Feature request: @Nullable support about freebuilder HOT 2 CLOSED

Just ran into a case where the suggested Optional fix isn't feasible.

I'm trying to generate a FreeBuilder subclass of an existing domain entity interface, that has a nullable getPotentialVolume() method.

The domain interfaces are annotated with validation annotations such as @NotNull, @required etc. These annotations are bound to certain validators that return meaningful error messages (not just NPE) to users.

Since the validation framework is tied to nulls, changing the @nullable method to Optional would require adding Optional support to the framework, which isn't trivial.

In summary, nulls are supported in tools and frameworks more widely than the relatively new Optional so there is value to support nulls directly, even without Java 8.

from freebuilder.

Thanks, Ben, you've convinced me. I don't see the benefit in paying a huge cost converting legacy code to Optional when compile-time–checked @nullable annotations are within grasp anyway. If it were just Eclipse-level refactoring, that'd be one thing, because it gives tangible short-term benefits. The long-term story's just not there, though.

from freebuilder.