code: public static Object[] nullToEmpty(Object[] array) {
          if (array == null || array.length == 0) {
              return EMPTY_OBJECT_ARRAY;
          }
          return array;
      }
docs: <p>Defensive programming technique to change a <code>null</code>
  reference to an empty one.</p>
  <p>
  <p>This method returns an empty array for a <code>null</code> input array.</p>
  <p>
  <p>As a memory optimizing technique an empty array passed in will be overridden with
  the empty <code>public static</code> references in this class.</p>
  
  @param array the array to check for <code>null</code> or empty
  @return the same array, <code>public static</code> empty array if <code>null</code> or empty input
  @since 2.5