|
||||||||||
| PREV CLASS NEXT CLASS | FRAMES NO FRAMES | |||||||||
| SUMMARY: NESTED | FIELD | CONSTR | METHOD | DETAIL: FIELD | CONSTR | METHOD | |||||||||
java.lang.Object![]()
![]()
![]()
java.text.Format
![]()
![]()
![]()
java.text.DateFormat
, Cloneable


public abstract class DateFormat

DateFormat is an abstract class for date/time formatting subclasses which
formats and parses dates or time in a language-independent manner.
The date/time formatting subclass, such as SimpleDateFormat, allows for
formatting (i.e., date -> text), parsing (text -> date), and
normalization. The date is represented as a Date object or
as the milliseconds since January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 GMT.
DateFormat provides many class methods for obtaining default date/time formatters based on the default or a given locale and a number of formatting styles. The formatting styles include FULL, LONG, MEDIUM, and SHORT. More detail and examples of using these styles are provided in the method descriptions.
DateFormat helps you to format and parse dates for any locale. Your code can be completely independent of the locale conventions for months, days of the week, or even the calendar format: lunar vs. solar.
To format a date for the current Locale, use one of the static factory methods:
myString = DateFormat.getDateInstance().format(myDate);
If you are formatting multiple dates, it is more efficient to get the format and use it multiple times so that the system doesn't have to fetch the information about the local language and country conventions multiple times.
DateFormat df = DateFormat.getDateInstance();
for (int i = 0; i < myDate.length; ++i) {
output.println(df.format(myDate[i]) + "; ");
}
To format a date for a different Locale, specify it in the call to getDateInstance().
DateFormat df = DateFormat.getDateInstance(DateFormat.LONG, Locale.FRANCE);
You can use a DateFormat to parse also.
myDate = df.parse(myString);
Use getDateInstance to get the normal date format for that country. There are other static factory methods available. Use getTimeInstance to get the time format for that country. Use getDateTimeInstance to get a date and time format. You can pass in different options to these factory methods to control the length of the result; from SHORT to MEDIUM to LONG to FULL. The exact result depends on the locale, but generally:
You can also set the time zone on the format if you wish. If you want even more control over the format or parsing, (or want to give your users more control), you can try casting the DateFormat you get from the factory methods to a SimpleDateFormat. This will work for the majority of countries; just remember to put it in a try block in case you encounter an unusual one.
You can also use forms of the parse and format methods with ParsePosition and FieldPosition to allow you to
Date formats are not synchronized. It is recommended to create separate format instances for each thread. If multiple threads access a format concurrently, it must be synchronized externally.
Format
,
NumberFormat
,
SimpleDateFormat
,
Calendar
,
GregorianCalendar
,
TimeZone
,
Serialized Form| Nested Class Summary | |
|---|---|
static class |
DateFormat.Field
Defines constants that are used as attribute keys in the AttributedCharacterIterator returned
from DateFormat.formatToCharacterIterator and as
field identifiers in FieldPosition. |
| Field Summary | |
|---|---|
static int |
AM_PM_FIELD
Useful constant for AM_PM field alignment. |
protected Calendar |
calendar
The calendar that DateFormat uses to produce the time field
values needed to implement date and time formatting. |
static int |
DATE_FIELD
Useful constant for DATE field alignment. |
static int |
DAY_OF_WEEK_FIELD
Useful constant for DAY_OF_WEEK field alignment. |
static int |
DAY_OF_WEEK_IN_MONTH_FIELD
Useful constant for DAY_OF_WEEK_IN_MONTH field alignment. |
static int |
DAY_OF_YEAR_FIELD
Useful constant for DAY_OF_YEAR field alignment. |
static int |
DEFAULT
Constant for default style pattern. |
static int |
ERA_FIELD
Useful constant for ERA field alignment. |
static int |
FULL
Constant for full style pattern. |
static int |
HOUR_OF_DAY0_FIELD
Useful constant for zero-based HOUR_OF_DAY field alignment. |
static int |
HOUR_OF_DAY1_FIELD
Useful constant for one-based HOUR_OF_DAY field alignment. |
static int |
HOUR0_FIELD
Useful constant for zero-based HOUR field alignment. |
static int |
HOUR1_FIELD
Useful constant for one-based HOUR field alignment. |
static int |
LONG
Constant for long style pattern. |
static int |
MEDIUM
Constant for medium style pattern. |
static int |
MILLISECOND_FIELD
Useful constant for MILLISECOND field alignment. |
static int |
MINUTE_FIELD
Useful constant for MINUTE field alignment. |
static int |
MONTH_FIELD
Useful constant for MONTH field alignment. |
protected NumberFormat |
numberFormat
The number formatter that DateFormat uses to format numbers
in dates and times. |
static int |
SECOND_FIELD
Useful constant for SECOND field alignment. |
static int |
SHORT
Constant for short style pattern. |
static int |
TIMEZONE_FIELD
Useful constant for TIMEZONE field alignment. |
static int |
WEEK_OF_MONTH_FIELD
Useful constant for WEEK_OF_MONTH field alignment. |
static int |
WEEK_OF_YEAR_FIELD
Useful constant for WEEK_OF_YEAR field alignment. |
static int |
YEAR_FIELD
Useful constant for YEAR field alignment. |
| Constructor Summary | |
|---|---|
protected |
DateFormat
Create a new date format. |
| Method Summary | |
|---|---|
Object |
clone
Overrides Cloneable |
boolean |
equals
Overrides equals |
String |
format
Formats a Date into a date/time string. |
abstract StringBuffer |
format
Formats a Date into a date/time string. |
StringBuffer |
format
Overrides Format. |
static Locale |
getAvailableLocales
Returns an array of all locales for which the get*Instance methods of this class can return
localized instances. |
Calendar |
getCalendar
Gets the calendar associated with this date/time formatter. |
static DateFormat |
getDateInstance
Gets the date formatter with the default formatting style for the default locale. |
static DateFormat |
getDateInstance
Gets the date formatter with the given formatting style for the default locale. |
static DateFormat |
getDateInstance
Gets the date formatter with the given formatting style for the given locale. |
static DateFormat |
getDateTimeInstance
Gets the date/time formatter with the default formatting style for the default locale. |
static DateFormat |
getDateTimeInstance
Gets the date/time formatter with the given date and time formatting styles for the default locale. |
static DateFormat |
getDateTimeInstance
Gets the date/time formatter with the given formatting styles for the given locale. |
static DateFormat |
getInstance
Get a default date/time formatter that uses the SHORT style for both the date and the time. |
NumberFormat |
getNumberFormat
Gets the number formatter which this date/time formatter uses to format and parse a time. |
static DateFormat |
getTimeInstance
Gets the time formatter with the default formatting style for the default locale. |
static DateFormat |
getTimeInstance
Gets the time formatter with the given formatting style for the default locale. |
static DateFormat |
getTimeInstance
Gets the time formatter with the given formatting style for the given locale. |
TimeZone |
getTimeZone
Gets the time zone. |
int |
hashCode
Overrides hashCode |
boolean |
isLenient
Tell whether date/time parsing is to be lenient. |
Date |
parse
Parses text from the beginning of the given string to produce a date. |
abstract Date |
parse
Parse a date/time string according to the given parse position. |
Object |
parseObject
Parses text from a string to produce a Date. |
void |
setCalendar
Set the calendar to be used by this date format. |
void |
setLenient
Specify whether or not date/time parsing is to be lenient. |
void |
setNumberFormat
Allows you to set the number formatter. |
void |
setTimeZone
Sets the time zone for the calendar of this DateFormat object. |
Methods inherited from class java.text.Format ![]() |
|---|
format |
Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object ![]() |
|---|
finalize |
| Field Detail |
|---|

protected Calendar![]()
![]()
calendar
DateFormat uses to produce the time field
values needed to implement date and time formatting. Subclasses should
initialize this to a calendar appropriate for the locale associated with
this DateFormat.

protected NumberFormat![]()
![]()
numberFormat
DateFormat uses to format numbers
in dates and times. Subclasses should initialize this to a number format
appropriate for the locale associated with this DateFormat.

public static final int ERA_FIELD

public static final int YEAR_FIELD

public static final int MONTH_FIELD

public static final int DATE_FIELD

public static final int HOUR_OF_DAY1_FIELD

public static final int HOUR_OF_DAY0_FIELD

public static final int MINUTE_FIELD

public static final int SECOND_FIELD

public static final int MILLISECOND_FIELD

public static final int DAY_OF_WEEK_FIELD

public static final int DAY_OF_YEAR_FIELD

public static final int DAY_OF_WEEK_IN_MONTH_FIELD

public static final int WEEK_OF_YEAR_FIELD

public static final int WEEK_OF_MONTH_FIELD

public static final int AM_PM_FIELD

public static final int HOUR1_FIELD

public static final int HOUR0_FIELD

public static final int TIMEZONE_FIELD

public static final int FULL

public static final int LONG

public static final int MEDIUM

public static final int SHORT

public static final int DEFAULT
| Constructor Detail |
|---|

protected DateFormat()
| Method Detail |
|---|

public final StringBuffer![]()
![]()
format(Object
![]()
![]()
obj, StringBuffer
![]()
![]()
toAppendTo, FieldPosition
![]()
![]()
fieldPosition)
format 