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Always handle null values explicitly and consistently throughout your codebase to prevent null pointer exceptions. Follow these guidelines:

1. Validate nulls early using Preconditions to provide clear error messages:

// Use explicit null checks with informative messages
Preconditions.checkNotNull(input, "Input cannot be null");
Preconditions.checkArgument(shape != null && shape.length > 0, "Invalid shape: %s", shape);

1. Document null behavior clearly in Javadoc comments:

/**
 * Creates a buffer in the specified workspace.
 * @param workspace Optional memory workspace to define the buffer in, may be null 
 *                 (buffer not created in workspace when null)
 */
public DataBuffer createBuffer(DataType dataType, long length, boolean initialize, MemoryWorkspace workspace) {
    // Implementation
}

1. Handle nulls at the source rather than requiring downstream methods to handle them, preventing defensive null checks throughout the codebase.

2. Use appropriate types for potentially null values from collections:

   // Instead of:
   int numWords = (int) tokenizerConfig.get("num_words");
   // Use:
   Integer numWords = (Integer) tokenizerConfig.get("num_words");
   

3. Consider using annotations like @NonNull or @Nullable to clearly indicate intent and enable static analysis tools to catch potential null issues.

Following these practices helps prevent null pointer exceptions and makes code more robust and maintainable.

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