Code review: 7012540 (java.util.Objects.nonNull() incorrectly named)

[Brian Goetz]

There is a webrev for CR 7012540 (java.util.Objects.nonNull() 
incorrectly named) at:

     http://cr.openjdk.java.net/~briangoetz/7012540/webrev/

Code review would be appreciated.

Text of CR:

The class java.util.Objects is new for JDK 7.  Its mission is to provide 
"null-safe or null-tolerant versions of common operations on objects."

The methods nonNull(x) have the behavior of throwing NPE if their 
argument is null, and returning their argument if non-null.  It is very 
common in Java source bases for a method named nonNull(x) to have the 
behavior of coercing their argument to null; that is, it is generally 
associated with a null-tolerant rather than a null-safe behavior.

These methods should be renamed to something that makes its 
checking/verification behavior clear, while preserving the convenient 
self-return property so that it can be used in cases like:

   public void fooWrapper(String s, String t) {
       foo(checkNonNull(s), checkNonNull(t));
   }


Additional notes: After much discussion on core-libs-dev, the name 
requireNonNull() seemed the least objectionable.