1 <p> This class implements the <code>Comparator</code> interface. You
2 should consider whether or not it should also implement the <code>Serializable</code>
3 interface. If a comparator is used to construct an ordered collection
4 such as a <code>TreeMap</code>, then the <code>TreeMap</code>
5 will be serializable only if the comparator is also serializable.
6 As most comparators have little or no state, making them serializable
7 is generally easy and good defensive programming.