Here are a few Java examples of converting a String to the new Java 8 Date API – java.time.LocalDate
DateTimeFormatter formatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("d/MM/yyyy");
String date = "16/08/2016";
//convert String to LocalDate
LocalDate localDate = LocalDate.parse(date, formatter);
The key is understand the DateTimeFormatter patterns
Note
You may interest at this classic
You may interest at this classic
java.util.Date example – How to convert String to Date in Java
1. 2016-08-16
If the String is in ISO_LOCAL_DATE format, we can parse the String directly, no need conversion.
JavaDateExample1.java
package com.mkyong.date;
import java.time.LocalDate;
public class JavaDateExample1 {
public static void main(String[] args) {
String date = "2016-08-16";
//default, ISO_LOCAL_DATE
LocalDate localDate = LocalDate.parse(date);
System.out.println(localDate);
}
}
Output
2016-08-16
2. 16-Aug-2016 + Locale.US
2.1 The below program is running fine only if the default locale understands English. For example, Locale.US or Locale.English
JavaDateExample2.java
package com.mkyong.date;
import java.time.LocalDate;
import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter;
public class JavaDateExample2 {
public static void main(String[] args) {
DateTimeFormatter formatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("d-MMM-yyyy");
String date = "16-Aug-2016";
LocalDate localDate = LocalDate.parse(date, formatter);
System.out.println(localDate); //default, print ISO_LOCAL_DATE
System.out.println(formatter.format(localDate)); // print formatter date
}
}
Output
2016-08-16
16-Aug-2016
2.2 Now, change the locale to Locale.FRANCE, the DateTimeFormatter will fail to parse the Aug and throws DateTimeParseException exception:
JavaDateExample2.java
package com.mkyong.date;
import java.time.LocalDate;
import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter;
public class JavaDateExample2 {
public static void main(String[] args) {
// not all default locale is Locale.US
// simulate a France locale.
Locale.setDefault(Locale.FRANCE);
DateTimeFormatter formatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("d-MMM-yyyy");
String date = "16-Aug-2016";
LocalDate localDate = LocalDate.parse(date, formatter);
System.out.println(localDate);
System.out.println(formatter.format(localDate));
}
}
Exception in thread "main" java.time.format.DateTimeParseException: Text '16-Aug-2016' could not be parsed at index 3
at java.base/java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter.parseResolved0(DateTimeFormatter.java:2046)
at java.base/java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter.parse(DateTimeFormatter.java:1948)
at java.base/java.time.LocalDate.parse(LocalDate.java:428)
2.3 The safest way is always specified a Locale.US for DateTimeFormatter.
JavaDateExample2.java
package com.mkyong.date;
import java.time.LocalDate;
import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter;
import java.util.Locale;
public class JavaDateExample2 {
public static void main(String[] args) {
Locale.setDefault(Locale.FRANCE);
// no problem now, DateTimeFormatter always uses Locale.US
DateTimeFormatter formatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("d-MMM-yyyy", Locale.US);
String date = "16-Aug-2016";
LocalDate localDate = LocalDate.parse(date, formatter);
System.out.println(localDate); //default, print ISO_LOCAL_DATE
System.out.println(formatter.format(localDate)); // print formatted date
}
}
Output
2016-08-16
16-Aug-2016
3. 16/08/2016
JavaDateExample3.java
package com.mkyong.date;
import java.time.LocalDate;
import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter;
public class JavaDateExample3 {
public static void main(String[] args) {
DateTimeFormatter formatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("d/MM/yyyy");
String date = "16/08/2016";
LocalDate localDate = LocalDate.parse(date, formatter);
System.out.println(localDate);
System.out.println(formatter.format(localDate));
}
}
Output
2016-08-16
16/08/2016
4. Tue, Aug 16 2016
JavaDateExample4.java
package com.mkyong.date;
import java.time.LocalDate;
import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter;
import java.util.Locale;
public class JavaDateExample4 {
public static void main(String[] args) {
// define a locale which understand English words, refer example 2 bug
DateTimeFormatter formatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("E, MMM d yyyy", Locale.US);
String date = "Tue, Aug 16 2016";
LocalDate localDate = LocalDate.parse(date, formatter);
System.out.println(localDate);
System.out.println(formatter.format(localDate));
}
}
Output
2016-08-16
Tue, Aug 16 2016
5. Tuesday, Aug 16, 2016 12:10:56 PM
This example convert a String to java.time.LocalDateTime
JavaDateExample5.java
package com.mkyong.date;
import java.time.LocalDateTime;
import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter;
import java.util.Locale;
public class JavaDateExample5 {
public static void main(String[] args) {
DateTimeFormatter formatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("EEEE, MMM d, yyyy hh:mm:ss a", Locale.US);
String date = "Tuesday, Aug 16, 2016 12:10:56 PM";
LocalDateTime localDateTime = LocalDateTime.parse(date, formatter);
System.out.println(localDateTime);
System.out.println(formatter.format(localDateTime));
}
}
Output
2016-08-16T12:10:56
Tuesday, Aug 16, 2016 12:10:56 PM
6. 2016-08-16T15:23:01Z
The Z suffix means UTC, convert the String to java.time.instant first, and play around the time with ZonedDateTime.
JavaDateExample6.java
package com.mkyong.date;
import java.time.Instant;
import java.time.LocalDateTime;
import java.time.ZoneId;
import java.time.ZoneOffset;
import java.time.ZonedDateTime;
public class JavaDateExample6 {
public static void main(String[] args) {
String dateInString = "2016-08-16T15:23:01Z";
Instant instant = Instant.parse(dateInString);
System.out.println("Instant : " + instant);
//get date time only
LocalDateTime result = LocalDateTime.ofInstant(instant, ZoneId.of(ZoneOffset.UTC.getId()));
//get localdate
System.out.println("LocalDate : " + result.toLocalDate());
//get date time + timezone
ZonedDateTime zonedDateTime = instant.atZone(ZoneId.of("Asia/Tokyo"));
System.out.println(zonedDateTime);
//get date time + timezone
ZonedDateTime zonedDateTime2 = instant.atZone(ZoneId.of("Europe/Athens"));
System.out.println(zonedDateTime2);
}
}
Output
Instant : 2016-08-16T15:23:01Z
LocalDate : 2016-08-16
2016-08-17T00:23:01+09:00[Asia/Tokyo]
2016-08-16T18:23:01+03:00[Europe/Athens]
7. 2016-08-16T10:15:30+08:00
The last +08:00 is a timezone. String -> ZonedDateTime -> LocalDate.
JavaDateExample7.java
package com.mkyong.date;
import java.time.LocalDate;
import java.time.ZonedDateTime;
import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter;
public class JavaDateExample7 {
public static void main(String[] args) {
String date = "2016-08-16T10:15:30+08:00";
ZonedDateTime result = ZonedDateTime.parse(date, DateTimeFormatter.ISO_DATE_TIME);
System.out.println("ZonedDateTime : " + result);
System.out.println("TimeZone : " + result.getZone());
LocalDate localDate = result.toLocalDate();
System.out.println("LocalDate : " + localDate);
}
}
Output
ZonedDateTime : 2016-08-16T10:15:30+08:00
TimeZone : +08:00
LocalDate : 2016-08-16
8. DateTimeParseException
If the date is unable to parse, it will throw DateTimeParseException.
JavaDateExample8.java
package com.mkyong.demo;
import java.time.LocalDate;
import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter;
import java.time.format.DateTimeParseException;
import java.util.Locale;
public class JavaDateExample8 {
private static final DateTimeFormatter dtf = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("d-MMM-yyyy", Locale.US);
public static void main(String[] args) {
try {
LocalDate localDate = LocalDate.parse("16-ABC-2016", dtf);
System.out.println(dtf.format(localDate));
} catch (DateTimeParseException e) {
System.err.println("Unable to parse the date!");
//e.printStackTrace();
}
}
}
Output
Unable to parse the date!
You are the best, always save my days !!!
Great Article, helped me a lot!
I’d like to thank you for your posts.
They always save my day.
how can I import java.time package it not working plz help me
hello,
I think for 3. 16/08/2016, you need to add “d” in days format, so the program add “0” to the days between [1,9]
DateTimeFormatter formatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern(“dd/MM/yyyy”);
Hi mkyong,
My requirement is to convert “ddMMM” formated date to “yyyy-MM-dd”.
For Example = “30SEP” –> “2019-09-30”
01JAN –> “2020-01-09” (if the date is in past for current year then take next year)
Hello, I have a java.sql.Date in format 2019-02-01. How can I change it to java.sql.Date 01.02.2019?
Dude, How to print 20-nov-2018 without any traces of toLowerCase
5. String = Tuesday, Aug 16, 2016 12:10:56 PM
Here you have a wrong pattern, because “HH” is for 24 hour time. You need “hh” pattern
Thanks, example is updated.
Example 5 doesnt work, the parsing with the formatter is not working.
Sorry, It will fail if the default locale is not English.
The example 5 is updated to specify Locale.US in
DateTimeFormatterYou left the most important bit out: How do you check for failure in parsing a date?????????
Hello, tell me please, how parse date with the format – “dd MMM” (02 Jan)?
Thanks.. 🙂
We can provide a default year like this:
DateTimeFormatter formatter = new DateTimeFormatterBuilder().appendPattern("dd MMM")
.parseDefaulting(ChronoField.YEAR, 2020)
.toFormatter(Locale.ENGLISH);
String date = "02 Jan";
LocalDate localDate = LocalDate.parse(date, formatter);
you must use
DateTimeFormatter DTF_DATETIME = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern(“dd-MMM-yyyy”, Locale.ENGLISH);
instead of DateTimeFormatter formatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern(“d-MMM-yyyy”);
Thanks for your comment, article is updated.
java.time.format.DateTimeParseException: Text ’16-Aug-2016′ could not be parsed at index 3
It’s wrong… just waste of time by using your site !!!
That’s because “Aug” is in English, so you must set a java.util.Locale in the formatter:
DateTimeFormatter formatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern(“d-MMM-yyyy”, Locale.US);
The code without the locale will work only if the JVM default locale is english.
That’s why I don’t like this site, the examples are very innacurate (don’t work all the times, just for the author’s default configs), without any explanation about why the code works (which is much more important than just “here’s the code, just copy, paste and don’t think about it”) and so on.
Thanks for your feedback. Article is updated with locale, and I will be more considerate next time.
nice article rally very nice .
thank you so much
keep posting for us.
I have been told that instead of
DateTimeFormatter formatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern(“d/MM/yyyy”);
String date = “16/08/2016”;
LocalDate localDate = LocalDate.parse(date, formatter);
I should use
DateTimeFormatter formatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern(“d/MM/yyyy”);
String date = “16/08/2016”;
LocalDate localDate = formatter.parse(date);
formatter.parse returns a TemporalAccessor, while LocalDate.parse returns the correct type (LocalDate).
Although you can do formatter.parse(date, LocalDate::from), which will also return a LocalDate
Add the locale to your examples, otherwise you might get a parse error
DateTimeFormatter formatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern(“EEEE, MMM d, yyyy HH:mm:ss a”); // no locale
String date = “Tuesday, Aug 16, 2016 12:10:56 PM”; // error for “Tuesday” if you are not in the US
DateTimeFormatter formatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern(“EEEE, MMM d, yyyy HH:mm:ss a”, Locale.US);
String date = “Tuesday, Aug 16, 2016 12:10:56 PM”; // no error, everything´s fine
Thanks for your comment, article is updated with Locale.