code: @Nonnull
      public static String abbreviate(String str, int max) {
          if (str == null) {
              return "";
          } else if (str.length() <= max) {
              return str;
          } else {
              return str.substring(0, max - 3) + "...";
          }
      }
docs: Abbreviates a String using ellipses. This will turn "Now is the time for all good men" into "Now is the time for..."
  
  @param str the String to abbreviate
  @param max the max number of chars of the abbreviated String
  @return the abbreviated string