title: Why cast null to Object?
body: <p>I found a spot in some code I'm working on where <code>null</code> is cast to <code>Object</code> as it is passed to a method.</p>
  
  <p>Why would this be done?</p>
  
  <p>I am aware of <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/315846/why-null-cast">this question</a> which deals with overloaded methods, and using the cast to determine which version of the method to call.</p>
  
  <p>But if the cast were not performed, wouldn't an overloaded method with a parameter typed as <code>Object</code> be chosen over any other matching version of the method if the method is called with a null argument?  So what else does the cast accomplish?</p>