code: @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
    public static int cmpObjval(final Comparable thisone, final Comparable thatone) {
      if (thisone == null) {
        if (thatone == null) {
          return 0;
        }
  
        return -1;
      }
  
      if (thatone == null) {
        return 1;
      }
  
      return thisone.compareTo(thatone);
    }
docs: Compare two possibly null objects
  
  @param thisone
  @param thatone
  @return int -1, 0, 1,