> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://www.pranaypourkar.co.in/the-programmers-guide/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://www.pranaypourkar.co.in/the-programmers-guide/java/java-concepts/utilities/date-time-formatter.md). # Date Time Formatter ### SimpleDateFormat `SimpleDateFormat` is a class in the `java.text` package that provides formatting and parsing capabilities for dates and times in Java. It allows you to convert a `Date` object into a human-readable string representation according to a specific format pattern and vice versa. `SimpleDateFormat` is not thread-safe. If we need thread-safe date formatting, consider using the newer `DateTimeFormatter` class from the `java.time` API. {% hint style="info" %} For more details visit official site: {% endhint %} ```java @SneakyThrows public static void main(String[] args) { // Formatting a Date object Date date = new Date(); SimpleDateFormat simpleDateFormatter = new SimpleDateFormat("MM/dd/yyyy"); String formattedDate = simpleDateFormatter.format(date); log.info("Formatted date: {}", formattedDate); // Formatted date: 03/10/2024 // Parsing a String representation of a date String dateString = "2024-03-09"; SimpleDateFormat simpleDateFormatter2 = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd"); Date parsedDate = simpleDateFormatter2.parse(dateString); log.info("Parsed date: {}", parsedDate); // Parsed date: Sat Mar 09 00:00:00 IST 2024 // Other formatting examples SimpleDateFormat sdf = new SimpleDateFormat(); // Format current date with default pattern log.info("Date: {}", sdf.format(date)); // Date: 10/03/24, 7:49 am //Format current date with custom pattern sdf.applyPattern("yyyy-MM-dd"); log.info("Date: {}", sdf.format(date)); // Date: 2024-03-10 //Format current time with custom pattern sdf.applyPattern("HH:mm:ss"); log.info("Time: {}", sdf.format(date)); // Time: 07:49:15 // Format current date and time with custom pattern sdf.applyPattern("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss"); log.info("Datetime: {}", sdf.format(date)); // Datetime: 2024-03-10 07:49:15 // Format a specific date Date specificDate = new Date(1234567890000L); // 2009-02-13 23:31:30 log.info("Date: {}", sdf.format(specificDate)); // Date: 2009-02-14 05:01:30 // Format a date without time sdf.applyPattern("yyyy-MM-dd"); log.info("Date: {}", sdf.format(specificDate)); // Date: 2009-02-14 // Format a date with day of week sdf.applyPattern("EEEE, MMMM dd, yyyy"); log.info("Date: {}", sdf.format(specificDate)); // Date: Saturday, February 14, 2009 // Format a date with time zone sdf.applyPattern("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss zzz"); log.info("Date: {}", sdf.format(specificDate)); // Date: 2009-02-14 05:01:30 IST // Format a date with milliseconds sdf.applyPattern("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss.SSS"); log.info("Date: {}", sdf.format(specificDate)); // Date: 2009-02-14 05:01:30.000 // Format a date with ordinal day sdf.applyPattern("yyyy-MM-dd D"); log.info("Date: {}", sdf.format(specificDate)); // Date: 2009-02-14 45 // Format a date with week in year sdf.applyPattern("yyyy-'W'ww"); log.info("Date: {}", sdf.format(specificDate)); // Date: 2009-W07 // Format a date with week in month sdf.applyPattern("yyyy-MM-'W'W"); log.info("Date: {}", sdf.format(specificDate)); // Date: 2009-02-W2 // Format a date with time zone offset sdf.applyPattern("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss Z"); log.info("Date: {}", sdf.format(specificDate)); // Date: 2009-02-14 05:01:30 +0530 // Format a date with short month and year sdf.applyPattern("MMM yy"); log.info("Date: {}", sdf.format(specificDate)); // Date: Feb 09 // Format a date with era sdf.applyPattern("yyyy-MM-dd G"); log.info("Date: {}", sdf.format(specificDate)); // Date: 2009-02-14 AD // Format a date with day of year sdf.applyPattern("yyyy-DDD"); log.info("Date: {}", sdf.format(specificDate)); // Date: 2009-045 // Format a date with short day name sdf.applyPattern("yyyy-MM-dd E"); log.info("Date: {}", sdf.format(specificDate)); // Date: 2009-02-14 Sat // Format a date with short year sdf.applyPattern("yy-MM-dd"); log.info("Date: {}", sdf.format(specificDate)); // Date: 09-02-14 // Format a date with custom pattern sdf.applyPattern("dd/MMM/yyyy HH:mm:ss"); log.info("Date: {}", sdf.format(specificDate)); // Date: 14/Feb/2009 05:01:30 } ``` ### DateTimeFormatter Introduced in Java 8 with the `java.time` API, `DateTimeFormatter` provides a more modern and versatile approach to formatting and parsing dates, times, and date-time objects. It offers greater flexibility, thread-safety, and a wider range of formatting options compared to the older `SimpleDateFormat` class. {% hint style="info" %} Compared to `SimpleDateFormat`, it provides: * **Thread-safe:** Unlike `SimpleDateFormat`, `DateTimeFormatter` instances are thread-safe, making them suitable for concurrent applications. * **Flexibility:** Supports various formatting options, including locale-specific formatting and custom patterns. `DateTimeFormatter` offers features like handling different calendar systems and zones, not readily available in `SimpleDateFormat` * **Integration with `java.time` API:** Designed to work seamlessly with the `java.time` classes for dates, times, and durations. {% endhint %} **Example:** ```java LocalDate localDate = LocalDate.now(); LocalTime localTime = LocalTime.now(); LocalDateTime localDateTime = LocalDateTime.now(); // Format current date with default pattern log.info("LocalDate: {}", DateTimeFormatter.ISO_DATE.format(localDate)); // LocalDate: 2024-03-10 // Format current date with custom pattern DateTimeFormatter customDateFormatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("yyyy-dd-MM"); log.info("LocalDate: {}", customDateFormatter.format(localDate)); // LocalDate: 2024-10-03 // Format current time with default pattern log.info("LocalTime: {}", DateTimeFormatter.ISO_TIME.format(localTime)); // LocalTime: 08:14:08.2149193 // Format current date and time with custom pattern DateTimeFormatter customDateTimeFormatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss"); log.info("LocalDateTime: {}", customDateTimeFormatter.format(localDateTime)); // LocalDateTime: 2024-03-10 08:14:08 // Format a specific date LocalDate specificDate = LocalDate.of(2023, 10, 15); log.info("Specific Date: {}", customDateFormatter.format(specificDate)); // Specific Date: 2023-15-10 // Format a date with day of week DateTimeFormatter dayOfWeekFormatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("EEEE, MMMM dd, yyyy"); log.info("Formatted Date with day of week: {}", dayOfWeekFormatter.format(specificDate)); // Formatted Date with day of week: Sunday, October 15, 2023 // Format a date with time zone ZonedDateTime specificDateTime = ZonedDateTime.now(ZoneId.of("Europe/Paris")); DateTimeFormatter zonedDateTimeFormatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss zzz"); log.info("Formatted Date with time zone: {}", zonedDateTimeFormatter.format(specificDateTime)); // Formatted Date with time zone: 2024-03-10 03:44:08 CET // Format a date with milliseconds LocalDateTime specificDateTimeWithMillis = LocalDateTime.of(2023, 10, 15, 12, 30, 15, 500_000_000); DateTimeFormatter millisFormatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss.SSS"); log.info("Formatted date with milliseconds: {}", millisFormatter.format(specificDateTimeWithMillis)); // Formatted date with milliseconds: 2023-10-15 12:30:15.500 // Format a date with ordinal day DateTimeFormatter ordinalDayFormatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("yyyy-MM-dd D"); log.info("Formatted date with ordinal day: {}", ordinalDayFormatter.format(specificDate)); // Formatted date with ordinal day: 2023-10-15 288 // Format a date with week in year DateTimeFormatter weekInYearFormatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("yyyy-'W'ww"); log.info("Formatted date with week in year: {}", weekInYearFormatter.format(specificDate)); // Formatted date with week in year: 2023-W42 // Format a date with week in month DateTimeFormatter weekInMonthFormatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("yyyy-MM-'W'W"); log.info("Formatted date with week in month: {}", weekInMonthFormatter.format(specificDate)); // Formatted date with week in month: 2023-10-W3 // Format a date with time zone offset DateTimeFormatter offsetDateTimeFormatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss Z"); log.info("Formatted date with time zone offset: {}", offsetDateTimeFormatter.format(specificDateTime)); // Formatted date with time zone offset: 2024-03-10 03:44:08 +0100 // Format a date with short month and year DateTimeFormatter shortMonthYearFormatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("MMM yy"); log.info("Formatted date with short month and year: {}", shortMonthYearFormatter.format(specificDate)); // Formatted date with short month and year: Oct 23 // Format a date with era DateTimeFormatter eraFormatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("yyyy-MM-dd G"); log.info("Formatted date with era: {}", eraFormatter.format(specificDate)); // Formatted date with era: 2023-10-15 AD // Format a date with quarter DateTimeFormatter quarterFormatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("yyyy-'Q'Q"); log.info("Formatted date with quarter: {}", quarterFormatter.format(specificDate)); // Formatted date with quarter: 2023-Q4 // Format a date with day of year DateTimeFormatter dayOfYearFormatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("yyyy-DDD"); log.info("Formatted date with day of year: {}", dayOfYearFormatter.format(specificDate)); // Formatted date with day of year: 2023-288 // Format a date with short day name DateTimeFormatter shortDayNameFormatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("yyyy-MM-dd E"); log.info("Formatted date with short day name: {}", shortDayNameFormatter.format(specificDate)); // Formatted date with short day name: 2023-10-15 Sun // Format a date with short year DateTimeFormatter shortYearFormatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("yy-MM-dd"); log.info("Formatted date with short year: {}", shortYearFormatter.format(specificDate)); // Formatted date with short year: 23-10-15 // Format a date with custom pattern DateTimeFormatter customPatternFormatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("dd/MMM/yyyy HH:mm:ss"); log.info("Formatted date with custom pattern: {}", customPatternFormatter.format(specificDateTime)); // Formatted date with custom pattern: 10/Mar/2024 03:44:08 ``` --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://www.pranaypourkar.co.in/the-programmers-guide/java/java-concepts/utilities/date-time-formatter.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.