contains non-whitespace characters.
    */
   public static boolean isNotBlank(CharSequence str) {
      return ! isBlank(str);
   }

   /**
    * Returns <jk>true</jk> if the specified character is a valid number character.
    *
    * @param c The character to check.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the specified character is a valid number character.
    */
   public static boolean isNumberChar(char c) {
      return NUMBER_CHARS.contains(c);
   }

   /**
    * Returns <jk>true</jk> if this string can be parsed by {@link #parseNumber(String, Class)}.
    *
    * @param s The string to check.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if this string can be parsed without causing an exception.
    */
   public static boolean isNumeric(String s) {
      if (s == null || s.isEmpty() || ! isFirstNumberChar(s.charAt(0)))
         return false;
      return isDecimal(s) || isFloat(s);
   }

   /**
    * Returns <jk>true</jk> if the specified string is one of the specified values.
    *
    * @param s
    *    The string to test.
    *    Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @param values
    *    The values to test.
    *    Can contain <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the specified string is one of the specified values.
    */
   public static boolean isOneOf(String s, String...values) {
      assertArgNotNull("values", values);
      for (var value : values)
         if (eq(s, value))
            return true;
      return false;
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string is a valid phone number.
    *
    * <p>
    * Performs basic phone number validation.
    * Accepts various formats including:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>Digits only: <js>"1234567890"</js></li>
    *   <li>With separators: <js>"(123) 456-7890"</js>, <js>"123-456-7890"</js>, <js>"123.456.7890"</js></li>
    *   <li>With country code: <js>"+1 123-456-7890"</js></li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    isPhoneNumber(<jk>null</jk>);              <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isPhoneNumber(<js>""</js>);                <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isPhoneNumber(<js>"1234567890"</js>);      <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isPhoneNumber(<js>"(123) 456-7890"</js>);  <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isPhoneNumber(<js>"123"</js>);             <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to check.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string is a valid phone number.
    */
   public static boolean isPhoneNumber(String str) {
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return false;
      // Remove common phone number separators and check if remaining is 10-15 digits
      // Allows: digits, spaces, parentheses, hyphens, dots, plus sign (for country code)
      var cleaned = str.replaceAll("[\\s()\\-\\.]", "");
      if (cleaned.startsWith("+"))
         cleaned = cleaned.substring(1);
      // Phone numbers should have 10-15 digits (10 for US, up to 15 for international)
      return cleaned.matches("^\\d{10,15}$");
   }

   /**
    * Checks if two strings are similar based on a similarity threshold.
    *
    * <p>
    * Uses the {@link #similarity(String, String)} method to calculate similarity and compares it to the threshold.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    isSimilar(<js>"hello"</js>, <js>"hello"</js>, <js>0.8</js>);        <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isSimilar(<js>"kitten"</js>, <js>"sitting"</js>, <js>0.8</js>);     <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isSimilar(<js>"kitten"</js>, <js>"sitting"</js>, <js>0.5</js>);     <jc>// true</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str1 The first string.
    * @param str2 The second string.
    * @param threshold The similarity threshold (0.0 to 1.0).
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the similarity is greater than or equal to the threshold, <jk>false</jk> otherwise.
    */
   public static boolean isSimilar(String str1, String str2, double threshold) {
      return similarity(str1, str2) >= threshold;
   }

   /**
    * Efficiently determines whether a URL is of the pattern "xxx:/xxx".
    *
    * <p>
    * The pattern matched is: <c>[a-z]{2,}\:\/.*</c>
    *
    * <p>
    * Note that this excludes filesystem paths such as <js>"C:/temp"</js>.
    *
    * @param s The string to test.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if it's an absolute path.
    */
   public static boolean isUri(String s) {  // NOSONAR - False positive.

      if (isEmpty(s))
         return false;

      // Use a state machine for maximum performance.

      // S1: Looking for protocol char 1
      // S2: Found protocol char 1, looking for protocol char 2
      // S3: Found protocol char 2, looking for :
      // S4: Found :, looking for /

      var state = S1;

      for (var i = 0; i < s.length(); i++) {
         var c = s.charAt(i);
         if (state == S1) {
            if (isLowerCaseLetter(c))
               state = S2;
            else
               return false;
         } else if (state == S2) {
            if (isLowerCaseLetter(c))
               state = S3;
            else
               return false;
         } else if (state == S3) {  // NOSONAR - False positive.
            if (c == ':')
               state = S4;
            else if (! isLowerCaseLetter(c))
               return false;
         } else /* state == S4 */ {
            return c == '/';
         }
      }
      return false;
   }

   private static boolean isLowerCaseLetter(char c) {
      if (c < 'a')
         return false;
      if (c > 'z')
         return false;
      return true;
   }

   /**
    * Validates if a date string matches the specified date format.
    *
    * <p>
    * Uses {@link SimpleDateFormat} to parse the date string according to the format pattern.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    isValidDateFormat(<js>"2023-12-25"</js>, <js>"yyyy-MM-dd"</js>);  <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isValidDateFormat(<js>"25/12/2023"</js>, <js>"dd/MM/yyyy"</js>);  <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isValidDateFormat(<js>"2023-13-25"</js>, <js>"yyyy-MM-dd"</js>);  <jc>// false (invalid month)</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param dateStr The date string to validate. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @param format The date format pattern (e.g., "yyyy-MM-dd"). Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the date string matches the format, <jk>false</jk> otherwise.
    */
   public static boolean isValidDateFormat(String dateStr, String format) {
      if (isEmpty(dateStr) || isEmpty(format))
         return false;
      try {
         var sdf = new SimpleDateFormat(format);
         sdf.setLenient(false); // Strict parsing
         sdf.parse(dateStr);
         return true;
      } catch (@SuppressWarnings("unused") ParseException | IllegalArgumentException e) {
         // IllegalArgumentException thrown for invalid format patterns
         return false;
      }
   }

   /**
    * Validates if a string is a valid hostname.
    *
    * <p>
    * Validates hostnames according to RFC 1123. A valid hostname:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>Can contain letters, digits, and hyphens</li>
    *   <li>Cannot start or end with a hyphen</li>
    *   <li>Each label (dot-separated part) can be up to 63 characters</li>
    *   <li>Total length can be up to 253 characters</li>
    *   <li>Labels cannot be empty</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    isValidHostname(<js>"example.com"</js>);        <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isValidHostname(<js>"sub.example.com"</js>);    <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isValidHostname(<js>"-invalid.com"</js>);       <jc>// false (starts with hyphen)</jc>
    *    isValidHostname(<js>"example..com"</js>);       <jc>// false (empty label)</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param hostname The hostname string to validate. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string is a valid hostname, <jk>false</jk> otherwise.
    */
   public static boolean isValidHostname(String hostname) {
      if (isEmpty(hostname))
         return false;

      // Cannot start or end with a dot
      if (hostname.startsWith(".") || hostname.endsWith("."))
         return false;

      // Total length cannot exceed 253 characters
      if (hostname.length() > 253)
         return false;

      // Split by dots (use -1 to preserve trailing empty strings)
      var labels = hostname.split("\\.", -1);

      // Check each label
      for (var label : labels) {
         // Label cannot be empty
         if (label.isEmpty())
            return false;

         // Label cannot exceed 63 characters
         if (label.length() > 63)
            return false;

         // Label cannot start or end with hyphen
         if (label.startsWith("-") || label.endsWith("-"))
            return false;

         // Label can only contain letters, digits, and hyphens
         if (! label.matches("^[a-zA-Z0-9-]+$"))
            return false;
      }

      return true;
   }

   /**
    * Validates if a string is a valid IP address (IPv4 or IPv6).
    *
    * <p>
    * Supports both IPv4 (e.g., "192.168.1.1") and IPv6 (e.g., "2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334") formats.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    isValidIpAddress(<js>"192.168.1.1"</js>);                    <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isValidIpAddress(<js>"2001:0db8:85a3::8a2e:0370:7334"</js>); <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isValidIpAddress(<js>"256.1.1.1"</js>);                      <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isValidIpAddress(<js>"not.an.ip"</js>);                      <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param ip The IP address string to validate. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string is a valid IP address, <jk>false</jk> otherwise.
    */
   public static boolean isValidIpAddress(String ip) {
      if (isEmpty(ip))
         return false;
      try {
         // Try IPv4 first
         if (ip.contains(".") && ! ip.contains(":")) {
            var parts = ip.split("\\.");
            if (parts.length != 4)
               return false;
            for (var part : parts) {
               var num = Integer.parseInt(part);
               if (num < 0 || num > 255)
                  return false;
            }
            return true;
         }
         // Try IPv6 - validate format without network operations
         if (ip.contains(":")) {
            return isValidIPv6Address(ip);
         }
         return false;
      } catch (@SuppressWarnings("unused") NumberFormatException e) {
         return false;
      }
   }

   /**
    * Validates if a string is a valid MAC address.
    *
    * <p>
    * Supports common MAC address formats:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>Colon-separated: <js>"00:1B:44:11:3A:B7"</js></li>
    *   <li>Hyphen-separated: <js>"00-1B-44-11-3A-B7"</js></li>
    *   <li>No separators: <js>"001B44113AB7"</js></li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    isValidMacAddress(<js>"00:1B:44:11:3A:B7"</js>);  <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isValidMacAddress(<js>"00-1B-44-11-3A-B7"</js>);  <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isValidMacAddress(<js>"001B44113AB7"</js>);       <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isValidMacAddress(<js>"00:1B:44:11:3A"</js>);     <jc>// false (too short)</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param mac The MAC address string to validate. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string is a valid MAC address, <jk>false</jk> otherwise.
    */
   public static boolean isValidMacAddress(String mac) {
      if (isEmpty(mac))
         return false;

      // Remove separators and check if it's 12 hex digits
      var cleaned = mac.replaceAll("[:-]", "").toUpperCase();
      if (cleaned.length() != 12)
         return false;

      // Check if all characters are valid hex digits
      return cleaned.matches("^[0-9A-F]{12}$");
   }

   /**
    * Validates if a string is a valid regular expression pattern.
    *
    * <p>
    * Attempts to compile the regex pattern to verify it's syntactically correct.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    isValidRegex(<js>"[a-z]+"</js>);        <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isValidRegex(<js>"[a-z"</js>);          <jc>// false (unclosed bracket)</jc>
    *    isValidRegex(<js>"(test"</js>);         <jc>// false (unclosed parenthesis)</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param regex The regex pattern to validate. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string is a valid regex pattern, <jk>false</jk> otherwise.
    */
   public static boolean isValidRegex(String regex) {
      if (isEmpty(regex))
         return false;
      try {
         Pattern.compile(regex);
         return true;
      } catch (@SuppressWarnings("unused") PatternSyntaxException e) {
         return false;
      }
   }

   /**
    * Validates if a time string matches the specified time format.
    *
    * <p>
    * Uses {@link SimpleDateFormat} to parse the time string according to the format pattern.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    isValidTimeFormat(<js>"14:30:00"</js>, <js>"HH:mm:ss"</js>);  <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isValidTimeFormat(<js>"2:30 PM"</js>, <js>"h:mm a"</js>);     <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isValidTimeFormat(<js>"25:00:00"</js>, <js>"HH:mm:ss"</js>);  <jc>// false (invalid hour)</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param timeStr The time string to validate. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @param format The time format pattern (e.g., "HH:mm:ss"). Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the time string matches the format, <jk>false</jk> otherwise.
    */
   public static boolean isValidTimeFormat(String timeStr, String format) {
      if (isEmpty(timeStr) || isEmpty(format))
         return false;
      try {
         var sdf = new SimpleDateFormat(format);
         sdf.setLenient(false); // Strict parsing
         sdf.parse(timeStr);
         return true;
      } catch (@SuppressWarnings("unused") ParseException | IllegalArgumentException e) {
         // IllegalArgumentException thrown for invalid format patterns
         return false;
      }
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a character is whitespace.
    *
    * @param c The character to check.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the character is whitespace.
    */
   public static boolean isWhitespace(int c) {
      return Character.isWhitespace(c);
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string contains only whitespace characters.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    isWhitespace(<jk>null</jk>);         <jc>// false</jc>
    *    isWhitespace(<js>""</js>);           <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isWhitespace(<js>"   "</js>);        <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isWhitespace(<js>"\t\n"</js>);       <jc>// true</jc>
    *    isWhitespace(<js>" a "</js>);        <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to check.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string is not null and contains only whitespace characters (or is empty).
    */
   public static boolean isWhitespace(String str) {
      if (str == null)
         return false;
      if (str.isEmpty())
         return true;
      for (var i = 0; i < str.length(); i++) {
         if (! isWhitespace(str.charAt(i)))
            return false;
      }
      return true;
   }

   /**
    * Combines collection values into a simple comma-delimited string.
    *
    * @param values The values to join.
    * @return A comma-delimited string.
    */
   public static String join(Collection<?> values) {
      return joine(toList(values), ',');
   }

   /**
    * Join the specified tokens into a delimited string.
    *
    * @param tokens The tokens to join.
    * @param d The delimiter.
    * @return The delimited string.  If <c>tokens</c> is <jk>null</jk>, returns <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String join(Collection<?> tokens, char d) {
      if (tokens == null)
         return null;
      var sb = new StringBuilder();
      for (var iter = tokens.iterator(); iter.hasNext();) {
         sb.append(iter.next());
         if (iter.hasNext())
            sb.append(d);
      }
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Join the specified tokens into a delimited string.
    *
    * @param tokens The tokens to join.
    * @param d The delimiter.
    * @return The delimited string.  If <c>tokens</c> is <jk>null</jk>, returns <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String join(Collection<?> tokens, String d) {
      if (tokens == null)
         return null;
      return StringUtils.join(tokens, d, new StringBuilder()).toString();
   }

   /**
    * Joins the specified tokens into a delimited string and writes the output to the specified string builder.
    *
    * @param tokens The tokens to join.
    * @param d The delimiter.
    * @param sb The string builder to append the response to.
    * @return The same string builder passed in as <c>sb</c>.
    */
   public static StringBuilder join(Collection<?> tokens, String d, StringBuilder sb) {
      if (tokens == null)
         return sb;
      for (var iter = tokens.iterator(); iter.hasNext();) {
         sb.append(iter.next());
         if (iter.hasNext())
            sb.append(d);
      }
      return sb;
   }

   /**
    * Join the specified tokens into a delimited string.
    *
    * @param tokens The tokens to join.
    * @param d The delimiter.
    * @return The delimited string.  If <c>tokens</c> is <jk>null</jk>, returns <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String join(int[] tokens, char d) {
      if (tokens == null)
         return null;
      var sb = new StringBuilder();
      for (var i = 0; i < tokens.length; i++) {
         if (i > 0)
            sb.append(d);
         sb.append(tokens[i]);
      }
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Joins an array of integers with a delimiter.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    join(<jk>new int</jk>[]{1, 2, 3}, <js>","</js>);   <jc>// "1,2,3"</jc>
    *    join(<jk>new int</jk>[]{}, <js>","</js>);          <jc>// ""</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param array The array to join.
    * @param delimiter The delimiter string.
    * @return The joined string.
    */
   public static String join(int[] array, String delimiter) {
      if (array == null || array.length == 0)
         return "";
      if (delimiter == null)
         delimiter = "";
      return Arrays.stream(array).mapToObj(String::valueOf).collect(Collectors.joining(delimiter));
   }


   /**
    * Joins the specified tokens into a delimited string.
    *
    * @param tokens The tokens to join.
    * @param d The delimiter.
    * @return The delimited string.  If <c>tokens</c> is <jk>null</jk>, returns <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String join(Object[] tokens, char d) {
      if (tokens == null)
         return null;
      if (tokens.length == 1)
         return emptyIfNull(s(tokens[0]));
      return StringUtils.join(tokens, d, new StringBuilder()).toString();
   }

   /**
    * Join the specified tokens into a delimited string and writes the output to the specified string builder.
    *
    * @param tokens The tokens to join.
    * @param d The delimiter.
    * @param sb The string builder to append the response to.
    * @return The same string builder passed in as <c>sb</c>.
    */
   public static StringBuilder join(Object[] tokens, char d, StringBuilder sb) {
      if (tokens == null)
         return sb;
      for (var i = 0; i < tokens.length; i++) {
         if (i > 0)
            sb.append(d);
         sb.append(tokens[i]);
      }
      return sb;
   }

   /**
    * Join the specified tokens into a delimited string.
    *
    * @param tokens The tokens to join.
    * @param separator The delimiter.
    * @return The delimited string.  If <c>tokens</c> is <jk>null</jk>, returns <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String join(Object[] tokens, String separator) {
      if (tokens == null)
         return null;
      var sb = new StringBuilder();
      for (var i = 0; i < tokens.length; i++) {
         if (i > 0)
            sb.append(separator);
         sb.append(tokens[i]);
      }
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Combines values into a simple comma-delimited string.
    *
    * @param values The values to join.
    * @return A comma-delimited string.
    */
   public static String join(String...values) {
      return join(values, ',');
   }

   /**
    * Same as {@link StringUtils#join(Collection, char)} but escapes the delimiter if found in the tokens.
    *
    * @param tokens The tokens to join.
    * @param d The delimiter.
    * @return The delimited string.  If <c>tokens</c> is <jk>null</jk>, returns <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String joine(List<?> tokens, char d) {
      if (tokens == null)
         return null;
      var as = getEscapeSet(d);
      var sb = new StringBuilder();
      for (int i = 0, j = tokens.size(); i < j; i++) {
         if (i > 0)
            sb.append(d);
         sb.append(escapeChars(s(tokens.get(i)), as));
      }
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Joins tokens with newlines.
    *
    * @param tokens The tokens to concatenate.
    * @return A string with the specified tokens contatenated with newlines.
    */
   public static String joinnl(Object[] tokens) {
      return join(tokens, '\n');
   }

   /**
    * Converts a string to kebab-case format.
    *
    * <p>
    * Handles various input formats:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>Space-separated: "hello world" → "hello-world"</li>
    *   <li>CamelCase: "helloWorld" → "hello-world"</li>
    *   <li>PascalCase: "HelloWorld" → "hello-world"</li>
    *   <li>Snake_case: "hello_world" → "hello-world"</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    kebabCase(<jk>null</jk>);                    <jc>// null</jc>
    *    kebabCase(<js>""</js>);                      <jc>// ""</jc>
    *    kebabCase(<js>"hello world"</js>);           <jc>// "hello-world"</jc>
    *    kebabCase(<js>"helloWorld"</js>);            <jc>// "hello-world"</jc>
    *    kebabCase(<js>"HelloWorld"</js>);            <jc>// "hello-world"</jc>
    *    kebabCase(<js>"hello_world"</js>);           <jc>// "hello-world"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to convert.
    * @return The kebab-case string, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String kebabCase(String str) {
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return str;

      var words = splitWords(str);
      if (words.isEmpty())
         return "";

      var result = new StringBuilder();
      for (var i = 0; i < words.size(); i++) {
         if (i > 0)
            result.append('-');
         result.append(words.get(i).toLowerCase());
      }

      return result.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Finds the index of the last occurrence of a substring within a string.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    lastIndexOf(<js>"hello world world"</js>, <js>"world"</js>);     <jc>// 12</jc>
    *    lastIndexOf(<js>"hello world"</js>, <js>"xyz"</js>);             <jc>// -1</jc>
    *    lastIndexOf(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"test"</js>);                     <jc>// -1</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to search in.
    * @param search The substring to search for.
    * @return The index of the last occurrence, or <c>-1</c> if not found or if either parameter is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static int lastIndexOf(String str, String search) {
      if (str == null || search == null)
         return -1;
      return str.lastIndexOf(search);
   }

   /**
    * Finds the index of the last occurrence of a substring within a string, ignoring case.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    lastIndexOfIgnoreCase(<js>"Hello World World"</js>, <js>"world"</js>);     <jc>// 12</jc>
    *    lastIndexOfIgnoreCase(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"WORLD"</js>);           <jc>// 6</jc>
    *    lastIndexOfIgnoreCase(<js>"hello world"</js>, <js>"xyz"</js>);             <jc>// -1</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to search in.
    * @param search The substring to search for.
    * @return The index of the last occurrence, or <c>-1</c> if not found or if either parameter is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static int lastIndexOfIgnoreCase(String str, String search) {
      if (str == null || search == null)
         return -1;
      return str.toLowerCase().lastIndexOf(search.toLowerCase());
   }

   /**
    * Returns the last non-whitespace character in the string.
    *
    * @param s The string to check.
    * @return
    *    The last non-whitespace character, or <c>0</c> if the string is <jk>null</jk>, empty, or composed
    *    of only whitespace.
    */
   public static char lastNonWhitespaceChar(String s) {
      if (nn(s))
         for (var i = s.length() - 1; i >= 0; i--)
            if (! isWhitespace(s.charAt(i)))
               return s.charAt(i);
      return 0;
   }

   /**
    * Returns the leftmost characters of a string.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    left(<jk>null</jk>, 3);          <jc>// null</jc>
    *    left(<js>""</js>, 3);            <jc>// ""</jc>
    *    left(<js>"hello"</js>, 3);       <jc>// "hel"</jc>
    *    left(<js>"hello"</js>, 10);      <jc>// "hello"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to get characters from.
    * @param len The number of characters to get.
    * @return The leftmost characters, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String left(String str, int len) {
      if (str == null)
         return null;
      if (len < 0)
         return "";
      if (len >= str.length())
         return str;
      return str.substring(0, len);
   }

   /**
    * Calculates the Levenshtein distance (edit distance) between two strings.
    *
    * <p>
    * The Levenshtein distance is the minimum number of single-character edits (insertions, deletions, or substitutions) required to change one string into another.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    levenshteinDistance(<js>"kitten"</js>, <js>"sitting"</js>);     <jc>// 3</jc>
    *    levenshteinDistance(<js>"hello"</js>, <js>"hello"</js>);        <jc>// 0</jc>
    *    levenshteinDistance(<js>"abc"</js>, <js>""</js>);               <jc>// 3</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str1 The first string.
    * @param str2 The second string.
    * @return The Levenshtein distance between the two strings.
    */
   public static int levenshteinDistance(String str1, String str2) {
      if (str1 == null)
         str1 = "";
      if (str2 == null)
         str2 = "";

      var len1 = str1.length();
      var len2 = str2.length();

      // Use dynamic programming with optimized space (only need previous row)
      var prev = new int[len2 + 1];
      var curr = new int[len2 + 1];

      // Initialize first row
      for (var j = 0; j <= len2; j++)
         prev[j] = j;

      for (var i = 1; i <= len1; i++) {
         curr[0] = i;
         for (var j = 1; j <= len2; j++) {
            if (str1.charAt(i - 1) == str2.charAt(j - 1)) {
               curr[j] = prev[j - 1];
            } else {
               curr[j] = 1 + Math.min(Math.min(prev[j], curr[j - 1]), prev[j - 1]);
            }
         }
         // Swap arrays
         var temp = prev;
         prev = curr;
         curr = temp;
      }

      return prev[len2];
   }

   /**
    * Counts the number of lines in a string.
    *
    * <p>
    * Counts newline characters. A string ending without a newline is counted as one line.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    lineCount(<js>"line1\nline2\nline3"</js>);      <jc>// 3</jc>
    *    lineCount(<js>"single line"</js>);              <jc>// 1</jc>
    *    lineCount(<js>"line1\r\nline2"</js>);          <jc>// 2</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to count lines in. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return The number of lines, or <c>0</c> if the string is <jk>null</jk> or empty.
    */
   public static int lineCount(String str) {
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return 0;

      var count = 1; // At least one line
      for (var i = 0; i < str.length(); i++) {
         var c = str.charAt(i);
         if (c == '\n') {
            count++;
         } else if (c == '\r') {
            // Handle \r\n as a single line break
            if (i + 1 < str.length() && str.charAt(i + 1) == '\n') {
               i++; // Skip the \n
            }
            count++;
         }
      }

      return count;
   }

   // TODO: See if we can remove StringUtils.parseIsoCalendar.
   // Currently used by:
   //   - OpenApiParserSession.java for DATE/DATE_TIME format parsing
   //   - StringUtils.parseIsoDate() (which wraps this method)
   // Investigation needed: Can we replace this with java.time APIs or other standard date parsing?

   /**
    * Null-safe convenience method for {@link String#toLowerCase()}.
    *
    * <p>
    * Converts the string to lowercase if not null.
    *
    * @param s The string to convert.
    * @return The lowercase string, or <jk>null</jk> if the input was <jk>null</jk>.
    * @see #upperCase(String)
    * @see Utils#lc(String)
    */
   public static String lowerCase(String s) {
      return s == null ? null : s.toLowerCase();
   }

   /**
    * Maps each element of a string array using the specified function.
    *
    * <p>
    * Returns <jk>null</jk> if the array is <jk>null</jk>.
    * Returns an array with <jk>null</jk> elements if the function is <jk>null</jk> or returns <jk>null</jk>.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Examples:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    String[] <jv>array</jv> = {<js>"foo"</js>, <js>"bar"</js>, <js>"baz"</js>};
    *    String[] <jv>uppercased</jv> = map(<jv>array</jv>, String::toUpperCase);
    *    <jc>// Returns: ["FOO", "BAR", "BAZ"]</jc>
    *
    *    String[] <jv>prefixed</jv> = map(<jv>array</jv>, s -&gt; <js>"prefix-"</js> + s);
    *    <jc>// Returns: ["prefix-foo", "prefix-bar", "prefix-baz"]</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param array The array to map. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @param mapper The function to apply to each element. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return A new array with the mapped elements, or <jk>null</jk> if the array was <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String[] mapped(String[] array, Function<String,String> mapper) {
      if (array == null)
         return null;  // NOSONAR - Intentional.
      if (mapper == null)
         return Arrays.copyOf(array, array.length);
      return Arrays.stream(array).map(mapper).toArray(String[]::new);
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string matches a regular expression pattern.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    matches(<js>"12345"</js>, <js>"\\d+"</js>);              <jc>// true</jc>
    *    matches(<js>"abc123"</js>, <js>"^[a-z]+\\d+$"</js>);     <jc>// true</jc>
    *    matches(<js>"abc"</js>, <js>"\\d+"</js>);                <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to check.
    * @param regex The regular expression pattern.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string matches the pattern, <jk>false</jk> otherwise.
    * @throws PatternSyntaxException If the regex pattern is invalid.
    */
   public static boolean matches(String str, String regex) {
      if (str == null || regex == null)
         return false;
      return str.matches(regex);
   }

   /**
    * Generates a Metaphone code for a string.
    *
    * <p>
    * Metaphone is a phonetic algorithm that produces codes representing how words sound.
    * It's more accurate than Soundex for English words.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    metaphone(<js>"Smith"</js>);   <jc>// "SM0"</jc>
    *    metaphone(<js>"Smythe"</js>);  <jc>// "SM0"</jc>
    *    metaphone(<js>"Robert"</js>);  <jc>// "RBRT"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to generate a Metaphone code for. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return The Metaphone code, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk> or empty.
    */
   public static String metaphone(String str) {
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return null;

      var upper = str.toUpperCase().replaceAll("[^A-Z]", "");
      if (upper.isEmpty())
         return "";

      var result = new StringBuilder();
      var i = 0;
      var len = upper.length();

      // Handle initial characters
      if (upper.startsWith("KN") || upper.startsWith("GN") || upper.startsWith("PN") || upper.startsWith("AE") || upper.startsWith("WR")) {
         i = 1;
      } else if (upper.startsWith("X")) {
         result.append('S');
         i = 1;
      } else if (upper.startsWith("WH")) {
         result.append('W');
         i = 2;
      }

      // Process remaining characters
      while (i < len && result.length() < 4) {
         var c = upper.charAt(i);
         var prev = i > 0 ? upper.charAt(i - 1) : '\0';
         var next = i < len - 1 ? upper.charAt(i + 1) : '\0';
         var next2 = i < len - 2 ? upper.charAt(i + 2) : '\0';

         // Skip duplicates (except C)
         if (c == prev && c != 'C') {
            i++;
            continue;
         }

         switch (c) {
            case 'B':
               if (prev != 'M' || next != '\0')
                  result.append('B');
               break;
            case 'C':
               if (next == 'H') {
                  if (prev == 'S')
                     result.append('K');
                  else
                     result.append('X');
                  i++;
               } else if (next == 'I' || next == 'E' || next == 'Y') {
                  result.append('S');
               } else {
                  result.append('K');
               }
               break;
            case 'D':
               if (next == 'G' && (next2 == 'E' || next2 == 'I' || next2 == 'Y')) {
                  result.append('J');
                  i++;
               } else {
                  result.append('T');
               }
               break;
            case 'F':
            case 'J':
            case 'L':
            case 'M':
            case 'N':
            case 'R':
               result.append(c);
               break;
            case 'G':
               if (next == 'H' && (next2 == 'A' || next2 == 'E' || next2 == 'I' || next2 == 'O' || next2 == 'U')) {
                  // Silent GH
               } else if (next == 'N' && (next2 == 'E' || next2 == 'D')) {
                  // Silent GN
               } else if ((next == 'E' || next == 'I' || next == 'Y') && prev != 'G') {
                  result.append('J');
               } else {
                  result.append('K');
               }
               break;
            case 'H':
               if (! VOWEL.contains(prev) || ! VOWEL.contains(next))
                  result.append('H');
               break;
            case 'K':
               if (prev != 'C')
                  result.append('K');
               break;
            case 'P':
               if (next == 'H') {
                  result.append('F');
                  i++;
               } else {
                  result.append('P');
               }
               break;
            case 'Q':
               result.append('K');
               break;
            case 'S':
               if (next == 'H') {
                  result.append('X');
                  i++;
               } else if (next == 'I' && (next2 == 'O' || next2 == 'A')) {
                  result.append('X');
                  i++;
               } else {
                  result.append('S');
               }
               break;
            case 'T':
               if (next == 'H') {
                  result.append('0'); // TH sound
                  i++;
               } else if (next == 'I' && (next2 == 'O' || next2 == 'A')) {
                  result.append('X');
                  i++;
               } else {
                  result.append('T');
               }
               break;
            case 'V':
               result.append('F');
               break;
            case 'W', 'Y':
               if (VOWEL.contains(next))
                  result.append(c);
               break;
            case 'X':
               // X at start is handled in initial section (line 4346-4348), so i is never 0 here
               result.append("KS");
               break;
            case 'Z':
               result.append('S');
               break;
            default:
               break;
         }
         i++;
      }

      return result.length() > 0 ? result.toString() : upper.substring(0, Math.min(1, upper.length()));
   }

   /**
    * Returns the middle characters of a string.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    mid(<jk>null</jk>, 1, 3);          <jc>// null</jc>
    *    mid(<js>""</js>, 1, 3);            <jc>// ""</jc>
    *    mid(<js>"hello"</js>, 1, 3);       <jc>// "ell"</jc>
    *    mid(<js>"hello"</js>, 1, 10);      <jc>// "ello"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to get characters from.
    * @param pos The starting position (0-based).
    * @param len The number of characters to get.
    * @return The middle characters, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String mid(String str, int pos, int len) {
      if (str == null)
         return null;
      if (pos < 0 || len < 0)
         return "";
      if (pos >= str.length())
         return "";
      int end = Math.min(pos + len, str.length());
      return str.substring(pos, end);
   }

   /**
    * Finds the most frequent character in a string.
    *
    * <p>
    * Returns the character that appears most often. If multiple characters have the same
    * frequency, returns the first one encountered.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    mostFrequentChar(<js>"hello"</js>);     <jc>// 'l'</jc>
    *    mostFrequentChar(<js>"aabbcc"</js>);    <jc>// 'a' (first encountered)</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to analyze. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return The most frequent character, or <c>'\0'</c> if the string is <jk>null</jk> or empty.
    */
   public static char mostFrequentChar(String str) {
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return '\0';

      var charCounts = new int[Character.MAX_VALUE + 1];
      var maxCount = 0;
      var maxChar = '\0';

      // Count occurrences of each character
      for (var i = 0; i < str.length(); i++) {
         var c = str.charAt(i);
         charCounts[c]++;
         if (charCounts[c] > maxCount) {
            maxCount = charCounts[c];
            maxChar = c;
         }
      }

      return maxChar;
   }

   /**
    * Performs natural string comparison that handles numbers correctly.
    *
    * <p>
    * Compares strings in a way that numbers are compared numerically rather than lexicographically.
    * For example, "file2.txt" comes before "file10.txt" in natural order.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    naturalCompare(<js>"file2.txt"</js>, <js>"file10.txt"</js>);   <jc>// negative (2 &lt; 10)</jc>
    *    naturalCompare(<js>"file10.txt"</js>, <js>"file2.txt"</js>);   <jc>// positive (10 &gt; 2)</jc>
    *    naturalCompare(<js>"file1.txt"</js>, <js>"file1.txt"</js>);    <jc>// 0 (equal)</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str1 The first string.
    * @param str2 The second string.
    * @return A negative integer, zero, or a positive integer as the first string is less than, equal to, or greater than the second.
    */
   public static int naturalCompare(String str1, String str2) {
      if (str1 == str2)
         return 0;
      if (str1 == null)
         return -1;
      if (str2 == null)
         return 1;

      var len1 = str1.length();
      var len2 = str2.length();
      var i1 = 0;
      var i2 = 0;

      while (i1 < len1 && i2 < len2) {
         var c1 = str1.charAt(i1);
         var c2 = str2.charAt(i2);

         // If both are digits, compare numerically
         if (DIGIT.contains(c1) && DIGIT.contains(c2)) {
            // Skip leading zeros
            while (i1 < len1 && str1.charAt(i1) == '0')
               i1++;
            while (i2 < len2 && str2.charAt(i2) == '0')
               i2++;

            // Find end of number sequences
            var end1 = i1;
            var end2 = i2;
            while (end1 < len1 && DIGIT.contains(str1.charAt(end1)))
               end1++;
            while (end2 < len2 && DIGIT.contains(str2.charAt(end2)))
               end2++;

            // Compare lengths first (longer number is larger)
            var lenNum1 = end1 - i1;
            var lenNum2 = end2 - i2;
            if (lenNum1 != lenNum2)
               return lenNum1 - lenNum2;

            // Same length, compare digit by digit
            for (var j = 0; j < lenNum1; j++) {
               var d1 = str1.charAt(i1 + j);
               var d2 = str2.charAt(i2 + j);
               if (d1 != d2)
                  return d1 - d2;
            }

            i1 = end1;
            i2 = end2;
         } else {
            // Compare characters (case-insensitive)
            var cmp = Character.toLowerCase(c1) - Character.toLowerCase(c2);
            if (cmp != 0)
               return cmp;
            i1++;
            i2++;
         }
      }

      return len1 - len2;
   }

   /**
    * Normalizes Unicode characters in a string.
    *
    * <p>
    * Uses Unicode normalization form NFD (Canonical Decomposition).
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    normalizeUnicode(<js>"café"</js>);
    *    <jc>// Normalized form</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to normalize. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return The normalized string, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String normalizeUnicode(String str) {
      if (str == null)
         return null;
      return Normalizer.normalize(str, Normalizer.Form.NFD);
   }

   /**
    * Normalizes all whitespace in a string to single spaces.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    normalizeWhitespace(<js>"hello  \t\n  world"</js>);   <jc>// "hello world"</jc>
    *    normalizeWhitespace(<js>"  hello  world  "</js>);     <jc>// "hello world"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to normalize.
    * @return The normalized string, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String normalizeWhitespace(String str) {
      if (str == null)
         return null;
      return str.replaceAll("\\s+", " ").trim();
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string does not contain the specified character.
    *
    * <p>
    * This is the inverse of {@link #contains(String, char)}.
    * Returns <jk>true</jk> if the string is <jk>null</jk> or does not contain the character.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    notContains(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>'x'</js>);   <jc>// true</jc>
    *    notContains(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>'o'</js>);   <jc>// false</jc>
    *    notContains(<jk>null</jk>, <js>'a'</js>);            <jc>// true</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to check.
    * @param c The character to check for.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string does not contain the specified character.
    * @see #contains(String, char)
    * @see #notContainsAny(String, char...)
    */
   public static boolean notContains(String s, char c) {
      return ! contains(s, c);
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string does not contain the specified substring.
    *
    * <p>
    * This is the inverse of {@link #contains(String, CharSequence)}.
    * Returns <jk>true</jk> if the string is <jk>null</jk> or does not contain the substring.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    notContains(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"Foo"</js>);     <jc>// true</jc>
    *    notContains(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"World"</js>);   <jc>// false</jc>
    *    notContains(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"Hello"</js>);            <jc>// true</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to check.
    * @param substring The substring to check for.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string does not contain the specified substring.
    * @see #contains(String, CharSequence)
    * @see #notContainsAny(String, CharSequence...)
    */
   public static boolean notContains(String s, CharSequence substring) {
      return ! contains(s, substring);
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string does not contain the specified substring.
    *
    * <p>
    * This is the inverse of {@link #contains(String, String)}.
    * Returns <jk>true</jk> if the string is <jk>null</jk> or does not contain the substring.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    notContains(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"Foo"</js>);     <jc>// true</jc>
    *    notContains(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"World"</js>);   <jc>// false</jc>
    *    notContains(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"Hello"</js>);            <jc>// true</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to check.
    * @param substring The substring to check for.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string does not contain the specified substring.
    * @see #contains(String, String)
    * @see #notContainsAny(String, String...)
    */
   public static boolean notContains(String s, String substring) {
      return ! contains(s, substring);
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string does not contain all of the specified characters.
    *
    * <p>
    * This is the inverse of {@link #containsAll(String, char...)}.
    * Returns <jk>true</jk> if:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>The string is <jk>null</jk></li>
    *   <li>The values array is <jk>null</jk> or empty</li>
    *   <li>Any of the specified characters are not found in the string</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    notContainsAll(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>'H'</js>, <js>'x'</js>);                <jc>// true (missing 'x')</jc>
    *    notContainsAll(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>'H'</js>, <js>'e'</js>, <js>'l'</js>);   <jc>// false (contains all)</jc>
    *    notContainsAll(<jk>null</jk>, <js>'a'</js>);                                      <jc>// true</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to check.
    * @param values The characters to check for.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string does not contain all of the specified characters.
    * @see #containsAll(String, char...)
    */
   public static boolean notContainsAll(String s, char...values) {
      return ! containsAll(s, values);
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string does not contain all of the specified substrings.
    *
    * <p>
    * This is the inverse of {@link #containsAll(String, CharSequence...)}.
    * Returns <jk>true</jk> if:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>The string is <jk>null</jk></li>
    *   <li>The values array is <jk>null</jk> or empty</li>
    *   <li>Any of the specified substrings are not found in the string</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    notContainsAll(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"Hello"</js>, <js>"Foo"</js>);    <jc>// true (missing "Foo")</jc>
    *    notContainsAll(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"Hello"</js>, <js>"World"</js>);   <jc>// false (contains all)</jc>
    *    notContainsAll(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"Hello"</js>);                              <jc>// true</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to check.
    * @param values The substrings to check for.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string does not contain all of the specified substrings.
    * @see #containsAll(String, CharSequence...)
    */
   public static boolean notContainsAll(String s, CharSequence...values) {
      return ! containsAll(s, values);
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string does not contain all of the specified substrings.
    *
    * <p>
    * This is the inverse of {@link #containsAll(String, String...)}.
    * Returns <jk>true</jk> if:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>The string is <jk>null</jk></li>
    *   <li>The values array is <jk>null</jk> or empty</li>
    *   <li>Any of the specified substrings are not found in the string</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    notContainsAll(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"Hello"</js>, <js>"Foo"</js>);    <jc>// true (missing "Foo")</jc>
    *    notContainsAll(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"Hello"</js>, <js>"World"</js>);   <jc>// false (contains all)</jc>
    *    notContainsAll(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"Hello"</js>);                              <jc>// true</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to check.
    * @param values The substrings to check for.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string does not contain all of the specified substrings.
    * @see #containsAll(String, String...)
    */
   public static boolean notContainsAll(String s, String...values) {
      return ! containsAll(s, values);
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string does not contain any of the specified characters.
    *
    * <p>
    * This is the inverse of {@link #containsAny(String, char...)}.
    * Returns <jk>true</jk> if:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>The string is <jk>null</jk></li>
    *   <li>The values array is <jk>null</jk> or empty</li>
    *   <li>None of the specified characters are found in the string</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    notContainsAny(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>'x'</js>, <js>'y'</js>);   <jc>// true</jc>
    *    notContainsAny(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>'o'</js>, <js>'x'</js>);   <jc>// false (contains 'o')</jc>
    *    notContainsAny(<jk>null</jk>, <js>'a'</js>);                          <jc>// true</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to check.
    * @param values The characters to check for.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string does not contain any of the specified characters.
    * @see #containsAny(String, char...)
    * @see #notContainsAll(String, char...)
    */
   public static boolean notContainsAny(String s, char...values) {
      return ! containsAny(s, values);
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string does not contain any of the specified substrings.
    *
    * <p>
    * This is the inverse of {@link #containsAny(String, CharSequence...)}.
    * Returns <jk>true</jk> if:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>The string is <jk>null</jk></li>
    *   <li>The values array is <jk>null</jk> or empty</li>
    *   <li>None of the specified substrings are found in the string</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    notContainsAny(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"Foo"</js>, <js>"Bar"</js>);    <jc>// true</jc>
    *    notContainsAny(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"Hello"</js>, <js>"Foo"</js>);  <jc>// false (contains "Hello")</jc>
    *    notContainsAny(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"Hello"</js>);                            <jc>// true</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to check.
    * @param values The substrings to check for.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string does not contain any of the specified substrings.
    * @see #containsAny(String, CharSequence...)
    * @see #notContainsAll(String, CharSequence...)
    */
   public static boolean notContainsAny(String s, CharSequence...values) {
      return ! containsAny(s, values);
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string does not contain any of the specified substrings.
    *
    * <p>
    * This is the inverse of {@link #containsAny(String, String...)}.
    * Returns <jk>true</jk> if:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>The string is <jk>null</jk></li>
    *   <li>The values array is <jk>null</jk> or empty</li>
    *   <li>None of the specified substrings are found in the string</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    notContainsAny(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"Foo"</js>, <js>"Bar"</js>);    <jc>// true</jc>
    *    notContainsAny(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"Hello"</js>, <js>"Foo"</js>);  <jc>// false (contains "Hello")</jc>
    *    notContainsAny(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"Hello"</js>);                            <jc>// true</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to check.
    * @param values The substrings to check for.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string does not contain any of the specified substrings.
    * @see #containsAny(String, String...)
    * @see #notContainsAll(String, String...)
    */
   public static boolean notContainsAny(String s, String...values) {
      return ! containsAny(s, values);
   }

   /**
    * Returns an obfuscated version of the specified string.
    *
    * @param s The string to obfuscate.
    * @return The obfuscated string with most characters replaced by asterisks.
    */
   public static String obfuscate(String s) {
      if (s == null || s.length() < 2)
         return "*";
      return s.substring(0, 1) + s.substring(1).replaceAll(".", "*");  // NOSONAR
   }

   /**
    * Converts a number to its ordinal form (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.).
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    ordinal(<js>1</js>);     <jc>// "1st"</jc>
    *    ordinal(<js>2</js>);     <jc>// "2nd"</jc>
    *    ordinal(<js>3</js>);     <jc>// "3rd"</jc>
    *    ordinal(<js>4</js>);     <jc>// "4th"</jc>
    *    ordinal(<js>11</js>);    <jc>// "11th"</jc>
    *    ordinal(<js>21</js>);    <jc>// "21st"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param number The number to convert.
    * @return The ordinal string representation of the number.
    */
   public static String ordinal(int number) {
      var abs = Math.abs(number);
      var suffix = "th";

      // Special cases for 11, 12, 13 (all use "th")
      if (abs % 100 != 11 && abs % 100 != 12 && abs % 100 != 13) {
         var lastDigit = abs % 10;
         if (lastDigit == 1)
            suffix = "st";
         else if (lastDigit == 2)
            suffix = "nd";
         else if (lastDigit == 3)
            suffix = "rd";
      }

      return number + suffix;
   }

   /**
    * Center pads a string with a specified character.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    padCenter(<jk>null</jk>, 5, <js>' '</js>);          <jc>// "     "</jc>
    *    padCenter(<js>""</js>, 5, <js>' '</js>);            <jc>// "     "</jc>
    *    padCenter(<js>"hi"</js>, 6, <js>' '</js>);          <jc>// "  hi  "</jc>
    *    padCenter(<js>"hi"</js>, 7, <js>' '</js>);          <jc>// "   hi  "</jc>
    *    padCenter(<js>"hello"</js>, 3, <js>' '</js>);       <jc>// "hello"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to pad.
    * @param size The desired total string length.
    * @param padChar The character to pad with.
    * @return The center-padded string.
    */
   public static String padCenter(String str, int size, char padChar) {
      if (str == null)
         str = "";
      int pads = size - str.length();
      if (pads <= 0)
         return str;
      int rightPads = pads / 2;
      int leftPads = pads - rightPads;
      return String.valueOf(padChar).repeat(leftPads) + str + String.valueOf(padChar).repeat(rightPads);
   }

   /**
    * Left pads a string with a specified character.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    padLeft(<jk>null</jk>, 5, <js>' '</js>);          <jc>// "     "</jc>
    *    padLeft(<js>""</js>, 5, <js>' '</js>);            <jc>// "     "</jc>
    *    padLeft(<js>"hello"</js>, 8, <js>' '</js>);       <jc>// "   hello"</jc>
    *    padLeft(<js>"hello"</js>, 3, <js>' '</js>);       <jc>// "hello"</jc>
    *    padLeft(<js>"123"</js>, 5, <js>'0'</js>);         <jc>// "00123"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to pad.
    * @param size The desired total string length.
    * @param padChar The character to pad with.
    * @return The left-padded string.
    */
   public static String padLeft(String str, int size, char padChar) {
      if (str == null)
         str = "";
      int pads = size - str.length();
      if (pads <= 0)
         return str;
      return String.valueOf(padChar).repeat(pads) + str;
   }

   /**
    * Right pads a string with a specified character.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    padRight(<jk>null</jk>, 5, <js>' '</js>);          <jc>// "     "</jc>
    *    padRight(<js>""</js>, 5, <js>' '</js>);            <jc>// "     "</jc>
    *    padRight(<js>"hello"</js>, 8, <js>' '</js>);       <jc>// "hello   "</jc>
    *    padRight(<js>"hello"</js>, 3, <js>' '</js>);       <jc>// "hello"</jc>
    *    padRight(<js>"123"</js>, 5, <js>'0'</js>);         <jc>// "12300"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to pad.
    * @param size The desired total string length.
    * @param padChar The character to pad with.
    * @return The right-padded string.
    */
   public static String padRight(String str, int size, char padChar) {
      if (str == null)
         str = "";
      int pads = size - str.length();
      if (pads <= 0)
         return str;
      return str + String.valueOf(padChar).repeat(pads);
   }

   /**
    * Converts a <c>String</c> to a <c>Character</c>
    *
    * @param o The string to convert.
    * @return The first character of the string if the string is of length 1, or <jk>null</jk> if the string is <jk>null</jk> or empty.
    * @throws IllegalArgumentException If the string length is not 1.
    */
   public static Character parseCharacter(Object o) {
      if (o == null)
         return null;
      var s = o.toString();
      if (s.isEmpty())
         return null;
      if (s.length() == 1)
         return s.charAt(0);
      throw illegalArg("Invalid character: ''{0}''", s);
   }

   /**
    * Same as {@link Float#parseFloat(String)} but removes any underscore characters first.
    *
    * <p>Allows for better readability of numeric literals (e.g., <js>"1_000.5"</js>).
    *
    * @param value The string to parse.
    * @return The parsed float value.
    * @throws NumberFormatException If the string cannot be parsed.
    * @throws NullPointerException If the string is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static float parseFloat(String value) {
      return Float.parseFloat(StringUtils.removeUnderscores(value));
   }

   /**
    * Same as {@link Integer#parseInt(String)} but removes any underscore characters first.
    *
    * <p>Allows for better readability of numeric literals (e.g., <js>"1_000_000"</js>).
    *
    * @param value The string to parse.
    * @return The parsed integer value.
    * @throws NumberFormatException If the string cannot be parsed.
    * @throws NullPointerException If the string is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static int parseInt(String value) {
      return Integer.parseInt(StringUtils.removeUnderscores(value));
   }

   /**
    * Converts a string containing a possible multiplier suffix to an integer.
    *
    * <p>
    * The string can contain any of the following multiplier suffixes:
    * <ul>
    *    <li><js>"K"</js> - x 1024
    *    <li><js>"M"</js> - x 1024*1024
    *    <li><js>"G"</js> - x 1024*1024*1024
    *    <li><js>"k"</js> - x 1000
    *    <li><js>"m"</js> - x 1000*1000
    *    <li><js>"g"</js> - x 1000*1000*1000
    * </ul>
    *
    * @param s The string to parse.
    * @return The parsed value.
    */
   public static int parseIntWithSuffix(String s) {
      assertArgNotNull("s", s);
      var m = multiplierInt(s);
      if (m == 1)
         return Integer.decode(s);
      return Integer.decode(s.substring(0, s.length() - 1).trim()) * m;  // NOSONAR - NPE not possible here.
   }

   /**
    * Same as {@link Long#parseLong(String)} but removes any underscore characters first.
    *
    * <p>Allows for better readability of numeric literals (e.g., <js>"1_000_000"</js>).
    *
    * @param value The string to parse.
    * @return The parsed long value.
    * @throws NumberFormatException If the string cannot be parsed.
    * @throws NullPointerException If the string is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static long parseLong(String value) {
      return Long.parseLong(StringUtils.removeUnderscores(value));
   }

   /**
    * Converts a string containing a possible multiplier suffix to a long.
    *
    * <p>
    * The string can contain any of the following multiplier suffixes:
    * <ul>
    *    <li><js>"K"</js> - x 1024
    *    <li><js>"M"</js> - x 1024*1024
    *    <li><js>"G"</js> - x 1024*1024*1024
    *    <li><js>"T"</js> - x 1024*1024*1024*1024
    *    <li><js>"P"</js> - x 1024*1024*1024*1024*1024
    *    <li><js>"k"</js> - x 1000
    *    <li><js>"m"</js> - x 1000*1000
    *    <li><js>"g"</js> - x 1000*1000*1000
    *    <li><js>"t"</js> - x 1000*1000*1000*1000
    *    <li><js>"p"</js> - x 1000*1000*1000*1000*1000
    * </ul>
    *
    * @param s The string to parse.
    * @return The parsed value.
    */
   public static long parseLongWithSuffix(String s) {
      assertArgNotNull("s", s);
      var m = multiplierLong(s);
      if (m == 1) {
         // If multiplier is 1, try to decode the whole string
         // This will throw NumberFormatException if it contains a suffix character
         return Long.decode(s);
      }
      var baseStr = s.substring(0, s.length() - 1).trim();
      var base = Long.decode(baseStr);  // NOSONAR - NPE not possible here.
      try {
         return Math.multiplyExact(base, m);
      } catch (@SuppressWarnings("unused") ArithmeticException e) {
         throw new NumberFormatException("Value " + s + " exceeds Long.MAX_VALUE");
      }
   }

   /**
    * Parses a string containing key-value pairs into a map.
    *
    * <p>
    * Splits the string by the entry delimiter, then splits each entry by the key-value delimiter.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    parseMap(<js>"key1=value1,key2=value2"</js>, <js>'='</js>, <js>','</js>, <jk>false</jk>);
    *    <jc>// {"key1":"value1","key2":"value2"}</jc>
    *    parseMap(<js>" key1 = value1 ; key2 = value2 "</js>, <js>'='</js>, <js>';'</js>, <jk>true</jk>);
    *    <jc>// {"key1":"value1","key2":"value2"}</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to parse. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @param keyValueDelimiter The character that separates keys from values.
    * @param entryDelimiter The character that separates entries.
    * @param trimKeys If <jk>true</jk>, trims whitespace from keys and values.
    * @return A map containing the parsed key-value pairs, or an empty map if the string is <jk>null</jk> or empty.
    */
   public static Map<String,String> parseMap(String str, char keyValueDelimiter, char entryDelimiter, boolean trimKeys) {
      var result = new LinkedHashMap<String,String>();
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return result;

      var entries = split(str, entryDelimiter);
      for (var entry : entries) {
         if (isEmpty(entry))
            continue;
         var delimiterIndex = entry.indexOf(keyValueDelimiter);
         if (delimiterIndex == -1) {
            // No delimiter found, treat entire entry as key with empty value
            var key = trimKeys ? entry.trim() : entry;
            result.put(key, "");
         } else {
            var key = entry.substring(0, delimiterIndex);
            var value = entry.substring(delimiterIndex + 1);
            if (trimKeys) {
               key = key.trim();
               value = value.trim();
            }
            result.put(key, value);
         }
      }
      return result;
   }

   /**
    * Parses a number from the specified string.
    *
    * <p>
    * Supports Java 7+ numeric literals with underscores (e.g., <js>"1_000_000"</js>).
    * The underscores are automatically removed before parsing.
    *
    * @param s The string to parse the number from.
    * @param type
    *    The number type to created.
    *    Can be any of the following:
    *    <ul>
    *       <li> Integer (or <c>int</c> primitive)
    *       <li> Long (or <c>long</c> primitive)
    *       <li> Short (or <c>short</c> primitive)
    *       <li> Byte (or <c>byte</c> primitive)
    *       <li> Float (or <c>float</c> primitive)
    *       <li> Double (or <c>double</c> primitive)
    *       <li> BigInteger
    *       <li> BigDecimal
    *       <li> AtomicInteger
    *       <li> AtomicLong
    *    </ul>
    *    If <jk>null</jk> or <c>Number</c>, uses the best guess.
    * @return The parsed number, or <jk>null</jk> if the string was null.
    */
   public static Number parseNumber(String s, Class<? extends Number> type) {
      if (s == null)
         return null;
      if (s.isEmpty())
         s = "0";
      if (type == null)
         type = Number.class;

      // Remove underscores (Java 7+ numeric literal support) before parsing
      // Note: We do this before type detection to ensure clean parsing
      s = s.replace("_", "");

      // Determine the data type if it wasn't specified.
      var isAutoDetect = (type == Number.class);
      var isDecimal = false;
      if (isAutoDetect) {
         // If we're auto-detecting, then we use either an Integer, Long, or Double depending on how
         // long the string is.
         // An integer range is -2,147,483,648 to 2,147,483,647
         // An long range is -9,223,372,036,854,775,808 to +9,223,372,036,854,775,807
         isDecimal = isDecimal(s);
         if (isDecimal) {
            if (s.length() > 20)
               type = Double.class;
            else if (s.length() >= 10)
               type = Long.class;
            else
               type = Integer.class;
         } else if (isFloat(s))
            type = Double.class;
         else
            throw new NumberFormatException(s);
      }

      if (type == Double.class || type == Double.TYPE) {
         var d = Double.valueOf(s);
         var f = Float.valueOf(s);
         if (isAutoDetect && (! isDecimal) && d.toString().equals(f.toString()))
            return f;
         return d;
      }
      if (type == Float.class || type == Float.TYPE)
         return Float.valueOf(s);
      if (type == BigDecimal.class)
         return new BigDecimal(s);
      if (type == Long.class || type == Long.TYPE || type == AtomicLong.class) {
         try {
            var l = parseLongWithSuffix(s);
            if (type == AtomicLong.class)
               return new AtomicLong(l);
            if (isAutoDetect && l >= Integer.MIN_VALUE && l <= Integer.MAX_VALUE) {
               // This occurs if the string is 10 characters long but is still a valid integer value.
               return (int)l;
            }
            return l;
         } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
            if (isAutoDetect) {
               // This occurs if the string is 20 characters long but still falls outside the range of a valid long.
               return Double.valueOf(s);
            }
            throw e;
         }
      }
      if (type == Integer.class || type == Integer.TYPE)
         return Integer.decode(s);
      if (type == Short.class || type == Short.TYPE)
         return Short.decode(s);
      if (type == Byte.class || type == Byte.TYPE)
         return Byte.decode(s);
      if (type == BigInteger.class)
         return new BigInteger(s);
      if (type == AtomicInteger.class)
         return new AtomicInteger(Integer.decode(s));
      throw new NumberFormatException("Unsupported Number type: " + type.getName());
   }

   /**
    * Converts a string to PascalCase format.
    *
    * <p>
    * Handles various input formats:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>Space-separated: "hello world" → "HelloWorld"</li>
    *   <li>CamelCase: "helloWorld" → "HelloWorld"</li>
    *   <li>Snake_case: "hello_world" → "HelloWorld"</li>
    *   <li>Kebab-case: "hello-world" → "HelloWorld"</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    pascalCase(<jk>null</jk>);                    <jc>// null</jc>
    *    pascalCase(<js>""</js>);                      <jc>// ""</jc>
    *    pascalCase(<js>"hello world"</js>);           <jc>// "HelloWorld"</jc>
    *    pascalCase(<js>"helloWorld"</js>);            <jc>// "HelloWorld"</jc>
    *    pascalCase(<js>"hello_world"</js>);           <jc>// "HelloWorld"</jc>
    *    pascalCase(<js>"hello-world"</js>);           <jc>// "HelloWorld"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to convert.
    * @return The PascalCase string, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String pascalCase(String str) {
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return str;

      var words = splitWords(str);
      if (words.isEmpty())
         return "";

      var result = new StringBuilder();
      for (var word : words) {
         result.append(capitalize(word.toLowerCase()));
      }

      return result.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Pluralizes a word based on a count.
    *
    * <p>
    * Simple pluralization that adds "s" to most words, with basic rules for words ending in "s", "x", "z", "ch", "sh" (add "es"),
    * and words ending in "y" preceded by a consonant (replace "y" with "ies").
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    pluralize(<js>"cat"</js>, <js>1</js>);        <jc>// "cat"</jc>
    *    pluralize(<js>"cat"</js>, <js>2</js>);        <jc>// "cats"</jc>
    *    pluralize(<js>"box"</js>, <js>2</js>);        <jc>// "boxes"</jc>
    *    pluralize(<js>"city"</js>, <js>2</js>);       <jc>// "cities"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param word The word to pluralize.
    * @param count The count to determine if pluralization is needed.
    * @return The pluralized word if count is not 1, otherwise the original word.
    */
   public static String pluralize(String word, int count) {
      if (word == null || word.isEmpty())
         return word;
      if (count == 1)
         return word;

      var lower = word.toLowerCase();
      var length = word.length();

      // Words ending in s, x, z, ch, sh -> add "es"
      if (lower.endsWith("s") || lower.endsWith("x") || lower.endsWith("z") || lower.endsWith("ch") || lower.endsWith("sh")) {
         return word + "es";
      }

      // Words ending in "y" preceded by a consonant -> replace "y" with "ies"
      if (length > 1 && lower.endsWith("y")) {
         var secondLast = lower.charAt(length - 2);
         if (! VOWEL.contains(secondLast)) {
            return word.substring(0, length - 1) + "ies";
         }
      }

      // Words ending in "f" or "fe" -> replace with "ves" (basic rule)
      if (lower.endsWith("f")) {
         return word.substring(0, length - 1) + "ves";
      }
      if (lower.endsWith("fe")) {
         return word.substring(0, length - 2) + "ves";
      }

      // Default: add "s"
      return word + "s";
   }

   /**
    * Generated a random UUID with the specified number of characters.
    *
    * <p>
    * Characters are composed of lower-case ASCII letters and numbers only.
    *
    * <p>
    * This method conforms to the restrictions for hostnames as specified in <a class="doclink" href="https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc952">RFC 952</a>
    * Since each character has 36 possible values, the square approximation formula for the number of generated IDs
    * that would produce a 50% chance of collision is:
    * <c>sqrt(36^N)</c>.
    * Dividing this number by 10 gives you an approximation of the number of generated IDs needed to produce a
    * &lt;1% chance of collision.
    *
    * <p>
    * For example, given 5 characters, the number of generated IDs need to produce a &lt;1% chance of collision would
    * be:
    * <c>sqrt(36^5)/10=777</c>
    *
    * @param numchars The number of characters in the generated UUID.
    * @return A new random UUID.
    */
   public static String random(int numchars) {
      var sb = new StringBuilder(numchars);
      for (var i = 0; i < numchars; i++) {
         var c = RANDOM.nextInt(36) + 97;
         if (c > 'z')
            c -= ('z' - '0' + 1);
         sb.append((char)c);
      }
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Generates a random alphabetic string of the specified length.
    *
    * <p>
    * Characters are composed of upper-case and lower-case ASCII letters (a-z, A-Z).
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    randomAlphabetic(<jk>5</jk>);  <jc>// "aBcDe"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param length The length of the generated string.
    * @return A new random alphabetic string.
    */
   public static String randomAlphabetic(int length) {
      if (length < 0)
         throw new IllegalArgumentException("Length must be non-negative: " + length);
      var sb = new StringBuilder(length);
      for (var i = 0; i < length; i++) {
         var c = RANDOM.nextInt(52);
         if (c < 26)
            sb.append((char)('a' + c));
         else
            sb.append((char)('A' + c - 26));
      }
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Generates a random alphanumeric string of the specified length.
    *
    * <p>
    * Characters are composed of upper-case and lower-case ASCII letters and digits (a-z, A-Z, 0-9).
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    randomAlphanumeric(<jk>8</jk>);  <jc>// "aB3dE5fG"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param length The length of the generated string.
    * @return A new random alphanumeric string.
    */
   public static String randomAlphanumeric(int length) {
      if (length < 0)
         throw new IllegalArgumentException("Length must be non-negative: " + length);
      var sb = new StringBuilder(length);
      for (var i = 0; i < length; i++) {
         var c = RANDOM.nextInt(62);
         if (c < 10)
            sb.append((char)('0' + c));
         else if (c < 36)
            sb.append((char)('a' + c - 10));
         else
            sb.append((char)('A' + c - 36));
      }
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Generates a random ASCII string of the specified length.
    *
    * <p>
    * Characters are composed of printable ASCII characters (32-126).
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    randomAscii(<jk>10</jk>);  <jc>// "!@#$%^&amp;*()"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param length The length of the generated string.
    * @return A new random ASCII string.
    */
   public static String randomAscii(int length) {
      if (length < 0)
         throw new IllegalArgumentException("Length must be non-negative: " + length);
      var sb = new StringBuilder(length);
      for (var i = 0; i < length; i++) {
         sb.append((char)(32 + RANDOM.nextInt(95))); // 95 printable ASCII chars (32-126)
      }
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Generates a random numeric string of the specified length.
    *
    * <p>
    * Characters are composed of digits (0-9).
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    randomNumeric(<jk>6</jk>);  <jc>// "123456"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param length The length of the generated string.
    * @return A new random numeric string.
    */
   public static String randomNumeric(int length) {
      if (length < 0)
         throw new IllegalArgumentException("Length must be non-negative: " + length);
      var sb = new StringBuilder(length);
      for (var i = 0; i < length; i++) {
         sb.append((char)('0' + RANDOM.nextInt(10)));
      }
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Generates a random string of the specified length using characters from the given character set.
    *
    * <p>
    * Each character in the generated string is randomly selected from the provided character set.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    randomString(<jk>5</jk>, <js>"ABC"</js>);  <jc>// "BACAB"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param length The length of the generated string.
    * @param chars The character set to use. Must not be null or empty.
    * @return A new random string.
    * @throws IllegalArgumentException If chars is null or empty, or length is negative.
    */
   public static String randomString(int length, String chars) {
      if (length < 0)
         throw new IllegalArgumentException("Length must be non-negative: " + length);
      if (chars == null || chars.isEmpty())
         throw new IllegalArgumentException("Character set must not be null or empty");
      var sb = new StringBuilder(length);
      var charsLen = chars.length();
      for (var i = 0; i < length; i++) {
         sb.append(chars.charAt(RANDOM.nextInt(charsLen)));
      }
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Calculates a simple readability score for a string.
    *
    * <p>
    * Uses a simplified Flesch Reading Ease-like formula based on:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>Average words per sentence</li>
    *   <li>Average syllables per word (estimated)</li>
    * </ul>
    * Returns a score from 0-100, where higher scores indicate easier reading.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    readabilityScore(<js>"The cat sat."</js>);      <jc>// Higher score (simple)</jc>
    *    readabilityScore(<js>"The sophisticated..."</js>); <jc>// Lower score (complex)</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to analyze. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return A readability score from 0-100, or <c>0.0</c> if the string is <jk>null</jk> or empty.
    */
   public static double readabilityScore(String str) {
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return 0.0;

      var words = extractWords(str);
      if (words.isEmpty())
         return 0.0;

      // Count sentences (ending with . ! ?)
      var sentenceCount = 0;
      for (var i = 0; i < str.length(); i++) {
         var c = str.charAt(i);
         if (c == '.' || c == '!' || c == '?') {
            sentenceCount++;
         }
      }
      if (sentenceCount == 0)
         sentenceCount = 1; // At least one sentence

      // Calculate average words per sentence
      var avgWordsPerSentence = (double)words.size() / sentenceCount;

      // Estimate average syllables per word (simplified: count vowel groups)
      var totalSyllables = 0;
      for (var word : words) {
         totalSyllables += estimateSyllables(word);
      }
      var avgSyllablesPerWord = (double)totalSyllables / words.size();

      // Simplified Flesch Reading Ease formula
      // Score = 206.835 - (1.015 * ASL) - (84.6 * ASW)
      // Where ASL = average sentence length (words), ASW = average syllables per word
      var score = 206.835 - (1.015 * avgWordsPerSentence) - (84.6 * avgSyllablesPerWord);

      // Clamp to 0-100 range
      return Math.max(0.0, Math.min(100.0, score));
   }

   /**
    * Converts an arbitrary object to a readable string format suitable for debugging and testing.
    *
    * <p>This method provides intelligent formatting for various Java types, recursively processing
    * nested structures to create human-readable representations. It's extensively used throughout
    * the Juneau framework for test assertions and debugging output.</p>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Type-Specific Formatting:</h5>
    * <ul>
    *    <li><b>null:</b> Returns <js>null</js></li>
    *    <li><b>Optional:</b> Recursively formats the contained value (or <js>null</js> if empty)</li>
    *    <li><b>Collections:</b> Formats as <js>"[item1,item2,item3]"</js> with comma-separated elements</li>
    *    <li><b>Maps:</b> Formats as <js>"{key1=value1,key2=value2}"</js> with comma-separated entries</li>
    *    <li><b>Map.Entry:</b> Formats as <js>"key=value"</js></li>
    *    <li><b>Arrays:</b> Converts to list format <js>"[item1,item2,item3]"</js></li>
    *    <li><b>Iterables/Iterators/Enumerations:</b> Converts to list and formats recursively</li>
    *    <li><b>GregorianCalendar:</b> Formats as ISO instant timestamp</li>
    *    <li><b>Date:</b> Formats as ISO instant string (e.g., <js>"2023-12-25T10:30:00Z"</js>)</li>
    *    <li><b>InputStream:</b> Converts to hexadecimal representation</li>
    *    <li><b>Reader:</b> Reads content and returns as string</li>
    *    <li><b>File:</b> Reads file content and returns as string</li>
    *    <li><b>byte[]:</b> Converts to hexadecimal representation</li>
    *    <li><b>Enum:</b> Returns the enum name via {@link Enum#name()}</li>
    *    <li><b>All other types:</b> Uses {@link Object#toString()}</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Examples:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    <jc>// Collections</jc>
    *    readable(List.of("a", "b", "c")) <jc>// Returns: "[a,b,c]"</jc>
    *    readable(Set.of(1, 2, 3)) <jc>// Returns: "[1,2,3]" (order may vary)</jc>
    *
    *    <jc>// Maps</jc>
    *    readable(Map.of("foo", "bar", "baz", 123)) <jc>// Returns: "{foo=bar,baz=123}"</jc>
    *
    *    <jc>// Arrays</jc>
    *    readable(ints(1, 2, 3)) <jc>// Returns: "[1,2,3]"</jc>
    *    readable(new String[]{"a", "b"}) <jc>// Returns: "[a,b]"</jc>
    *
    *    <jc>// Nested structures</jc>
    *    readable(List.of(Map.of("x", 1), Set.of("a", "b"))) <jc>// Returns: "[{x=1},[a,b]]"</jc>
    *
    *    <jc>// Special types</jc>
    *    readable(Optional.of("test")) <jc>// Returns: "test"</jc>
    *    readable(Optional.empty()) <jc>// Returns: null</jc>
    *    readable(new Date(1640995200000L)) <jc>// Returns: "2022-01-01T00:00:00Z"</jc>
    *    readable(MyEnum.FOO) <jc>// Returns: "FOO"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Recursive Processing:</h5>
    * <p>The method recursively processes nested structures, so complex objects containing
    * collections, maps, and arrays are fully flattened into readable format. This makes it
    * ideal for test assertions where you need to compare complex object structures.</p>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Error Handling:</h5>
    * <p>IO operations (reading files, streams) are wrapped in safe() calls, converting
    * any exceptions to RuntimeExceptions. Binary data (InputStreams, byte arrays) is
    * converted to hexadecimal representation for readability.</p>
    *
    * @param o The object to convert to readable format. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return A readable string representation of the object, or <jk>null</jk> if the input was <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String readable(Object o) {
      if (o == null)
         return null;
      var c = o.getClass();

      // Special case for byte[] - must be handled before general array check
      if (c == byte[].class) {
         return toHex((byte[])o);
      }

      // Check cache first
      var f = READIFIER_CACHE.get(c, () -> {
         // Find readifier from READIFIERS list
         // First try exact match, then isAssignableFrom
         var readifier = READIFIERS.stream()
            .filter(r -> r.forClass() == c || r.forClass().isAssignableFrom(c))
            .map(Readifier::toFunction)
            .findFirst()
            .orElse(null);

         // If readifier found, use it
         if (readifier != null)
            return readifier;

         // If no readifier found, check if it's an array
         if (c.isArray()) {
            return x -> {
               var l = list();
               for (var i = 0; i < Array.getLength(x); i++) {
                  l.add(Array.get(x, i));
               }
               return readable(l);
            };
         }

         // If no readifier found, use toString() as fallback
         return x -> x.toString();
      });

      return f.apply(o);
   }

   /**
    * Removes all occurrences of a substring from a string.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    remove(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"x"</js>);              <jc>// null</jc>
    *    remove(<js>"hello"</js>, <jk>null</jk>);          <jc>// "hello"</jc>
    *    remove(<js>"hello world"</js>, <js>"o"</js>);     <jc>// "hell wrld"</jc>
    *    remove(<js>"hello world"</js>, <js>"xyz"</js>);   <jc>// "hello world"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to process.
    * @param remove The substring to remove.
    * @return The string with all occurrences of the substring removed, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String remove(String str, String remove) {
      if (isEmpty(str) || isEmpty(remove))
         return str;
      return str.replace(remove, "");
   }

   /**
    * Removes diacritical marks (accents) from characters in a string.
    *
    * <p>
    * Normalizes the string to NFD form and removes combining diacritical marks.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    removeAccents(<js>"café"</js>);     <jc>// "cafe"</jc>
    *    removeAccents(<js>"naïve"</js>);    <jc>// "naive"</jc>
    *    removeAccents(<js>"résumé"</js>);   <jc>// "resume"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to remove accents from. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return The string with accents removed, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String removeAccents(String str) {
      if (str == null)
         return null;

      // Normalize to NFD (decomposed form)
      var normalized = Normalizer.normalize(str, Normalizer.Form.NFD);

      // Remove combining diacritical marks (Unicode category Mn)
      var sb = new StringBuilder(normalized.length());
      for (var i = 0; i < normalized.length(); i++) {
         var c = normalized.charAt(i);
         var type = Character.getType(c);
         // Mn = Nonspacing_Mark (combining marks)
         if (type != Character.NON_SPACING_MARK) {
            sb.append(c);
         }
      }

      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Removes multiple substrings from a string.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    removeAll(<js>"hello world test"</js>, <js>"hello"</js>, <js>"test"</js>);  <jc>// " world "</jc>
    *    removeAll(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"x"</js>);                                     <jc>// null</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to process.
    * @param remove The substrings to remove.
    * @return The string with all specified substrings removed, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String removeAll(String str, String...remove) {
      if (str == null)
         return null;
      if (isEmpty(str) || remove == null || remove.length == 0)
         return str;
      var result = str;
      for (var r : remove) {
         if (r != null)
            result = result.replace(r, "");
      }
      return result;
   }

   /**
    * Removes control characters from a string, replacing them with spaces.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    removeControlChars(<js>"hello\u0000\u0001world"</js>);   <jc>// "hello  world"</jc>
    *    removeControlChars(<js>"hello\nworld"</js>);             <jc>// "hello\nworld"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to process.
    * @return The string with control characters replaced by spaces (except whitespace control chars), or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String removeControlChars(String str) {
      if (str == null)
         return null;
      var sb = new StringBuilder();
      for (var i = 0; i < str.length(); i++) {
         var c = str.charAt(i);
         if (Character.isISOControl(c) && ! Character.isWhitespace(c))
            sb.append(' ');
         else
            sb.append(c);
      }
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Removes a suffix from a string if present.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    removeEnd(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"x"</js>);              <jc>// null</jc>
    *    removeEnd(<js>"hello"</js>, <jk>null</jk>);          <jc>// "hello"</jc>
    *    removeEnd(<js>"hello world"</js>, <js>"world"</js>); <jc>// "hello "</jc>
    *    removeEnd(<js>"hello world"</js>, <js>"xyz"</js>);   <jc>// "hello world"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to process.
    * @param suffix The suffix to remove.
    * @return The string with the suffix removed if present, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String removeEnd(String str, String suffix) {
      if (isEmpty(str) || isEmpty(suffix))
         return str;
      if (str.endsWith(suffix))
         return str.substring(0, str.length() - suffix.length());
      return str;
   }

   /**
    * Removes non-printable characters from a string.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    removeNonPrintable(<js>"hello\u0000world"</js>);   <jc>// "helloworld"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to process.
    * @return The string with non-printable characters removed, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String removeNonPrintable(String str) {
      if (str == null)
         return null;
      return str.replaceAll("\\p{C}", "");
   }

   /**
    * Removes a prefix from a string if present.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    removeStart(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"x"</js>);              <jc>// null</jc>
    *    removeStart(<js>"hello"</js>, <jk>null</jk>);          <jc>// "hello"</jc>
    *    removeStart(<js>"hello world"</js>, <js>"hello"</js>); <jc>// " world"</jc>
    *    removeStart(<js>"hello world"</js>, <js>"xyz"</js>);   <jc>// "hello world"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to process.
    * @param prefix The prefix to remove.
    * @return The string with the prefix removed if present, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String removeStart(String str, String prefix) {
      if (isEmpty(str) || isEmpty(prefix))
         return str;
      if (str.startsWith(prefix))
         return str.substring(prefix.length());
      return str;
   }

   /**
    * Removes all underscore characters from a string.
    *
    * <p>
    * This method is commonly used to process numeric literals that may contain underscores for readability
    * (e.g., <js>"1_000_000"</js> becomes <js>"1000000"</js>), as Java allows underscores in numeric literals
    * but some parsing methods do not support them.
    *
    * <p>
    * If the string does not contain any underscores, the original string is returned (no new object created).
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    removeUnderscores(<js>"1_000_000"</js>);        <jc>// "1000000"</jc>
    *    removeUnderscores(<js>"1_000.5"</js>);          <jc>// "1000.5"</jc>
    *    removeUnderscores(<js>"hello_world"</js>);      <jc>// "helloworld"</jc>
    *    removeUnderscores(<js>"no_underscores"</js>);   <jc>// "nounderscores"</jc>
    *    removeUnderscores(<js>"Hello"</js>);            <jc>// "Hello" (no change, same object returned)</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param value The string from which to remove underscores. Must not be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return A new string with all underscores removed, or the original string if it contains no underscores.
    * @throws IllegalArgumentException If <c>value</c> is <jk>null</jk>.
    * @see #parseInt(String)
    * @see #parseLong(String)
    * @see #parseFloat(String)
    * @see #parseNumber(String, Class)
    */
   public static String removeUnderscores(String value) {
      assertArgNotNull("value", value);
      return notContains(value, '_') ? value : value.replace("_", "");
   }

   /**
    * Creates a repeated pattern.
    *
    * @param count The number of times to repeat the pattern.
    * @param pattern The pattern to repeat.
    * @return A new string consisting of the repeated pattern.
    */
   public static String repeat(int count, String pattern) {
      var sb = new StringBuilder(pattern.length() * count);
      for (var i = 0; i < count; i++)
         sb.append(pattern);
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Replaces <js>"\\uXXXX"</js> character sequences with their unicode characters.
    *
    * @param s The string to replace unicode sequences in.
    * @return A string with unicode sequences replaced.
    */
   public static String replaceUnicodeSequences(String s) {

      if (s.indexOf('\\') == -1)
         return s;

      var p = Pattern.compile("\\\\u(\\p{XDigit}{4})");
      var m = p.matcher(s);
      var sb = new StringBuffer(s.length());

      while (m.find()) {
         var ch = String.valueOf((char)Integer.parseInt(m.group(1), 16));
         m.appendReplacement(sb, Matcher.quoteReplacement(ch));
      }

      m.appendTail(sb);
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Reverses a string.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    reverse(<jk>null</jk>);          <jc>// null</jc>
    *    reverse(<js>""</js>);            <jc>// ""</jc>
    *    reverse(<js>"hello"</js>);       <jc>// "olleh"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to reverse.
    * @return The reversed string, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String reverse(String str) {
      if (str == null)
         return null;
      return new StringBuilder(str).reverse().toString();
   }

   /**
    * Returns the rightmost characters of a string.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    right(<jk>null</jk>, 3);          <jc>// null</jc>
    *    right(<js>""</js>, 3);            <jc>// ""</jc>
    *    right(<js>"hello"</js>, 3);       <jc>// "llo"</jc>
    *    right(<js>"hello"</js>, 10);      <jc>// "hello"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to get characters from.
    * @param len The number of characters to get.
    * @return The rightmost characters, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String right(String str, int len) {
      if (str == null)
         return null;
      if (len < 0)
         return "";
      if (len >= str.length())
         return str;
      return str.substring(str.length() - len);
   }

   /**
    * Basic HTML/XML sanitization - removes or escapes potentially dangerous content.
    *
    * <p>
    * Removes HTML/XML tags and escapes special characters to prevent XSS attacks.
    * This is a basic sanitization - for production use, consider a more robust library.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    sanitize(<js>"&lt;script&gt;alert('xss')&lt;/script&gt;"</js>);     <jc>// "&amp;lt;script&amp;gt;alert('xss')&amp;lt;/script&amp;gt;"</jc>
    *    sanitize(<js>"Hello &lt;b&gt;World&lt;/b&gt;"</js>);                <jc>// "Hello &amp;lt;b&amp;gt;World&amp;lt;/b&amp;gt;"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to sanitize.
    * @return The sanitized string with HTML/XML tags escaped, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String sanitize(String str) {
      if (str == null)
         return null;
      // Escape HTML/XML special characters
      return escapeHtml(str);
   }

   /**
    * Calculates the similarity percentage between two strings using Levenshtein distance.
    *
    * <p>
    * Returns a value between 0.0 (completely different) and 1.0 (identical).
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    similarity(<js>"hello"</js>, <js>"hello"</js>);           <jc>// 1.0 (100%)</jc>
    *    similarity(<js>"kitten"</js>, <js>"sitting"</js>);        <jc>// ~0.57 (57%)</jc>
    *    similarity(<js>"abc"</js>, <js>"xyz"</js>);               <jc>// 0.0 (0%)</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str1 The first string.
    * @param str2 The second string.
    * @return A similarity value between 0.0 and 1.0, where 1.0 means identical.
    */
   public static double similarity(String str1, String str2) {
      if (str1 == null)
         str1 = "";
      if (str2 == null)
         str2 = "";

      if (str1.equals(str2))
         return 1.0;

      var maxLen = Math.max(str1.length(), str2.length());

      var distance = levenshteinDistance(str1, str2);
      return 1.0 - ((double)distance / maxLen);
   }

   /**
    * Converts a string to snake_case format.
    *
    * <p>
    * Handles various input formats:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>Space-separated: "hello world" → "hello_world"</li>
    *   <li>CamelCase: "helloWorld" → "hello_world"</li>
    *   <li>PascalCase: "HelloWorld" → "hello_world"</li>
    *   <li>Kebab-case: "hello-world" → "hello_world"</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    snakeCase(<jk>null</jk>);                    <jc>// null</jc>
    *    snakeCase(<js>""</js>);                      <jc>// ""</jc>
    *    snakeCase(<js>"hello world"</js>);           <jc>// "hello_world"</jc>
    *    snakeCase(<js>"helloWorld"</js>);            <jc>// "hello_world"</jc>
    *    snakeCase(<js>"HelloWorld"</js>);            <jc>// "hello_world"</jc>
    *    snakeCase(<js>"hello-world"</js>);           <jc>// "hello_world"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to convert.
    * @return The snake_case string, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String snakeCase(String str) {
      if (str == null)
         return null;
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return str;

      var words = splitWords(str);
      if (words.isEmpty())
         return "";

      var result = new StringBuilder();
      for (var i = 0; i < words.size(); i++) {
         if (i > 0)
            result.append('_');
         result.append(words.get(i).toLowerCase());
      }

      return result.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Sorts a string array in natural order.
    *
    * <p>
    * Returns <jk>null</jk> if the array is <jk>null</jk>.
    * This method creates a copy of the array and sorts it, leaving the original array unchanged.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Examples:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    String[] <jv>array</jv> = {<js>"zebra"</js>, <js>"apple"</js>, <js>"banana"</js>};
    *    String[] <jv>sorted</jv> = sort(<jv>array</jv>);
    *    <jc>// Returns: ["apple", "banana", "zebra"]</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param array The array to sort. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return A new sorted array, or <jk>null</jk> if the array was <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String[] sort(String[] array) {
      if (array == null)
         return null;  // NOSONAR - Intentional.
      var result = Arrays.copyOf(array, array.length);
      Arrays.sort(result);
      return result;
   }

   /**
    * Sorts a string array in case-insensitive order.
    *
    * <p>
    * Returns <jk>null</jk> if the array is <jk>null</jk>.
    * This method creates a copy of the array and sorts it using case-insensitive comparison,
    * leaving the original array unchanged.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Examples:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    String[] <jv>array</jv> = {<js>"Zebra"</js>, <js>"apple"</js>, <js>"Banana"</js>};
    *    String[] <jv>sorted</jv> = sortIgnoreCase(<jv>array</jv>);
    *    <jc>// Returns: ["apple", "Banana", "Zebra"]</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param array The array to sort. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return A new sorted array (case-insensitive), or <jk>null</jk> if the array was <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String[] sortIgnoreCase(String[] array) {
      if (array == null)
         return null;  // NOSONAR - Intentional.
      var result = Arrays.copyOf(array, array.length);
      Arrays.sort(result, String.CASE_INSENSITIVE_ORDER);
      return result;
   }

   /**
    * Generates a Soundex code for a string.
    *
    * <p>
    * Soundex is a phonetic algorithm for indexing names by sound. The code consists of
    * a letter followed by three digits. Similar-sounding names produce the same code.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    soundex(<js>"Smith"</js>);   <jc>// "S530"</jc>
    *    soundex(<js>"Smythe"</js>);  <jc>// "S530"</jc>
    *    soundex(<js>"Robert"</js>);  <jc>// "R163"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to generate a Soundex code for. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return The Soundex code (1 letter + 3 digits), or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk> or empty.
    */
   public static String soundex(String str) {
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return null;

      var upper = str.toUpperCase();
      var result = new StringBuilder(4);
      result.append(upper.charAt(0));

      // Soundex mapping: 0 = AEIOUHWY, 1 = BFPV, 2 = CGJKQSXZ, 3 = DT, 4 = L, 5 = MN, 6 = R
      // H/W/Y don't get codes but don't break sequences either
      // Initialize lastCode to a value that won't match any real code
      var lastCode = '\0';

      for (var i = 1; i < upper.length() && result.length() < 4; i++) {
         var c = upper.charAt(i);
         var code = getSoundexCode(c);
         if (code == '0') {
            // H/W/Y/vowels - don't add code, but don't update lastCode either
            // This allows sequences to continue across H/W/Y/vowels
            continue;
         }
         if (code != lastCode) {
            result.append(code);
            lastCode = code;
         }
         // If code == lastCode, skip it (consecutive same codes)
      }

      // Pad with zeros if needed
      while (result.length() < 4) {
         result.append('0');
      }

      return result.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Splits a comma-delimited list into a list of strings.
    *
    * @param s The string to split.
    * @return A list of split strings, or an empty list if the input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static List<String> split(String s) {
      return s == null ? Collections.emptyList() : split(s, ',');
   }

   /**
    * Splits a character-delimited string into a string array.
    *
    * <p>
    * Does not split on escaped-delimiters (e.g. "\,");
    * Resulting tokens are trimmed of whitespace.
    *
    * <p>
    * <b>NOTE:</b>  This behavior is different than the Jakarta equivalent.
    * split("a,b,c",',') -&gt; {"a","b","c"}
    * split("a, b ,c ",',') -&gt; {"a","b","c"}
    * split("a,,c",',') -&gt; {"a","","c"}
    * split(",,",',') -&gt; {"","",""}
    * split("",',') -&gt; {}
    * split(null,',') -&gt; null
    * split("a,b\,c,d", ',', false) -&gt; {"a","b\,c","d"}
    * split("a,b\\,c,d", ',', false) -&gt; {"a","b\","c","d"}
    * split("a,b\,c,d", ',', true) -&gt; {"a","b,c","d"}
    *
    * @param s The string to split.  Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @param c The character to split on.
    * @return The tokens, or <jk>null</jk> if the string was null.
    */
   public static List<String> split(String s, char c) {
      return split(s, c, Integer.MAX_VALUE);
   }

   /**
    * Same as {@link splita} but consumes the tokens instead of creating an array.
    *
    * @param s The string to split.
    * @param c The character to split on.
    * @param consumer The consumer of the tokens.
    */
   public static void split(String s, char c, Consumer<String> consumer) {
      var escapeChars = getEscapeSet(c);

      if (isEmpty(s))
         return;
      if (s.indexOf(c) == -1) {
         consumer.accept(s);
         return;
      }

      var x1 = 0;
      var escapeCount = 0;

      for (var i = 0; i < s.length(); i++) {
         if (s.charAt(i) == '\\')
            escapeCount++;
         else if (s.charAt(i) == c && escapeCount % 2 == 0) {
            var s2 = s.substring(x1, i);
            var s3 = unescapeChars(s2, escapeChars);
            consumer.accept(s3.trim());  // NOSONAR - NPE not possible.
            x1 = i + 1;
         }
         if (s.charAt(i) != '\\')
            escapeCount = 0;
      }
      var s2 = s.substring(x1);
      var s3 = unescapeChars(s2, escapeChars);
      consumer.accept(s3.trim());  // NOSONAR - NPE not possible.
   }

   /**
    * Same as {@link splita} but limits the number of tokens returned.
    *
    * @param s The string to split.  Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @param c The character to split on.
    * @param limit The maximum number of tokens to return.
    * @return The tokens, or <jk>null</jk> if the string was null.
    */
   public static List<String> split(String s, char c, int limit) {

      var escapeChars = getEscapeSet(c);

      if (s == null)
         return null;  // NOSONAR - Intentional.
      if (isEmpty(s))
         return Collections.emptyList();
      if (s.indexOf(c) == -1)
         return Collections.singletonList(s);

      var l = new LinkedList<String>();
      var sArray = s.toCharArray();
      var x1 = 0;
      var escapeCount = 0;
      limit--;
      for (var i = 0; i < sArray.length && limit > 0; i++) {
         if (sArray[i] == '\\')
            escapeCount++;
         else if (sArray[i] == c && escapeCount % 2 == 0) {
            var s2 = new String(sArray, x1, i - x1);
            var s3 = unescapeChars(s2, escapeChars);
            l.add(s3.trim());
            limit--;
            x1 = i + 1;
         }
         if (sArray[i] != '\\')
            escapeCount = 0;
      }
      var s2 = new String(sArray, x1, sArray.length - x1);
      var s3 = unescapeChars(s2, escapeChars);
      l.add(s3.trim());

      return l;
   }

   /**
    * Same as {@link splita} but consumes the tokens instead of creating an array.
    *
    * @param s The string to split.
    * @param consumer The consumer of the tokens.
    */
   public static void split(String s, Consumer<String> consumer) {
      StringUtils.split(s, ',', consumer);
   }

   /**
    * Splits a comma-delimited list into an array of strings.
    *
    * @param s The string to split.
    * @return An array of split strings.
    */
   public static String[] splita(String s) {
      return splita(s, ',');
   }

   /**
    * Splits a character-delimited string into a string array.
    *
    * <p>
    * Does not split on escaped-delimiters (e.g. "\,");
    * Resulting tokens are trimmed of whitespace.
    *
    * <p>
    * <b>NOTE:</b>  This behavior is different than the Jakarta equivalent.
    * split("a,b,c",',') -&gt; {"a","b","c"}
    * split("a, b ,c ",',') -&gt; {"a","b","c"}
    * split("a,,c",',') -&gt; {"a","","c"}
    * split(",,",',') -&gt; {"","",""}
    * split("",',') -&gt; {}
    * split(null,',') -&gt; null
    * split("a,b\,c,d", ',', false) -&gt; {"a","b\,c","d"}
    * split("a,b\\,c,d", ',', false) -&gt; {"a","b\","c","d"}
    * split("a,b\,c,d", ',', true) -&gt; {"a","b,c","d"}
    *
    * @param s The string to split.  Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @param c The character to split on.
    * @return The tokens, or <jk>null</jk> if the string was null.
    */
   public static String[] splita(String s, char c) {
      return splita(s, c, Integer.MAX_VALUE);
   }

   /**
    * Same as {@link #splita(String, char)} but limits the number of tokens returned.
    *
    * @param s The string to split.  Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @param c The character to split on.
    * @param limit The maximum number of tokens to return.
    * @return The tokens, or <jk>null</jk> if the string was null.
    */
   public static String[] splita(String s, char c, int limit) {
      var l = StringUtils.split(s, c, limit);
      return l == null ? null : l.toArray(new String[l.size()]);
   }

   /**
    * Same as {@link #splita(String, char)} except splits all strings in the input and returns a single result.
    *
    * @param s The string to split.  Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @param c The character to split on.
    * @return The tokens, or null if the input array was null
    */
   public static String[] splita(String[] s, char c) {
      if (s == null)
         return null;  // NOSONAR - Intentional.
      var l = new LinkedList<String>();
      for (var ss : s) {
         if (ss == null || ss.indexOf(c) == -1)
            l.add(ss);
         else
            Collections.addAll(l, splita(ss, c));
      }
      return l.toArray(new String[l.size()]);
   }

   /**
    * Splits a list of key-value pairs into an ordered map.
    *
    * <p>
    * Example:
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    String <jv>in</jv> = <js>"foo=1;bar=2"</js>;
    *    Map <jv>map</jv> = StringUtils.<jsm>splitMap</jsm>(in, <js>';'</js>, <js>'='</js>, <jk>true</jk>);
    * </p>
    *
    * @param s The string to split.
    * @param trim Trim strings after parsing.
    * @return The parsed map, or null if the string was null.
    */
   public static Map<String,String> splitMap(String s, boolean trim) {

      if (s == null)
         return null;  // NOSONAR - Intentional.
      if (isEmpty(s))
         return mape();

      var m = new LinkedHashMap<String,String>();

      // S1: Found start of key, looking for equals.
      // S2: Found equals, looking for delimiter (or end).

      var state = S1;

      var sArray = s.toCharArray();
      var x1 = 0;
      var escapeCount = 0;
      var key = (String)null;
      for (var i = 0; i < sArray.length + 1; i++) {
         var c = i == sArray.length ? ',' : sArray[i];
         if (c == '\\')
            escapeCount++;
         if (escapeCount % 2 == 0) {
            if (state == S1) {
               if (c == '=') {
                  key = s.substring(x1, i);
                  if (trim)
                     key = trim(key);
                  key = unescapeChars(key, MAP_ESCAPE_SET);
                  state = S2;
                  x1 = i + 1;
               } else if (c == ',') {
                  key = s.substring(x1, i);
                  if (trim)
                     key = trim(key);
                  key = unescapeChars(key, MAP_ESCAPE_SET);
                  m.put(key, "");
                  state = S1;
                  x1 = i + 1;
               }
            } else /* state == S2 */ {
               if (c == ',') {  // NOSONAR - Intentional.
                  var val = s.substring(x1, i);
                  if (trim)
                     val = trim(val);
                  val = unescapeChars(val, MAP_ESCAPE_SET);
                  m.put(key, val);
                  key = null;
                  x1 = i + 1;
                  state = S1;
               }
            }
         }
         if (c != '\\')
            escapeCount = 0;
      }

      return m;
   }

   /**
    * Splits the method arguments in the signature of a method.
    *
    * @param s The arguments to split.
    * @return The split arguments, or null if the input string is null.
    */
   public static String[] splitMethodArgs(String s) {

      if (s == null)
         return null;  // NOSONAR - Intentional.
      if (isEmpty(s))
         return new String[0];
      if (s.indexOf(',') == -1)
         return a(s);

      var l = new LinkedList<String>();
      var sArray = s.toCharArray();
      var x1 = 0;
      var paramDepth = 0;

      for (var i = 0; i < sArray.length; i++) {
         var c = s.charAt(i);
         if (c == '>')
            paramDepth++;
         else if (c == '<')
            paramDepth--;
         else if (c == ',' && paramDepth == 0) {
            var s2 = new String(sArray, x1, i - x1);
            l.add(s2.trim());
            x1 = i + 1;
         }
      }

      var s2 = new String(sArray, x1, sArray.length - x1);
      l.add(s2.trim());

      return l.toArray(new String[l.size()]);
   }

   /**
    * Splits a comma-delimited list containing "nesting constructs".
    *
    * Nesting constructs are simple embedded "{...}" comma-delimted lists.
    *
    * Example:
    *    "a{b,c},d" -> ["a{b,c}","d"]
    *
    * Handles escapes and trims whitespace from tokens.
    *
    * @param s The input string.
    * @return
    *    The results, or <jk>null</jk> if the input was <jk>null</jk>.
    *    <br>An empty string results in an empty array.
    */
   public static List<String> splitNested(String s) {
      var escapeChars = getEscapeSet(',');

      if (s == null)
         return null;  // NOSONAR - Intentional.
      if (isEmpty(s))
         return Collections.emptyList();
      if (s.indexOf(',') == -1)
         return Collections.singletonList(trim(s));

      var l = new LinkedList<String>();

      var x1 = 0;
      var inEscape = false;
      var depthCount = 0;

      for (var i = 0; i < s.length(); i++) {
         var c = s.charAt(i);
         if (inEscape) {
            if (c == '\\') {
               inEscape = false;
            }
         } else {
            if (c == '\\') {
               inEscape = true;
            } else if (c == '{') {
               depthCount++;
            } else if (c == '}') {
               depthCount--;
            } else if (c == ',' && depthCount == 0) {
               l.add(trim(unescapeChars(s.substring(x1, i), escapeChars)));
               x1 = i + 1;
            }
         }
      }
      l.add(trim(unescapeChars(s.substring(x1, s.length()), escapeChars)));

      return l;
   }

   /**
    * Splits a nested comma-delimited list.
    *
    * Nesting constructs are simple embedded "{...}" comma-delimted lists.
    *
    * Example:
    *    "a{b,c{d,e}}" -> ["b","c{d,e}"]
    *
    * Handles escapes and trims whitespace from tokens.
    *
    * @param s The input string.
    * @return
    *    The results, or <jk>null</jk> if the input was <jk>null</jk>.
    *    <br>An empty string results in an empty array.
    */
   public static List<String> splitNestedInner(String s) {
      assertArg(nn(s), "String was null.");
      assertArg(ne(s), "String was empty.");

      // S1: Looking for '{'
      // S2: Found '{', looking for '}'

      var start = -1;
      var end = -1;
      var state = S1;

      var depth = 0;
      var inEscape = false;

      for (var i = 0; i < s.length(); i++) {
         var c = s.charAt(i);
         if (inEscape) {
            if (c == '\\') {
               inEscape = false;
            }
         } else {
            if (c == '\\') {
               inEscape = true;
            } else if (state == S1) {
               if (c == '{') {
                  start = i + 1;
                  state = S2;
               }
            } else /* state == S2 */ {
               if (c == '{') {
                  depth++;
               } else if (depth > 0 && c == '}') {
                  depth--;
               } else if (c == '}') {
                  end = i;
                  break;
               }
            }
         }
      }

      if (start == -1)
         throw illegalArg("Start character '{' not found in string:  {0}", s);
      if (end == -1)
         throw illegalArg("End character '}' not found in string  {0}", s);
      return splitNested(s.substring(start, end));
   }

   /**
    * Splits a space-delimited string with optionally quoted arguments.
    *
    * <p>
    * Examples:
    * <ul>
    *    <li><js>"foo"</js> =&gt; <c>["foo"]</c>
    *    <li><js>" foo "</js> =&gt; <c>["foo"]</c>
    *    <li><js>"foo bar baz"</js> =&gt; <c>["foo","bar","baz"]</c>
    *    <li><js>"foo 'bar baz'"</js> =&gt; <c>["foo","bar baz"]</c>
    *    <li><js>"foo \"bar baz\""</js> =&gt; <c>["foo","bar baz"]</c>
    *    <li><js>"foo 'bar\'baz'"</js> =&gt; <c>["foo","bar'baz"]</c>
    * </ul>
    *
    * @param s The input string.
    * @return
    *    The results, or <jk>null</jk> if the input was <jk>null</jk>.
    *    <br>An empty string results in an empty array.
    */
   public static String[] splitQuoted(String s) {
      return splitQuoted(s, false);
   }

   /**
    * Same as {@link StringUtils#splitQuoted(String)} but allows you to optionally keep the quote characters.
    *
    * @param s The input string.
    * @param keepQuotes If <jk>true</jk>, quote characters are kept on the tokens.
    * @return
    *    The results, or <jk>null</jk> if the input was <jk>null</jk>.
    *    <br>An empty string results in an empty array.
    */
   public static String[] splitQuoted(String s, boolean keepQuotes) {

      if (s == null)
         return null;  // NOSONAR - Intentional.

      s = s.trim();

      if (isEmpty(s))
         return a();

      if (! containsAny(s, ' ', '\t', '\'', '"'))
         return a(s);

      // S1: Looking for start of token.
      // S2: Found ', looking for end '
      // S3: Found ", looking for end "
      // S4: Found non-whitespace, looking for end whitespace.

      var state = S1;

      var isInEscape = false;
      var needsUnescape = false;
      var mark = 0;

      var l = new ArrayList<String>();
      for (var i = 0; i < s.length(); i++) {
         var c = s.charAt(i);

         if (state == S1) {
            if (c == '\'') {
               state = S2;
               mark = keepQuotes ? i : i + 1;
            } else if (c == '"') {
               state = S3;
               mark = keepQuotes ? i : i + 1;
            } else if (c != ' ' && c != '\t') {
               state = S4;
               mark = i;
            }
         } else if (state == S2 || state == S3) {
            if (c == '\\') {
               isInEscape = ! isInEscape;
               needsUnescape = ! keepQuotes;
            } else if (! isInEscape) {
               if (c == (state == S2 ? '\'' : '"')) {
                  var s2 = s.substring(mark, keepQuotes ? i + 1 : i);
                  if (needsUnescape)  // NOSONAR - False positive check.
                     s2 = unescapeChars(s2, QUOTE_ESCAPE_SET);
                  l.add(s2);
                  state = S1;
                  isInEscape = needsUnescape = false;
               }
            } else {
               isInEscape = false;
            }
         } else /* state == S4 */ {
            if (c == ' ' || c == '\t') {
               l.add(s.substring(mark, i));
               state = S1;
            }
         }
      }
      if (state == S4)
         l.add(s.substring(mark));
      else if (state == S2 || state == S3)
         throw illegalArg("Unmatched string quotes: {0}", s);
      return l.toArray(new String[l.size()]);
   }

   /**
    * An efficient method for checking if a string starts with a character.
    *
    * @param s The string to check.  Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @param c The character to check for.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the specified string is not <jk>null</jk> and starts with the specified character.
    */
   public static boolean startsWith(String s, char c) {
      if (nn(s)) {
         var i = s.length();
         if (i > 0)
            return s.charAt(0) == c;
      }
      return false;
   }

   /**
    * Checks if a string starts with a prefix, ignoring case.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    startsWithIgnoreCase(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"hello"</js>);     <jc>// true</jc>
    *    startsWithIgnoreCase(<js>"Hello World"</js>, <js>"HELLO"</js>);     <jc>// true</jc>
    *    startsWithIgnoreCase(<js>"hello world"</js>, <js>"world"</js>);     <jc>// false</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to check.
    * @param prefix The prefix to check for.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string starts with the prefix (ignoring case), <jk>false</jk> otherwise.
    */
   public static boolean startsWithIgnoreCase(String str, String prefix) {
      if (str == null || prefix == null)
         return false;
      return str.toLowerCase().startsWith(prefix.toLowerCase());
   }

   /**
    * Takes a supplier of any type and returns a {@link Supplier}{@code <String>}.
    *
    * <p>Useful when passing arguments to loggers.
    *
    * @param s The supplier.
    * @return A string supplier that calls {@link #readable(Object)} on the supplied value.
    */
   public static Supplier<String> stringSupplier(Supplier<?> s) {
      return () -> readable(s.get());
   }

   /**
    * Strips the first and last character from a string.
    *
    * @param s The string to strip.
    * @return The striped string, or the same string if the input was <jk>null</jk> or less than length 2.
    */
   public static String strip(String s) {
      if (s == null || s.length() <= 1)
         return s;
      return s.substring(1, s.length() - 1);
   }

   /**
    * Strips invalid characters such as CTRL characters from a string meant to be encoded
    * as an HTTP header value.
    *
    * @param s The string to strip chars from.
    * @return The string with invalid characters removed.
    */
   public static String stripInvalidHttpHeaderChars(String s) {

      if (s == null)
         return null;

      var needsReplace = false;
      for (var i = 0; i < s.length() && ! needsReplace; i++)
         needsReplace |= HTTP_HEADER_CHARS.contains(s.charAt(i));

      if (! needsReplace)
         return s;

      var sb = new StringBuilder(s.length());
      for (var i = 0; i < s.length(); i++) {
         var c = s.charAt(i);
         if (HTTP_HEADER_CHARS.contains(c))
            sb.append(c);
      }

      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Returns the substring after the first occurrence of a separator.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    substringAfter(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"."</js>);              <jc>// null</jc>
    *    substringAfter(<js>"hello.world"</js>, <jk>null</jk>);    <jc>// ""</jc>
    *    substringAfter(<js>"hello.world"</js>, <js>"."</js>);     <jc>// "world"</jc>
    *    substringAfter(<js>"hello.world"</js>, <js>"xyz"</js>);   <jc>// ""</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to get a substring from.
    * @param separator The separator string.
    * @return The substring after the first occurrence of the separator, or empty string if separator not found.
    */
   public static String substringAfter(String str, String separator) {
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return str;
      if (separator == null)
         return "";
      var pos = str.indexOf(separator);
      if (pos == -1)
         return "";
      return str.substring(pos + separator.length());
   }

   /**
    * Returns the substring before the first occurrence of a separator.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    substringBefore(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"."</js>);              <jc>// null</jc>
    *    substringBefore(<js>"hello.world"</js>, <jk>null</jk>);    <jc>// "hello.world"</jc>
    *    substringBefore(<js>"hello.world"</js>, <js>"."</js>);     <jc>// "hello"</jc>
    *    substringBefore(<js>"hello.world"</js>, <js>"xyz"</js>);   <jc>// "hello.world"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to get a substring from.
    * @param separator The separator string.
    * @return The substring before the first occurrence of the separator, or the original string if separator not found.
    */
   public static String substringBefore(String str, String separator) {
      if (isEmpty(str) || separator == null)
         return str;
      var pos = str.indexOf(separator);
      if (pos == -1)
         return str;
      return str.substring(0, pos);
   }

   /**
    * Returns the substring between two delimiters.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    substringBetween(<jk>null</jk>, <js>"&lt;"</js>, <js>"&gt;"</js>);              <jc>// null</jc>
    *    substringBetween(<js>"&lt;hello&gt;"</js>, <js>"&lt;"</js>, <js>"&gt;"</js>);   <jc>// "hello"</jc>
    *    substringBetween(<js>"&lt;hello&gt;"</js>, <js>"["</js>, <js>"]"</js>);         <jc>// null</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to get a substring from.
    * @param open The opening delimiter.
    * @param close The closing delimiter.
    * @return The substring between the delimiters, or <jk>null</jk> if delimiters not found.
    */
   public static String substringBetween(String str, String open, String close) {
      if (str == null || open == null || close == null)
         return null;
      var start = str.indexOf(open);
      if (start == -1)
         return null;
      var end = str.indexOf(close, start + open.length());
      if (end == -1)
         return null;
      return str.substring(start + open.length(), end);
   }

   /**
    * Swaps the case of all characters in a string.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    swapCase(<js>"Hello World"</js>);   <jc>// "hELLO wORLD"</jc>
    *    swapCase(<js>"ABC123xyz"</js>);     <jc>// "abc123XYZ"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to process.
    * @return The string with case swapped, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String swapCase(String str) {
      if (str == null)
         return null;
      var sb = new StringBuilder(str.length());
      for (var i = 0; i < str.length(); i++) {
         var c = str.charAt(i);
         if (LETTER_UC.contains(c))
            sb.append(Character.toLowerCase(c));
         else if (LETTER_LC.contains(c))
            sb.append(Character.toUpperCase(c));
         else
            sb.append(c);
      }
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Converts a string to Title Case format (first letter of each word capitalized, separated by spaces).
    *
    * <p>
    * Handles various input formats:
    * <ul>
    *   <li>CamelCase: "helloWorld" → "Hello World"</li>
    *   <li>PascalCase: "HelloWorld" → "Hello World"</li>
    *   <li>Snake_case: "hello_world" → "Hello World"</li>
    *   <li>Kebab-case: "hello-world" → "Hello World"</li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    titleCase(<jk>null</jk>);                    <jc>// null</jc>
    *    titleCase(<js>""</js>);                      <jc>// ""</jc>
    *    titleCase(<js>"hello world"</js>);           <jc>// "Hello World"</jc>
    *    titleCase(<js>"helloWorld"</js>);            <jc>// "Hello World"</jc>
    *    titleCase(<js>"hello_world"</js>);           <jc>// "Hello World"</jc>
    *    titleCase(<js>"hello-world"</js>);           <jc>// "Hello World"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to convert.
    * @return The Title Case string, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String titleCase(String str) {
      if (str == null)
         return null;
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return str;

      var words = splitWords(str);
      if (words.isEmpty())
         return "";

      var result = new StringBuilder();
      for (var i = 0; i < words.size(); i++) {
         if (i > 0)
            result.append(' ');
         result.append(capitalize(words.get(i).toLowerCase()));
      }

      return result.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Converts the specified object to a comma-delimited list.
    *
    * @param o The object to convert.
    * @return The specified object as a comma-delimited list.
    */
   public static String toCdl(Object o) {
      if (o == null)
         return null;
      if (isArray(o)) {
         var sb = new StringBuilder();
         for (int i = 0, j = Array.getLength(o); i < j; i++) {
            if (i > 0)
               sb.append(", ");
            sb.append(Array.get(o, i));
         }
         return sb.toString();
      }
      if (o instanceof Collection<?> c)
         return join(c, ", ");
      return o.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Converts the specified byte into a 2 hexadecimal characters.
    *
    * @param b The number to convert to hex.
    * @return A <code><jk>char</jk>[2]</code> containing the specified characters.
    */
   public static String toHex(byte b) {
      var c = new char[2];
      var v = b & 0xFF;
      c[0] = HEX[v >>> 4];
      c[1] = HEX[v & 0x0F];
      return new String(c);
   }

   /**
    * Converts a byte array into a simple hexadecimal character string.
    *
    * @param bytes The bytes to convert to hexadecimal.
    * @return A new string consisting of hexadecimal characters.
    */
   public static String toHex(byte[] bytes) {
      var sb = new StringBuilder(bytes.length * 2);
      for (var element : bytes) {
         var v = element & 0xFF;
         sb.append(HEX[v >>> 4]).append(HEX[v & 0x0F]);
      }
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Converts the contents of the specified input stream to a hex string.
    *
    * @param is The input stream to convert.
    * @return The hex string representation of the input stream contents, or <jk>null</jk> if the stream is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String toHex(InputStream is) {
      return safe(() -> is == null ? null : toHex(readBytes(is)));
   }

   /**
    * Converts the specified number into a 2 hexadecimal characters.
    *
    * @param num The number to convert to hex.
    * @return A <code><jk>char</jk>[2]</code> containing the specified characters.
    */
   public static char[] toHex2(int num) {
      if (num < 0 || num > 255)
         throw new NumberFormatException("toHex2 can only be used on numbers between 0 and 255");
      var n = new char[2];
      var a = num % 16;
      n[1] = (char)(a > 9 ? 'A' + a - 10 : '0' + a);
      a = (num / 16) % 16;
      n[0] = (char)(a > 9 ? 'A' + a - 10 : '0' + a);
      return n;
   }

   /**
    * Converts the specified number into a 4 hexadecimal characters.
    *
    * @param num The number to convert to hex.
    * @return A <code><jk>char</jk>[4]</code> containing the specified characters.
    * @throws NumberFormatException If the number is negative.
    */
   public static char[] toHex4(int num) {
      if (num < 0)
         throw new NumberFormatException("toHex4 can only be used on non-negative numbers");
      var n = new char[4];
      var a = num % 16;
      n[3] = (char)(a > 9 ? 'A' + a - 10 : '0' + a);
      var base = 16;
      for (var i = 1; i < 4; i++) {
         a = (num / base) % 16;
         base <<= 4;
         n[3 - i] = (char)(a > 9 ? 'A' + a - 10 : '0' + a);
      }
      return n;
   }

   /**
    * Converts the specified number into a 8 hexadecimal characters.
    *
    * @param num The number to convert to hex.
    * @return A <code><jk>char</jk>[8]</code> containing the specified characters.
    * @throws NumberFormatException If the number is negative.
    */
   public static char[] toHex8(long num) {
      if (num < 0)
         throw new NumberFormatException("toHex8 can only be used on non-negative numbers");
      var n = new char[8];
      var a = num % 16;
      n[7] = (char)(a > 9 ? 'A' + a - 10 : '0' + a);
      var base = 16;
      for (var i = 1; i < 8; i++) {
         a = (num / base) % 16;
         base <<= 4;
         n[7 - i] = (char)(a > 9 ? 'A' + a - 10 : '0' + a);
      }
      return n;
   }

   /**
    * Converts the specified object to an ISO8601 date string.
    *
    * @param c The object to convert.
    * @return The converted object.
    */
   public static String toIsoDate(Calendar c) {
      if (c == null) {
         return null;
      }
      // Convert Calendar to ZonedDateTime and format as ISO8601 date (YYYY-MM-DD)
      ZonedDateTime zdt = c.toInstant().atZone(c.getTimeZone().toZoneId());
      return zdt.format(DateTimeFormatter.ISO_LOCAL_DATE);
   }

   /**
    * Converts the specified object to an ISO8601 date-time string.
    *
    * @param c The object to convert.
    * @return The converted object.
    */
   public static String toIsoDateTime(Calendar c) {
      if (c == null) {
         return null;
      }
      // Convert Calendar to ZonedDateTime and format as ISO8601 date-time with timezone
      ZonedDateTime zdt = c.toInstant().atZone(c.getTimeZone().toZoneId());
      return zdt.format(DateTimeFormatter.ISO_OFFSET_DATE_TIME);
   }

   /**
    * Converts the specified bytes into a readable string.
    *
    * @param b The number to convert to hex.
    * @return A <code><jk>char</jk>[2]</code> containing the specified characters.
    */
   public static String toReadableBytes(byte[] b) {
      var sb = new StringBuilder();
      for (var b2 : b)
         sb.append((b2 < ' ' || b2 > 'z') ? String.format("[%02X]", b2) : (char)b2 + "   ");
      sb.append("\n");
      for (var b2 : b)
         sb.append(String.format("[%02X]", b2));
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Same as {@link #toHex(byte[])} but puts spaces between the byte strings.
    *
    * @param bytes The bytes to convert to hexadecimal.
    * @return A new string consisting of hexadecimal characters.
    */
   public static String toSpacedHex(byte[] bytes) {
      var sb = new StringBuilder(bytes.length * 3);
      for (var j = 0; j < bytes.length; j++) {
         if (j > 0)
            sb.append(' ');
         var v = bytes[j] & 0xFF;
         sb.append(HEX[v >>> 4]).append(HEX[v & 0x0F]);
      }
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Safely converts an object to a string, returning <jk>null</jk> if the object is <jk>null</jk>.
    *
    * @param obj The object to convert to a string.
    * @return The string representation of the object, or <jk>null</jk> if the object is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String toString(Object obj) {
      return obj == null ? null : obj.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Safely converts an object to a string, returning the default string if the object is <jk>null</jk>.
    *
    * @param obj The object to convert to a string.
    * @param defaultStr The default string to return if the object is <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return The string representation of the object, or the default string if the object is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String toString(Object obj, String defaultStr) {
      return obj == null ? defaultStr : obj.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Converts a collection of strings to a string array.
    *
    * <p>
    * Returns <jk>null</jk> if the collection is <jk>null</jk>.
    * Returns an empty array if the collection is empty.
    *
    * @param collection The collection to convert. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return A new string array containing the collection elements, or <jk>null</jk> if the collection was <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String[] toStringArray(Collection<String> collection) {
      if (collection == null)
         return null;  // NOSONAR - Intentional.
      return collection.toArray(new String[collection.size()]);
   }

   /**
    * Converts the specified object to a URI.
    *
    * @param o The object to convert to a URI.
    * @return A new URI, or the same object if the object was already a URI, or
    */
   public static URI toUri(Object o) {
      if (o == null || o instanceof URI)
         return (URI)o;
      try {
         return new URI(o.toString());
      } catch (URISyntaxException e) {
         throw toRex(e);
      }
   }

   /**
    * Converts the specified byte array to a UTF-8 string.
    *
    * @param b The byte array to convert.
    * @return The UTF-8 string representation, or <jk>null</jk> if the array is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String toUtf8(byte[] b) {
      return b == null ? null : new String(b, UTF8);
   }

   /**
    * Converts the contents of the specified input stream to a UTF-8 string.
    *
    * @param is The input stream to convert.
    * @return The UTF-8 string representation of the input stream contents, or <jk>null</jk> if the stream is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String toUtf8(InputStream is) {
      return safe(() -> is == null ? null : new String(readBytes(is), UTF8));
   }

   /**
    * Transliterates characters in a string by mapping characters from one set to another.
    *
    * <p>
    * Performs character-by-character translation. If a character is found in <c>fromChars</c>,
    * it is replaced with the corresponding character at the same position in <c>toChars</c>.
    * Characters not found in <c>fromChars</c> are left unchanged.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    transliterate(<js>"hello"</js>, <js>"aeiou"</js>, <js>"12345"</js>);
    *    <jc>// "h2ll4"</jc>
    *    transliterate(<js>"ABC"</js>, <js>"ABC"</js>, <js>"XYZ"</js>);
    *    <jc>// "XYZ"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to transliterate. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @param fromChars The source character set. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @param toChars The target character set. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return The transliterated string, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    * @throws IllegalArgumentException If <c>fromChars</c> and <c>toChars</c> have different lengths.
    */
   public static String transliterate(String str, String fromChars, String toChars) {
      if (str == null)
         return null;
      if (fromChars == null || toChars == null || fromChars.isEmpty() || toChars.isEmpty())
         return str;
      if (fromChars.length() != toChars.length())
         throw new IllegalArgumentException("fromChars and toChars must have the same length");

      var sb = new StringBuilder(str.length());
      for (var i = 0; i < str.length(); i++) {
         var c = str.charAt(i);
         var index = fromChars.indexOf(c);
         if (index >= 0)
            sb.append(toChars.charAt(index));
         else
            sb.append(c);
      }
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Same as {@link String#trim()} but prevents <c>NullPointerExceptions</c>.
    *
    * @param s The string to trim.
    * @return The trimmed string, or <jk>null</jk> if the string was <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String trim(String s) {
      if (s == null)
         return null;
      return s.trim();
   }

   /**
    * Trims whitespace characters from the end of the specified string.
    *
    * @param s The string to trim.
    * @return The trimmed string, or <jk>null</jk> if the string was <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String trimEnd(String s) {
      if (nn(s))
         while (ne(s) && isWhitespace(s.charAt(s.length() - 1)))
            s = s.substring(0, s.length() - 1);
      return s;
   }

   /**
    * Trims <js>'/'</js> characters from the beginning of the specified string.
    *
    * @param s The string to trim.
    * @return A new trimmed string, or the same string if no trimming was necessary.
    */
   public static String trimLeadingSlashes(String s) {
      if (s == null)
         return null;
      while (ne(s) && s.charAt(0) == '/')
         s = s.substring(1);
      return s;
   }

   /**
    * Trims <js>'/'</js> characters from both the start and end of the specified string.
    *
    * @param s The string to trim.
    * @return A new trimmed string, or the same string if no trimming was necessary.
    */
   public static String trimSlashes(String s) {
      if (s == null)
         return null;
      if (s.isEmpty())
         return s;
      while (endsWith(s, '/'))
         s = s.substring(0, s.length() - 1);
      while (ne(s) && s.charAt(0) == '/')  // NOSONAR - NPE not possible here.
         s = s.substring(1);
      return s;
   }

   /**
    * Trims <js>'/'</js> and space characters from both the start and end of the specified string.
    *
    * @param s The string to trim.
    * @return A new trimmed string, or the same string if no trimming was necessary.
    */
   public static String trimSlashesAndSpaces(String s) {
      if (s == null)
         return null;
      while (ne(s) && (s.charAt(s.length() - 1) == '/' || isWhitespace(s.charAt(s.length() - 1))))
         s = s.substring(0, s.length() - 1);
      while (ne(s) && (s.charAt(0) == '/' || isWhitespace(s.charAt(0))))
         s = s.substring(1);
      return s;
   }

   /**
    * Trims whitespace characters from the beginning of the specified string.
    *
    * @param s The string to trim.
    * @return The trimmed string, or <jk>null</jk> if the string was <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String trimStart(String s) {
      if (nn(s))
         while (ne(s) && isWhitespace(s.charAt(0)))
            s = s.substring(1);
      return s;
   }

   /**
    * Trims <js>'/'</js> characters from the end of the specified string.
    *
    * @param s The string to trim.
    * @return A new trimmed string, or the same string if no trimming was necessary.
    */
   public static String trimTrailingSlashes(String s) {
      if (s == null)
         return null;
      while (endsWith(s, '/'))
         s = s.substring(0, s.length() - 1);
      return s;
   }

   /**
    * Uncapitalizes the first character of a string.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    uncapitalize(<jk>null</jk>);          <jc>// null</jc>
    *    uncapitalize(<js>""</js>);            <jc>// ""</jc>
    *    uncapitalize(<js>"Hello"</js>);       <jc>// "hello"</jc>
    *    uncapitalize(<js>"hello"</js>);       <jc>// "hello"</jc>
    *    uncapitalize(<js>"HELLO"</js>);       <jc>// "hELLO"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to uncapitalize.
    * @return The string with the first character uncapitalized, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String uncapitalize(String str) {
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return str;
      return Character.toLowerCase(str.charAt(0)) + str.substring(1);
   }

   /**
    * Removes escape characters from the specified characters.
    *
    * @param s The string to remove escape characters from.
    * @param escaped The characters escaped.
    * @return A new string if characters were removed, or the same string if not or if the input was <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String unescapeChars(String s, AsciiSet escaped) {
      if (s == null || s.isEmpty())
         return s;
      var count = 0;
      for (var i = 0; i < s.length(); i++)
         if (escaped.contains(s.charAt(i)))
            count++;
      if (count == 0)
         return s;
      var sb = new StringBuffer(s.length() - count);
      for (var i = 0; i < s.length(); i++) {
         var c = s.charAt(i);

         if (c == '\\') {
            if (i + 1 != s.length()) {  // NOSONAR - Intentional.
               var c2 = s.charAt(i + 1);
               if (escaped.contains(c2)) {
                  i++;  // NOSONAR - Intentional.
               }
            }
         }
         sb.append(s.charAt(i));
      }
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Unescapes HTML entities in a string.
    *
    * <p>
    * Unescapes the following HTML entities:
    * <ul>
    *   <li><js>"&amp;amp;"</js> → <js>'&amp;'</js></li>
    *   <li><js>"&amp;lt;"</js> → <js>'&lt;'</js></li>
    *   <li><js>"&amp;gt;"</js> → <js>'&gt;'</js></li>
    *   <li><js>"&amp;quot;"</js> → <js>'"'</js></li>
    *   <li><js>"&amp;#39;"</js> or <js>"&amp;apos;"</js> → <js>'\''</js></li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    unescapeHtml(<js>"&amp;lt;script&amp;gt;"</js>);     <jc>// Returns: "&lt;script&gt;"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to unescape.
    * @return The unescaped string, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String unescapeHtml(String str) {
      if (str == null)
         return null;
      // Must unescape &amp; last to avoid interfering with other entities
      return str.replace("&lt;", "<").replace("&gt;", ">").replace("&quot;", "\"").replace("&#39;", "'").replace("&apos;", "'").replace("&amp;", "&");
   }

   /**
    * Unescapes XML entities in a string.
    *
    * <p>
    * Unescapes the following XML entities:
    * <ul>
    *   <li><js>"&amp;amp;"</js> → <js>'&amp;'</js></li>
    *   <li><js>"&amp;lt;"</js> → <js>'&lt;'</js></li>
    *   <li><js>"&amp;gt;"</js> → <js>'&gt;'</js></li>
    *   <li><js>"&amp;quot;"</js> → <js>'"'</js></li>
    *   <li><js>"&amp;apos;"</js> → <js>'\''</js></li>
    * </ul>
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    unescapeXml(<js>"&amp;lt;tag&amp;gt;"</js>);     <jc>// Returns: "&lt;tag&gt;"</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to unescape.
    * @return The unescaped string, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String unescapeXml(String str) {
      if (str == null)
         return null;
      // Must unescape &amp; last to avoid interfering with other entities
      return str.replace("&lt;", "<").replace("&gt;", ">").replace("&quot;", "\"").replace("&apos;", "'").replace("&amp;", "&");
   }

   /**
    * Creates an escaped-unicode sequence (e.g. <js>"\\u1234"</js>) for the specified character.
    *
    * @param c The character to create a sequence for.
    * @return An escaped-unicode sequence.
    */
   public static String unicodeSequence(char c) {
      var sb = new StringBuilder(6);
      sb.append('\\').append('u');
      for (var cc : toHex4(c))
         sb.append(cc);
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Null-safe convenience method for {@link String#toUpperCase()}.
    *
    * <p>
    * Converts the string to uppercase if not null.
    *
    * @param s The string to convert.
    * @return The uppercase string, or <jk>null</jk> if the input was <jk>null</jk>.
    * @see #lowerCase(String)
    * @see Utils#uc(String)
    */
   public static String upperCase(String s) {
      return s == null ? null : s.toUpperCase();
   }

   /**
    * Decodes a <c>application/x-www-form-urlencoded</c> string using <c>UTF-8</c> encoding scheme.
    *
    * @param s The string to decode.
    * @return The decoded string, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String urlDecode(String s) {

      if (s == null)
         return s;

      var needsDecode = false;
      for (var i = 0; i < s.length() && ! needsDecode; i++) {
         var c = s.charAt(i);
         if (c == '+' || c == '%')
            needsDecode = true;
      }

      if (needsDecode) {
         return safe(()->URLDecoder.decode(s, "UTF-8"));
      }
      return s;
   }

   /**
    * Encodes a <c>application/x-www-form-urlencoded</c> string using <c>UTF-8</c> encoding scheme.
    *
    * @param s The string to encode.
    * @return The encoded string, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String urlEncode(String s) {

      if (s == null)
         return null;

      var needsEncode = false;

      for (var i = 0; i < s.length() && ! needsEncode; i++)
         needsEncode |= (! URL_UNENCODED_CHARS.contains(s.charAt(i)));

      if (needsEncode) {
         return safe(()->URLEncoder.encode(s, "UTF-8"));
      }

      return s;
   }

   /**
    * Same as {@link #urlEncode(String)} except only escapes characters that absolutely need to be escaped.
    *
    * @param s The string to escape.
    * @return The encoded string, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String urlEncodeLax(String s) {
      if (s == null)
         return null;
      var needsEncode = false;
      for (var i = 0; i < s.length() && ! needsEncode; i++)
         needsEncode |= (! URL_UNENCODED_LAX_CHARS.contains(s.charAt(i)));
      if (needsEncode) {
         var sb = new StringBuilder(s.length() * 2);
         for (var i = 0; i < s.length(); i++) {
            var c = s.charAt(i);
            if (URL_UNENCODED_LAX_CHARS.contains(c))
               sb.append(c);
            else if (c == ' ')
               sb.append("+");
            else if (c <= 127)
               sb.append('%').append(toHex2(c));
            else
               safe(()->sb.append(URLEncoder.encode("" + c, "UTF-8")));  // Yuck.
         }
         s = sb.toString();
      }
      return s;
   }

   /**
    * Similar to {@link URLEncoder#encode(String, String)} but doesn't encode <js>"/"</js> characters.
    *
    * @param o The object to encode.
    * @return The URL encoded string, or <jk>null</jk> if the object was null.
    */
   public static String urlEncodePath(Object o) {

      if (o == null)
         return null;

      var s = s(o);

      var needsEncode = false;
      for (var i = 0; i < s.length() && ! needsEncode; i++)
         needsEncode = URL_ENCODE_PATHINFO_VALIDCHARS.contains(s.charAt(i));
      if (! needsEncode)
         return s;

      var sb = new StringBuilder();
      var caw = new CharArrayWriter();
      var caseDiff = ('a' - 'A');

      for (var i = 0; i < s.length();) {
         var c = s.charAt(i);
         if (URL_ENCODE_PATHINFO_VALIDCHARS.contains(c)) {
            sb.append(c);
            i++;  // NOSONAR - Intentional.
         } else {
            if (c == ' ') {
               sb.append('+');
               i++;  // NOSONAR - Intentional.
            } else {
               do {
                  caw.write(c);
                  if (c >= 0xD800 && c <= 0xDBFF) {
                     if ((i + 1) < s.length()) {  // NOSONAR - Intentional.
                        int d = s.charAt(i + 1);
                        if (d >= 0xDC00 && d <= 0xDFFF) {
                           caw.write(d);
                           i++;  // NOSONAR - Intentional.
                        }
                     }
                  }
                  i++;  // NOSONAR - Intentional.
               } while (i < s.length() && ! URL_ENCODE_PATHINFO_VALIDCHARS.contains((c = s.charAt(i))));   // NOSONAR - Intentional.

               caw.flush();
               var s2 = new String(caw.toCharArray());
               var ba = s2.getBytes(UTF8);
               for (var element : ba) {
                  sb.append('%');
                  var ch = forDigit((element >> 4) & 0xF, 16);
                  if (isLetter(ch)) {
                     ch -= caseDiff;
                  }
                  sb.append(ch);
                  ch = forDigit(element & 0xF, 16);
                  if (isLetter(ch)) {
                     ch -= caseDiff;
                  }
                  sb.append(ch);
               }
               caw.reset();
            }
         }
      }
      return sb.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Counts the number of words in a string.
    *
    * <p>
    * A word is defined as a sequence of one or more word characters (letters, digits, underscores)
    * separated by non-word characters.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    wordCount(<js>"Hello world"</js>);              <jc>// 2</jc>
    *    wordCount(<js>"The quick brown fox"</js>);      <jc>// 4</jc>
    *    wordCount(<js>"Hello, world! How are you?"</js>); <jc>// 5</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to count words in. Can be <jk>null</jk>.
    * @return The number of words, or <c>0</c> if the string is <jk>null</jk> or empty.
    */
   public static int wordCount(String str) {
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return 0;

      var count = 0;
      var inWord = false;

      for (var i = 0; i < str.length(); i++) {
         var c = str.charAt(i);
         if ((LETTER.contains(c) || DIGIT.contains(c)) || c == '_') {
            if (! inWord) {
               count++;
               inWord = true;
            }
         } else {
            inWord = false;
         }
      }

      return count;
   }

   /**
    * Wraps text to a specified line length.
    *
    * <p>
    * Wraps text by breaking at word boundaries (spaces). Words longer than the wrap length
    * will be broken at the wrap length. Existing newlines are preserved.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    wrap(<js>"hello world test"</js>, 10);  <jc>// "hello world\ntest"</jc>
    *    wrap(<jk>null</jk>, 10);                <jc>// null</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to wrap.
    * @param wrapLength The maximum line length (must be &gt; 0).
    * @return The wrapped string, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    * @throws IllegalArgumentException if wrapLength is &lt;= 0.
    */
   public static String wrap(String str, int wrapLength) {
      return wrap(str, wrapLength, "\n");
   }

   /**
    * Wraps text to a specified line length with a custom newline string.
    *
    * <p>
    * Wraps text by breaking at word boundaries (spaces). Words longer than the wrap length
    * will be broken at the wrap length. Existing newlines are preserved.
    *
    * <h5 class='section'>Example:</h5>
    * <p class='bjava'>
    *    wrap(<js>"hello world test"</js>, 10, <js>"<br>"</js>);  <jc>// "hello world<br>test"</jc>
    *    wrap(<jk>null</jk>, 10, <js>"\n"</js>);                  <jc>// null</jc>
    * </p>
    *
    * @param str The string to wrap.
    * @param wrapLength The maximum line length (must be &gt; 0).
    * @param newline The string to use as line separator.
    * @return The wrapped string, or <jk>null</jk> if input is <jk>null</jk>.
    * @throws IllegalArgumentException if wrapLength is &lt;= 0 or newline is <jk>null</jk>.
    */
   public static String wrap(String str, int wrapLength, String newline) {
      if (str == null)
         return null;
      if (isEmpty(str))
         return str;
      if (wrapLength <= 0)
         throw illegalArg("wrapLength must be > 0: {0}", wrapLength);
      if (newline == null)
         throw illegalArg("newline cannot be null");

      var result = new StringBuilder();
      var lines = str.split("\r?\n", -1);  // Preserve empty lines

      for (var lineIdx = 0; lineIdx < lines.length; lineIdx++) {
         var line = lines[lineIdx];
         if (line.isEmpty()) {
            if (lineIdx < lines.length - 1)
               result.append(newline);
            continue;
         }

         // Split into words first, then combine words that fit
         var words = line.split(" +");  // Split on one or more spaces
         var currentLine = new StringBuilder();

         for (var word : words) {
            if (word.isEmpty())
               continue;

            var wordLength = word.length();
            var currentLength = currentLine.length();

            if (currentLength == 0) {
               // First word on line
               // Only break single words if there are multiple words in the input
               // (single long words should not be broken for readability)
               if (wordLength > wrapLength && words.length > 1) {
                  // Word is too long and there are other words, break it
                  if (result.length() > 0)
                     result.append(newline);
                  var wordPos = 0;
                  while (wordPos < wordLength) {
                     if (wordPos > 0)
                        result.append(newline);
                     var remaining = wordLength - wordPos;
                     if (remaining <= wrapLength) {
                        result.append(word.substring(wordPos));
                        break;
                     }
                     result.append(word.substring(wordPos, wordPos + wrapLength));
                     wordPos += wrapLength;
                  }
               } else {
                  currentLine.append(word);
               }
            } else {
               // Check if we can add this word to current line
               var neededLength = currentLength + 1 + wordLength;  // current + space + word
               // Break if it would fit exactly or exceed - prefer breaking for readability
               if (neededLength < wrapLength) {
                  // Fits with room to spare
                  currentLine.append(' ').append(word);
               } else {
                  // Doesn't fit or fits exactly - start new line
                  if (result.length() > 0)
                     result.append(newline);
                  result.append(currentLine);
                  currentLine.setLength(0);
                  if (wordLength > wrapLength && words.length > 1) {
                     // Word is too long and there are other words, break it
                     result.append(newline);
                     var wordPos = 0;
                     while (wordPos < wordLength) {
                        if (wordPos > 0)
                           result.append(newline);
                        var remaining = wordLength - wordPos;
                        if (remaining <= wrapLength) {
                           result.append(word.substring(wordPos));
                           break;
                        }
                        result.append(word.substring(wordPos, wordPos + wrapLength));
                        wordPos += wrapLength;
                     }
                  } else {
                     currentLine.append(word);
                  }
               }
            }
         }

         // Append any remaining line
         if (currentLine.length() > 0) {
            if (result.length() > 0)
               result.append(newline);
            result.append(currentLine);
         }
      }

      return result.toString();
   }

   /**
    * Helper method to estimate the number of syllables in a word.
    */
   private static int estimateSyllables(String word) {

      var lower = word.toLowerCase();
      var count = 0;
      var prevWasVowel = false;

      for (var i = 0; i < lower.length(); i++) {
         var c = lower.charAt(i);
         var isVowel = (VOWEL.contains(c) || c == 'y');

         if (isVowel && ! prevWasVowel) {
            count++;
         }
         prevWasVowel = isVowel;
      }

      // Handle silent 'e' at the end
      if (lower.endsWith("e") && count > 1) {
         count--;
      }

      // At least one syllable
      return Math.max(1, count);
   }

   /**
    * Finds the first non-whitespace, non-comment character in a string.
    *
    * @param s The string to analyze.
    * @return The first real character, or <c>-1</c> if none found.
    */
   private static int firstRealCharacter(String s) {
      return safe(()-> {
         var r = new StringReader(s);
         var c = 0;
         while ((c = r.read()) != -1) {
            if (! isWhitespace(c)) {
               if (c == '/') {
                  skipComments(r);
               } else {
                  return c;
               }
            }
         }
         return -1;
      });
   }

   /**
    * Helper method to get Soundex code for a character.
    */
   private static char getSoundexCode(char c) {
      if (c == 'A' || c == 'E' || c == 'I' || c == 'O' || c == 'U' || c == 'H' || c == 'W' || c == 'Y')
         return '0';
      if (c == 'B' || c == 'F' || c == 'P' || c == 'V')
         return '1';
      if (c == 'C' || c == 'G' || c == 'J' || c == 'K' || c == 'Q' || c == 'S' || c == 'X' || c == 'Z')
         return '2';
      if (c == 'D' || c == 'T')
         return '3';
      if (c == 'L')
         return '4';
      if (c == 'M' || c == 'N')
         return '5';
      if (c == 'R')
         return '6';
      return '0'; // Non-letter characters
   }

   /**
    * Validates if a string is a valid IPv6 address format (without network operations).
    *
    * <p>
    * This method performs pure string-based validation and does not perform any DNS lookups
    * or network operations, making it fast and suitable for validation purposes.
    *
    * @param ip The IPv6 address string to validate.
    * @return <jk>true</jk> if the string is a valid IPv6 address format, <jk>false</jk> otherwise.
    */
   public static boolean isValidIPv6Address(String ip) {
      if (ip == null || ip.isEmpty())
         return false;

      // IPv6 addresses can be:
      // 1. Full format: 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334 (8 groups of 4 hex digits)
      // 2. Compressed format: 2001:db8::1 (uses :: to represent consecutive zeros)
      // 3. IPv4-mapped: ::ffff:192.168.1.1 (last 32 bits as IPv4)
      // 4. Loopback: ::1
      // 5. Unspecified: ::

      // Cannot start or end with a single colon (except ::)
      if (ip.startsWith(":") && !ip.startsWith("::"))
         return false;
      if (ip.endsWith(":") && !ip.endsWith("::"))
         return false;

      // Check for IPv4-mapped format (contains both : and .)
      if (ip.contains(".")) {
         // Must be in format ::ffff:x.x.x.x or similar
         var lastColon = ip.lastIndexOf(":");
         if (lastColon < 0)
            return false;
         var ipv4Part = ip.substring(lastColon + 1);
         // Validate IPv4 part
         var ipv4Parts = ipv4Part.split("\\.");
         if (ipv4Parts.length != 4)
            return false;
         for (var part : ipv4Parts) {
            try {
               var num = Integer.parseInt(part);
               if (num < 0 || num > 255)
                  return false;
            } catch (@SuppressWarnings("unused") NumberFormatException e) {
               return false;
            }
         }
         // Validate IPv6 part before the IPv4
         var ipv6Part = ip.substring(0, lastColon);
         // Accept empty, ::, ::ffff, ::FFFF, or : (when string starts with ::)
         if (ipv6Part.isEmpty() || ipv6Part.equals("::") || ipv6Part.equals("::ffff") || ipv6Part.equals("::FFFF") || (ipv6Part.equals(":") && ip.startsWith("::")))
            return true;
         // More complex validation would be needed for other IPv4-mapped formats
         // For now, accept common formats
      }

      // Check for :: (compression) - only one allowed
      var doubleColonCount = 0;
      for (var i = 1; i < ip.length(); i++) {
         if (ip.charAt(i) == ':' && ip.charAt(i - 1) == ':') {
            doubleColonCount++;
            if (doubleColonCount > 1)
               return false; // Only one :: allowed
         }
      }

      // Split by ::
      var parts = ip.split("::", -1);

      if (parts.length == 2) {
         // Compressed format
         var leftParts = parts[0].isEmpty() ? new String[0] : parts[0].split(":");
         var rightParts = parts[1].isEmpty() ? new String[0] : parts[1].split(":");
         var totalParts = leftParts.length + rightParts.length;
         if (totalParts > 7)
            return false; // Too many groups (max 8, but :: counts as one or more)
      } else {
         // Full format (no compression)
         var groups = ip.split(":");
         if (groups.length != 8)
            return false;
      }

      // Validate each hex group
      var groups = ip.split("::");
      for (var groupSection : groups) {
         if (groupSection.isEmpty())
            continue; // Skip empty section from ::
         var groupParts = groupSection.split(":");
         for (var group : groupParts) {
            if (group.length() > 4)
               return false; // Each group is max 4 hex digits
            // Validate hex digits
            for (var i = 0; i < group.length(); i++) {
               var c = group.charAt(i);
               if (! HEXADECIMAL_CHARS.contains(c))
                  return false;
            }
         }
      }

      return true;
   }


   private static class Readifier {
      private final Class<?> type;
      private final Function<Object,String> bridge;

      private <T> Readifier(Class<T> type, Function<? super T,String> converter) {
         this.type = type;
         this.bridge = o -> converter.apply(type.cast(o));
      }

      Class<?> forClass() {
         return type;
      }

      Function<Object,String> toFunction() {
         return bridge;
      }
   }

   private static <T> Readifier readifier(Class<T> type, Function<? super T,String> converter) {
      return new Readifier(type, converter);
   }

   private static List<Readifier> loadReadifiers() {
      var list = new ArrayList<Readifier>();

      // More specific types first - order matters!
      list.add(readifier(Map.Entry.class, x -> readable(x.getKey()) + '=' + readable(x.getValue())));
      list.add(readifier(Collection.class, x -> ((Collection<?>)x).stream().map(StringUtils::readable).collect(joining(",", "[", "]"))));
      list.add(readifier(Map.class, x -> ((Map<?,?>)x).entrySet().stream().map(StringUtils::readable).collect(joining(",", "{", "}"))));
      list.add(readifier(Iterable.class, x -> readable(toList(x))));
      list.add(readifier(Iterator.class, x -> readable(toList(x))));
      list.add(readifier(Enumeration.class, x -> readable(toList(x))));
      list.add(readifier(Optional.class, x -> readable(((Optional<?>)x).orElse(null))));
      list.add(readifier(GregorianCalendar.class, x -> x.toZonedDateTime().format(DateTimeFormatter.ISO_INSTANT)));
      list.add(readifier(Date.class, x -> x.toInstant().toString()));
      list.add(readifier(InputStream.class, x -> toHex(x)));
      list.add(readifier(Reader.class, (Reader x) -> safe(() -> read(x))));
      list.add(readifier(File.class, (File x) -> safe(() -> read(x))));
      list.add(readifier(byte[].class, x -> toHex(x)));
      list.add(readifier(Enum.class, x -> ((Enum<?>)x).name()));
      list.add(readifier(Class.class, x -> cns(x)));
      list.add(readifier(Constructor.class, x -> ConstructorInfo.of(x).getFullName()));
      list.add(readifier(Method.class, x -> MethodInfo.of(x).getFullName()));
      list.add(readifier(Field.class, x -> FieldInfo.of(x).toString()));
      list.add(readifier(Parameter.class, x -> ParameterInfo.of(x).toString()));
      list.add(readifier(ClassInfo.class, ClassInfo::toString));
      list.add(readifier(MethodInfo.class, MethodInfo::toString));
      list.add(readifier(ConstructorInfo.class, ConstructorInfo::toString));
      list.add(readifier(FieldInfo.class, FieldInfo::toString));
      list.add(readifier(ParameterInfo.class, ParameterInfo::toString));

      return Collections.unmodifiableList(list);
   }

   /**
    * Determines the multiplier value based on the suffix character in a string.
    *
    * @param s The string to analyze for multiplier suffix.
    * @return The multiplier value (1 if no valid suffix found).
    */
   private static int multiplierInt(String s) {
      var c = isEmpty(s) ? 'z' : s.charAt(s.length() - 1);
      if (c == 'G')
         return 1024 * 1024 * 1024;
      if (c == 'M')
         return 1024 * 1024;
      if (c == 'K')
         return 1024;
      if (c == 'g')
         return 1000 * 1000 * 1000;
      if (c == 'm')
         return 1000 * 1000;
      if (c == 'k')
         return 1000;
      return 1;
   }

   /**
    * Determines the long multiplier value based on the suffix character in a string.
    *
    * @param s The string to analyze for multiplier suffix.
    * @return The multiplier value (1 if no valid suffix found).
    */
   private static long multiplierLong(String s) {
      if (isEmpty(s))
         return 1;
      var c = s.charAt(s.length() - 1);
      if (c == 'P')
         return 1125899906842624L;  // 1024^5
      if (c == 'T')
         return 1099511627776L;  // 1024^4
      if (c == 'G')
         return 1073741824L;  // 1024^3
      if (c == 'M')
         return 1048576L;  // 1024^2
      if (c == 'K')
         return 1024L;
      if (c == 'p')
         return 1000000000000000L;  // 1000^5
      if (c == 't')
         return 1000000000000L;  // 1000^4
      if (c == 'g')
         return 1000000000L;  // 1000^3
      if (c == 'm')
         return 1000000L;  // 1000^2
      if (c == 'k')
         return 1000L;
      return 1;
   }

   /**
    * Parses a unit string and converts the value to milliseconds.
    *
    * @param unit The unit string (case-insensitive, already lowercased).
    * @param value The numeric value.
    * @return The value in milliseconds, or <c>-1</c> if the unit is invalid.
    */
   private static long parseUnit(String unit, double value) {
      if (isEmpty(unit)) {
         // No unit means milliseconds
         return (long)value;
      }

      // Check milliseconds first (before minutes) - must check exact "ms" before checking "m"
      if (unit.equals("ms") || unit.equals("millis") || unit.equals("milliseconds"))
         return (long)value;

      // Seconds
      if (unit.startsWith("s") && !unit.startsWith("sec"))
         return (long)(value * 1000);
      if (unit.startsWith("sec") || unit.startsWith("second"))
         return (long)(value * 1000);

      // Minutes (must check after milliseconds and months)
      if (unit.startsWith("m") && !unit.startsWith("mo") && !unit.startsWith("mill") && !unit.startsWith("ms"))
         return (long)(value * 1000 * 60);
      if (unit.startsWith("min") || unit.startsWith("minute"))
         return (long)(value * 1000 * 60);

      // Hours
      if (unit.startsWith("h") || unit.startsWith("hour"))
         return (long)(value * 1000 * 60 * 60);

      // Days
      if (unit.startsWith("d") && !unit.startsWith("da"))
         return (long)(value * 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24);
      if (unit.startsWith("day"))
         return (long)(value * 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24);

      // Weeks
      if (unit.startsWith("w") || unit.startsWith("week"))
         return (long)(value * 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24 * 7);

      // Months (30 days)
      if (unit.startsWith("mo") || unit.startsWith("month"))
         return (long)(value * 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24 * 30);

      // Years (365 days)
      if (unit.startsWith("y") && !unit.startsWith("yr"))
         return (long)(value * 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24 * 365);
      if (unit.startsWith("yr") || unit.startsWith("year"))
         return (long)(value * 1000 * 60 * 60 * 24 * 365);

      // Unknown unit
      return -1;
   }

   /**
    * Skips over a single comment sequence in a StringReader.
    *
    * <p>
    * The reader must be positioned at the first <js>'/'</js> character of a comment.
    * This method will skip only the comment it's currently positioned on, not all comments in the reader.
    *
    * <p>
    * Supports both <js>"/* * /"</js> style block comments and <js>"//"</js> style line comments.
    *
    * @param r The StringReader positioned at the start of a comment (at the first <js>'/'</js>).
    * @throws IOException If an I/O error occurs.
    */
   public static void skipComments(StringReader r) throws IOException {
      var c = r.read();
      //  "/* */" style comments
      if (c == '*') {
         c = r.read();
         while (c != -1) {
            if (c == '*') {
               c = r.read();
               if (c == '/')
                  return;
               // If not '/', continue checking from this character
               // Don't read again, just continue the loop
            } else {
               c = r.read();
            }
         }
         //  "//" style comments
      } else if (c == '/') {
         while ((c = r.read()) != -1) {
            if (c == '\n')
               return;
         }
      }
   }

   /**
    * Gets or creates an AsciiSet for escaping the specified character.
    *
    * @param c The character to create an escape set for.
    * @return An AsciiSet containing the character and backslash.
    */
   private static AsciiSet getEscapeSet(char c) {
      return ESCAPE_SETS.computeIfAbsent(c, key -> AsciiSet.create().chars(key, '\\').build());
   }

   /**
    * Helper method to split a string into words.
    * Detects word boundaries from separators (spaces, underscores, hyphens) and case changes.
    *
    * @param str The string to split.
    * @return A list of words, or empty list if input is null or empty.
    */
   private static List<String> splitWords(String str) {
      if (str == null || isEmpty(str))
         return Collections.emptyList();

      var words = new ArrayList<String>();
      var sb = new StringBuilder();
      var wasLowerCase = false;
      var wasUpperCase = false;
      var consecutiveUpperCount = 0;

      for (var i = 0; i < str.length(); i++) {
         var c = str.charAt(i);
         var isSeparator = (c == ' ' || c == '_' || c == '-' || c == '\t');
         var isUpperCase = LETTER_UC.contains(c);
         var isLowerCase = LETTER_LC.contains(c);
         var isLetter = LETTER.contains(c);

         if (isSeparator) {
            if (sb.length() > 0) {
               words.add(sb.toString());
               sb.setLength(0);
            }
            wasLowerCase = false;
            wasUpperCase = false;
            consecutiveUpperCount = 0;
         } else if (isLetter) {
            // Detect word boundary:
            // 1. Uppercase after lowercase (e.g., "helloWorld" → "hello", "World")
            // 2. Uppercase after consecutive uppercase when next is lowercase (e.g., "XMLHttp" → "XML", "Http")
            // 3. Lowercase after 2+ consecutive uppercase (e.g., "XMLHttp" → "XML", "Http")
            if (sb.length() > 0) {
               if (isUpperCase && wasLowerCase) {
                  // Case 1: uppercase after lowercase (e.g., "helloWorld" → "hello", "World")
                  words.add(sb.toString());
                  sb.setLength(0);
                  consecutiveUpperCount = 0;
               } else if (isUpperCase && wasUpperCase && consecutiveUpperCount >= 2) {
                  // Case 2: uppercase after uppercase - check if this starts a new word
                  // Look ahead to see if next character is lowercase
                  // This handles "XMLHttp" where 'H' starts "Http"
                  // We need at least 2 consecutive uppercase letters before this one to split
                  if (i + 1 < str.length()) {
                     var nextChar = str.charAt(i + 1);
                     if (LETTER_LC.contains(nextChar)) {
                        // This uppercase starts a new word, split before it
                        words.add(sb.toString());
                        sb.setLength(0);
                        consecutiveUpperCount = 0;
                     }
                  }
               } else if (isLowerCase && wasUpperCase && consecutiveUpperCount >= 2) {
                  // Case 3: lowercase after 2+ consecutive uppercase
                  // Split all but the last uppercase (e.g., "XMLH" → "XML" + "H")
                  var splitPoint = sb.length() - 1;
                  words.add(sb.substring(0, splitPoint));
                  sb.delete(0, splitPoint);
                  consecutiveUpperCount = 0;
               }
            }
            sb.append(c);
            // Update state AFTER appending
            wasLowerCase = isLowerCase;
            wasUpperCase = isUpperCase;
            if (isUpperCase) {
               consecutiveUpperCount++;
            } else {
               consecutiveUpperCount = 0;
            }
         } else {
            // Non-letter characters (digits, etc.) - treat as part of current word
            sb.append(c);
            wasLowerCase = false;
            wasUpperCase = false;
            consecutiveUpperCount = 0;
         }
      }

      if (sb.length() > 0)
         words.add(sb.toString());

      return words;
   }

   /**
    * Constructor.
    */
   protected StringUtils() {}
}