How can I parse UTC date/time (String) into something more readable?

Question

I have a String of a date and time like this: 2011-04-15T20:08:18Z. I don\'t know much about date/time formats, but I think, and correct me if I\'m wrong, that\

Answer 1

Use JodaTime

I kept getting parsing errors using the other solutions with the Z at the end of the format.

Instead, I opted to leverage JodaTime's excellent parsing functionality and was able to do the following very easily:

String timestamp = "2011-04-15T20:08:18Z";

DateTime dateTime = ISODateTimeFormat.dateTimeParser().parseDateTime(timestamp);

This correctly recognizes the UTC timezone and allows you to then use JodaTime's extensive manipulation methods to get what you want out of it.

Hope this helps others.