orderingOfOperations.scala

def writes(o: T): JsObject = {
  val canonicalName = Option(clazz.getCanonicalName()).getOrElse(throw new IllegalArgumentException("Cannot serialize this class because its canonical name is null.  This is most likely because it is an Array or a Local or Anonymous class."))
  JsObject(Seq("className" -> JsString(canonicalName)))
}

// i find using the container type in one place better for understanding
// since we are threading transformations and operations on the Option until
// the end when we either have a result or we throw an exception
def writes(o: T): JsObject =
  Option(clazz.getCanonicalName())
    .map(JsObject(Seq("className" -> JsString(_))))
    .getOrElse(throw new IllegalArgumentException("Cannot serialize this class because its canonical name is null.  This is most likely because it is an Array or a Local or Anonymous class.")))