How do I format a message that contains date information?

This example demonstrate how you can use the java.text.MessageFormat class to format a message with a date information in it.

package org.kodejava.text;

import java.util.Date;
import java.util.Calendar;
import java.util.Locale;
import java.text.MessageFormat;

public class MessageFormatDate {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        Date today = new Date();
        Calendar calendar = Calendar.getInstance();
        calendar.add(Calendar.DATE, 7);

        Date nextWeek = calendar.getTime();

        // We want the message to be is Locale.US
        Locale.setDefault(Locale.US);

        // Format a date, the time value is included
        String message = MessageFormat.format("Today is {0} and next " +
                "week is {1}", today, nextWeek);
        System.out.println(message);

        // Format a date and display only the date portion
        message = MessageFormat.format("Today is {0,date} and next " +
                "week is {1,date}", today, nextWeek);
        System.out.println(message);

        // Format a date using a short format (e.g. dd/MM/yyyy)
        message = MessageFormat.format("Today is {0,date,short} and " +
                "next week is {1,date,short}", today, nextWeek);
        System.out.println(message);

        // Format a date using a medium format, it displays the month long-name,
        // but using a two digit date and year.
        message = MessageFormat.format("Today is {0,date,medium} and " +
                "next week is {1,date,medium}", today, nextWeek);
        System.out.println(message);

        // Format a date using a long format, two digit for date, a long month
        // name and a four digit year.
        message = MessageFormat.format("Today is {0,date,long} and " +
                "next week is {1,date,long}", today, nextWeek);
        System.out.println(message);

        // Format a date using a full format, the same as above plus a full day
        // name.
        message = MessageFormat.format("Today is {0,date,full} and " +
                "next week is {1,date,full}", today, nextWeek);
        System.out.println(message);

        // Format a date using a custom pattern.
        message = MessageFormat.format("Today is {0,date,dd-MM-yyyy} and " +
                "next week is {1,date,dd-MM-yyyy}", today, nextWeek);
        System.out.println(message);
    }
}

The above program produces:

Today is 10/8/21, 9:35 PM and next week is 10/15/21, 9:35 PM
Today is Oct 8, 2021 and next week is Oct 15, 2021
Today is 10/8/21 and next week is 10/15/21
Today is Oct 8, 2021 and next week is Oct 15, 2021
Today is October 8, 2021 and next week is October 15, 2021
Today is Friday, October 8, 2021 and next week is Friday, October 15, 2021
Today is 08-10-2021 and next week is 15-10-2021

How do I format date using a locale based format?

The code below demonstrate how to format date information for a specific locale. In the example utilize the java.text.SimpleDateFormat class.

package org.kodejava.text;

import java.util.Locale;
import java.util.Date;
import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;

public class FormatDateLocale {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Defines an array of Locale we are going to use for
        // formatting date information.
        Locale[] locales = new Locale[] {
            Locale.JAPAN,
            Locale.CHINA,
            Locale.KOREA,
            Locale.TAIWAN,
            Locale.ITALY,
            Locale.FRANCE,
            Locale.GERMAN
        };

        // Get an instance of current date time
        Date today = new Date();

        // Iterates the entire Locale defined above and create a long
        // formatted date using the SimpleDateFormat.getDateInstance()
        // with the format, the Locale and the date information.
        for (Locale locale : locales) {
            System.out.printf("Date format in %s = %s%n",
                locale.getDisplayName(), SimpleDateFormat.getDateInstance(
                    SimpleDateFormat.LONG, locale).format(today));
        }
    }
}

The result of our code are:

Date format in Japanese (Japan) = 2021年10月6日
Date format in Chinese (China) = 2021年10月6日
Date format in Korean (South Korea) = 2021년 10월 6일
Date format in Chinese (Taiwan) = 2021年10月6日
Date format in Italian (Italy) = 6 ottobre 2021
Date format in French (France) = 6 octobre 2021
Date format in German = 6. Oktober 2021

How do I sort strings using Collator class?

In this example we demonstrate how to use the java.text.Collator class to sort strings in language-specific order. Using the java.text.Collator class makes the string not just sorted by the ASCII code of their characters, but it will follow the language natural order of the characters.

package org.kodejava.text;

import java.util.List;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Locale;
import java.text.Collator;

public class StringShortWithCollator {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        List<String> fruits = new ArrayList<>();
        fruits.add("Guava");
        fruits.add("Banana");
        fruits.add("Orange");
        fruits.add("Mango");
        fruits.add("Apple");

        // Define a collator for US English.
        Collator collator = Collator.getInstance(Locale.US);

        // Sort the list base on the collator
        fruits.sort(collator);

        for (String fruit : fruits) {
            System.out.println("Fruit = " + fruit);
        }
    }
}

The result of the code snippet above are:

Fruit = Apple
Fruit = Banana
Fruit = Guava
Fruit = Mango
Fruit = Orange

How do I check if a string is a valid date?

The following code can be used to validate if a string contains a valid date information. The pattern of the date is defined by the java.text.SimpleDateFormat object. When the date is not valid a java.text.ParseException will be thrown.

package org.kodejava.text;

import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
import java.text.ParseException;

public class DateValidation {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        SimpleDateFormat format = new SimpleDateFormat("dd/MM/yyyy");

        // Input to be parsed should strictly follow the defined date format
        // above.
        format.setLenient(false);

        String date = "29/18/2021";
        try {
            format.parse(date);
        } catch (ParseException e) {
            System.out.println("Date " + date + " is not valid according to " +
                    format.toPattern() + " pattern.");
        }
    }
}

The result of the above date validation code is:

Date 29/18/2021 is not valid according to dd/MM/yyyy pattern.

How do I change date formatting symbols?

This example shows how we can change the date formatting symbols. In this example we change the month names and short month names and also the weekday names and short weekday names.

Other than these two items we can also change other symbols such as the Era name and AM-PM string.

package org.kodejava.text;

import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
import java.text.DateFormat;
import java.text.DateFormatSymbols;
import java.util.Date;

public class DateFormatSymbolsExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Defining a new Date Format Symbols, the following are month and day
        // names in Bahasa Indonesia.
        String[] newMonths = {"JANUARI", "FEBRUARI", "MARET", "APRIL", "MEI",
                "JUNI", "JULI", "AGUSTUS", "SEPTEMBER", "OKTOBER", "NOVEMBER",
                "DESEMBER"};
        String[] newShortMonths = {"JAN", "FEB", "MAR", "APR", "MEI", "JUN",
                "JUL", "AGU", "SEP", "OKT", "NOV", "DES"};
        String[] newWeekdays = {"", "MINGGU", "SENIN", "SELASA", "RABU", "KAMIS",
                "JUMAT", "SABTU"};
        String[] shortWeekdays = {"", "MIN", "SEN", "SEL", "RAB", "KAM", "JUM",
                "SAB"};

        DateFormatSymbols symbols = new DateFormatSymbols();
        symbols.setMonths(newMonths);
        symbols.setShortMonths(newShortMonths);
        symbols.setWeekdays(newWeekdays);
        symbols.setShortWeekdays(shortWeekdays);

        DateFormat format = new SimpleDateFormat("dd MMMM yyyy", symbols);
        System.out.println(format.format(new Date()));

        format = new SimpleDateFormat("dd MMM yyyy", symbols);
        System.out.println(format.format(new Date()));

        format = new SimpleDateFormat("EEEE, dd MMM yyyy", symbols);
        System.out.println(format.format(new Date()));

        format = new SimpleDateFormat("E, dd MMM yyyy", symbols);
        System.out.println(format.format(new Date()));
    }
}

The result of the code snippet above is:

02 OKTOBER 2021
02 OKT 2021
SABTU, 02 OKT 2021
SAB, 02 OKT 2021