code: @Nullable
    public static Class <?> getClass (@Nullable final Object aObject)
    {
      return aObject == null ? null : aObject.getClass ();
    }
docs: <code>null</code>-safe helper method to determine the class of an object.
  
  @param aObject
  The object to query. May be <code>null</code>.
  @return <code>null</code> if the passed object is <code>null</code>.