Why is Java's SimpleDateFormat not thread-safe? [duplicate]

Answer 1

ThreadLocal + SimpleDateFormat = SimpleDateFormatThreadSafe

package com.foocoders.text;

import java.text.AttributedCharacterIterator;
import java.text.DateFormatSymbols;
import java.text.FieldPosition;
import java.text.NumberFormat;
import java.text.ParseException;
import java.text.ParsePosition;
import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
import java.util.Calendar;
import java.util.Date;
import java.util.Locale;
import java.util.TimeZone;

public class SimpleDateFormatThreadSafe extends SimpleDateFormat {

    private static final long serialVersionUID = 5448371898056188202L;
    ThreadLocal<SimpleDateFormat> localSimpleDateFormat;

    public SimpleDateFormatThreadSafe() {
        super();
        localSimpleDateFormat = new ThreadLocal<SimpleDateFormat>() {
            protected SimpleDateFormat initialValue() {
                return new SimpleDateFormat();
            }
        };
    }

    public SimpleDateFormatThreadSafe(final String pattern) {
        super(pattern);
        localSimpleDateFormat = new ThreadLocal<SimpleDateFormat>() {
            protected SimpleDateFormat initialValue() {
                return new SimpleDateFormat(pattern);
            }
        };
    }

    public SimpleDateFormatThreadSafe(final String pattern, final DateFormatSymbols formatSymbols) {
        super(pattern, formatSymbols);
        localSimpleDateFormat = new ThreadLocal<SimpleDateFormat>() {
            protected SimpleDateFormat initialValue() {
                return new SimpleDateFormat(pattern, formatSymbols);
            }
        };
    }

    public SimpleDateFormatThreadSafe(final String pattern, final Locale locale) {
        super(pattern, locale);
        localSimpleDateFormat = new ThreadLocal<SimpleDateFormat>() {
            protected SimpleDateFormat initialValue() {
                return new SimpleDateFormat(pattern, locale);
            }
        };
    }

    public Object parseObject(String source) throws ParseException {
        return localSimpleDateFormat.get().parseObject(source);
    }

    public String toString() {
        return localSimpleDateFormat.get().toString();
    }

    public Date parse(String source) throws ParseException {
        return localSimpleDateFormat.get().parse(source);
    }

    public Object parseObject(String source, ParsePosition pos) {
        return localSimpleDateFormat.get().parseObject(source, pos);
    }

    public void setCalendar(Calendar newCalendar) {
        localSimpleDateFormat.get().setCalendar(newCalendar);
    }

    public Calendar getCalendar() {
        return localSimpleDateFormat.get().getCalendar();
    }

    public void setNumberFormat(NumberFormat newNumberFormat) {
        localSimpleDateFormat.get().setNumberFormat(newNumberFormat);
    }

    public NumberFormat getNumberFormat() {
        return localSimpleDateFormat.get().getNumberFormat();
    }

    public void setTimeZone(TimeZone zone) {
        localSimpleDateFormat.get().setTimeZone(zone);
    }

    public TimeZone getTimeZone() {
        return localSimpleDateFormat.get().getTimeZone();
    }

    public void setLenient(boolean lenient) {
        localSimpleDateFormat.get().setLenient(lenient);
    }

    public boolean isLenient() {
        return localSimpleDateFormat.get().isLenient();
    }

    public void set2DigitYearStart(Date startDate) {
        localSimpleDateFormat.get().set2DigitYearStart(startDate);
    }

    public Date get2DigitYearStart() {
        return localSimpleDateFormat.get().get2DigitYearStart();
    }

    public StringBuffer format(Date date, StringBuffer toAppendTo, FieldPosition pos) {
        return localSimpleDateFormat.get().format(date, toAppendTo, pos);
    }

    public AttributedCharacterIterator formatToCharacterIterator(Object obj) {
        return localSimpleDateFormat.get().formatToCharacterIterator(obj);
    }

    public Date parse(String text, ParsePosition pos) {
        return localSimpleDateFormat.get().parse(text, pos);
    }

    public String toPattern() {
        return localSimpleDateFormat.get().toPattern();
    }

    public String toLocalizedPattern() {
        return localSimpleDateFormat.get().toLocalizedPattern();
    }

    public void applyPattern(String pattern) {
        localSimpleDateFormat.get().applyPattern(pattern);
    }

    public void applyLocalizedPattern(String pattern) {
        localSimpleDateFormat.get().applyLocalizedPattern(pattern);
    }

    public DateFormatSymbols getDateFormatSymbols() {
        return localSimpleDateFormat.get().getDateFormatSymbols();
    }

    public void setDateFormatSymbols(DateFormatSymbols newFormatSymbols) {
        localSimpleDateFormat.get().setDateFormatSymbols(newFormatSymbols);
    }

    public Object clone() {
        return localSimpleDateFormat.get().clone();
    }

    public int hashCode() {
        return localSimpleDateFormat.get().hashCode();
    }

    public boolean equals(Object obj) {
        return localSimpleDateFormat.get().equals(obj);
    }

}

https://gist.github.com/pablomoretti/9748230

Answer 2

Here’s an example defines a SimpleDateFormat object as a static field. When two or more threads access “someMethod” concurrently with different dates, they can mess with each other’s results.

    public class SimpleDateFormatExample {
         private static final SimpleDateFormat simpleFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss.SSS");

         public String someMethod(Date date) {
            return simpleFormat.format(date);
         }
    }

You can create a service like below and use jmeter to simulate concurrent users using the same SimpleDateFormat object formatting different dates and their results will be messed up.

public class FormattedTimeHandler extends AbstractHandler {

private static final String OUTPUT_TIME_FORMAT = "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss.SSS";
private static final String INPUT_TIME_FORMAT = "yyyy-MM-ddHH:mm:ss";
private static final SimpleDateFormat simpleFormat = new SimpleDateFormat(OUTPUT_TIME_FORMAT);
// apache commons lang3 FastDateFormat is threadsafe
private static final FastDateFormat fastFormat = FastDateFormat.getInstance(OUTPUT_TIME_FORMAT);

public void handle(String target, Request baseRequest, HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response)
        throws IOException, ServletException {

    response.setContentType("text/html;charset=utf-8");
    response.setStatus(HttpServletResponse.SC_OK);
    baseRequest.setHandled(true);

    final String inputTime = request.getParameter("time");
    Date date = LocalDateTime.parse(inputTime, DateTimeFormat.forPattern(INPUT_TIME_FORMAT)).toDate();

    final String method = request.getParameter("method");
    if ("SimpleDateFormat".equalsIgnoreCase(method)) {
        // use SimpleDateFormat as a static constant field, not thread safe
        response.getWriter().println(simpleFormat.format(date));
    } else if ("FastDateFormat".equalsIgnoreCase(method)) {
        // use apache commons lang3 FastDateFormat, thread safe
        response.getWriter().println(fastFormat.format(date));
    } else {
        // create new SimpleDateFormat instance when formatting date, thread safe
        response.getWriter().println(new SimpleDateFormat(OUTPUT_TIME_FORMAT).format(date));
    }
}

public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
    // embedded jetty configuration, running on port 8090. change it as needed.
    Server server = new Server(8090);
    server.setHandler(new FormattedTimeHandler());

    server.start();
    server.join();
}

}

The code and jmeter script can be downloaded here .

Answer 3

Release 3.2 of commons-lang will have FastDateParser class that is a thread-safe substitute of SimpleDateFormat for Gregorian calendar. See LANG-909 for more information.

Answer 4

Here is a code example that proves the fault in the class. I've checked: the problem occurs when using parse and also when you are only using format.

Answer 5

Here is the example which results in a strange error. Even Google gives no results:

public class ExampleClass {

private static final Pattern dateCreateP = Pattern.compile("Дата подачи:\\s*(.+)");
private static final SimpleDateFormat sdf = new SimpleDateFormat("HH:mm:ss dd.MM.yyyy");

public static void main(String[] args) {
    ExecutorService executor = Executors.newFixedThreadPool(100);
    while (true) {
        executor.submit(new Runnable() {
            @Override
            public void run() {
                workConcurrently();
            }
        });
    }
}

public static void workConcurrently() {
    Matcher matcher = dateCreateP.matcher("Дата подачи: 19:30:55 03.05.2015");
    Timestamp startAdvDate = null;
    try {
        if (matcher.find()) {
            String dateCreate = matcher.group(1);
            startAdvDate = new Timestamp(sdf.parse(dateCreate).getTime());
        }
    } catch (Throwable th) {
        th.printStackTrace();
    }
    System.out.print("OK ");
}
}

And result :

OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK OK java.lang.NumberFormatException: For input string: ".201519E.2015192E2"
at sun.misc.FloatingDecimal.readJavaFormatString(FloatingDecimal.java:2043)
at sun.misc.FloatingDecimal.parseDouble(FloatingDecimal.java:110)
at java.lang.Double.parseDouble(Double.java:538)
at java.text.DigitList.getDouble(DigitList.java:169)
at java.text.DecimalFormat.parse(DecimalFormat.java:2056)
at java.text.SimpleDateFormat.subParse(SimpleDateFormat.java:1869)
at java.text.SimpleDateFormat.parse(SimpleDateFormat.java:1514)
at java.text.DateFormat.parse(DateFormat.java:364)
at com.nonscalper.webscraper.processor.av.ExampleClass.workConcurrently(ExampleClass.java:37)
at com.nonscalper.webscraper.processor.av.ExampleClass$1.run(ExampleClass.java:25)
at java.util.concurrent.Executors$RunnableAdapter.call(Executors.java:511)
at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:266)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1142)
at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:617)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:745)

Answer 6

SimpleDateFormat is a concrete class for formatting and parsing dates in a locale-sensitive manner.

From the JavaDoc,

But 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.

To make the SimpleDateFormat class thread-safe, look at the following approaches :

• Create a new SimpleDateFormat instance each time you need to use one. Although this is thread safe, it is the slowest possible approach.
• Use synchronization. This is a bad idea because you should never choke-point your threads on a server.
• Use a ThreadLocal. This is the fastest approach of the 3 (see http://www.javacodegeeks.com/2010/07/java-best-practices-dateformat-in.html).