o the following algorithm:
 </p>
 <ul>
 <li>If the specified String is null, return a <code>null</code>. Otherwise, trim leading and trailing whitespace
 before proceeding.</li>
 <li>If the specified String - after trimming - has a zero length, return <code>null</code>.</li>
 <li>If the <code>locale</code> property is not null, use that <code>Locale</code> for managing parsing. Otherwise,
 use the <code>Locale</code> from the <code>UIViewRoot</code>.</li>
 <li>If a <code>pattern</code> has been specified, i