Comments on: How to Format Dates for SQL in Java

by: Eddy

Tue, 25 Jul 2006 09:05:34 +0000

The main objective of this post is to show how to convert a java.util.Date to a java.sql.Date and does not dwelve deeply into exception handling. For my other posts on exception handling, see: Exception Handling Best Practice EJB Exception Handling Exception Handling or Result Code

by: G

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 22:16:11 +0000

A very good example of how NOT to handle exceptions!

by: Java and friends » Parsing Dates from String Values

Sat, 22 Jul 2006 08:44:21 +0000

[…] Hopefully, this will clear the apparent difficulty that beginners face when dealing with date formatting in Java. […]

by: Eddy

Tue, 30 May 2006 11:19:04 +0000

Aasif,

My example shows you exactly how to do that.

Rgds,
Eddy

by: Aasif

Tue, 30 May 2006 06:55:26 +0000

Hi all.
i have a date in the form of a string .the format is 15-05-2005 5:55:55.
Can any one tell how i can convert it to a sql.Date.

by: Robert Caranica

Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I would recommend using the setLenient(false) method on the SimpleDateFormat object:

 String dateString = "23/08/2003";
 SimpleDateFormat dateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("dd/MM/yyyy");
 dateFormat.setLenient(false);

This disables the use of heuristics when parsing the date, to avoid unpredictable results when the input does not exactly match the format.

I would also recommend an extra precaution: the use of the java.text.ParsePosition.

 String dateString = "23/08/2003";
 String parseFormat = "dd/MM/yyyy";
 SimpleDateFormat dateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat(parseFormat);
 dateFormat.setLenient(false);
 ParsePosition parsePosition = new ParsePosition(0);
 java.util.Date d;
 try {
    d = dateFormat.parse(dateString, parsePosition);
    // Now check the ParsePosition index
    if(parsePosition.getIndex() == inputFormat.length()){
       // Parsing successful
    }
    else{
       // Error occurred
    }
    ...
 }catch(Exception e){
 ...
 }

ParsePosition keeps track of the current position during parsing. After parsing, you can check the parsePosition.getIndex() to be the same as the parseFormat.length(). This ensures a correct parsing of the specified date using the specified date format.

As to to actual problem you’re faced with, I don’t know a simpler way to achieve this.

by: Eddy Young

Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Thank you for this tip, Robert.

by: kelvinkline

Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I cant believe how fd up java dates are…
NONE of these work. ALL are documented
// java.sql.Date dow = new java.sql.Date(System.currentTimeMillis());
// java.sql.Date dow = new java.sql.Date(103,10,28);
// java.sql.Date dow = new java.sql.Date.valueOf(”2003-01-01″);
// java.sql.Date.valueOf(”2003-01-01″);

How can rational humans have made a simple task so fd up???

by: kelvinkline

Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

It May be that my use of JDBC-ODBC instead of pure JDBC means that lots of date stuff fails.
Eddy Young’s code (above) is the only way I have managed to get a date into a sql JDBC-ODBC database. Apologies for my intemperate invective, but it took me best part of a day to find EY’s code. 29Oct03

by: Eddy Young

Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Glad the code was of help to you. Feel free to ask any question.