code: @Override
      @Deprecated
      public int setVariableTop(String varTop) {
          checkNotFrozen();
          if (varTop == null || varTop.length() == 0) {
              throw new IllegalArgumentException("Variable top argument string can not be null or zero in length.");
          }
          boolean numeric = settings.readOnly().isNumeric();
          long ce1, ce2;
          if(settings.readOnly().dontCheckFCD()) {
              UTF16CollationIterator ci = new UTF16CollationIterator(data, numeric, varTop, 0);
              ce1 = ci.nextCE();
              ce2 = ci.nextCE();
          } else {
              FCDUTF16CollationIterator ci = new FCDUTF16CollationIterator(data, numeric, varTop, 0);
              ce1 = ci.nextCE();
              ce2 = ci.nextCE();
          }
          if(ce1 == Collation.NO_CE || ce2 != Collation.NO_CE) {
              throw new IllegalArgumentException("Variable top argument string must map to exactly one collation element");
          }
          internalSetVariableTop(ce1 >>> 32);
          return (int)settings.readOnly().variableTop;
      }
docs: <strong>[icu]</strong> Sets the variable top to the primary weight of the specified string.
  
  <p>Beginning with ICU 53, the variable top is pinned to
  the top of one of the supported reordering groups,
  and it must not be beyond the last of those groups.
  See {@link #setMaxVariable(int)}.
  
  @param varTop
  one or more (if contraction) characters to which the variable top should be set
  @return variable top primary weight
  @exception IllegalArgumentException
  is thrown if varTop argument is not a valid variable top element. A variable top element is
  invalid when
  <ul>
  <li>it is a contraction that does not exist in the Collation order
  <li>the variable top is beyond
  the last reordering group supported by setMaxVariable()
  <li>when the varTop argument is null or zero in length.
  </ul>
  @see #getVariableTop
  @see RuleBasedCollator#setAlternateHandlingShifted
  @deprecated ICU 53 Call {@link #setMaxVariable(int)} instead.
  @hide original deprecated declaration