How to correctly create a date with a specific format? [duplicate]

Answer 1

Code

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

/**
 *
 * Java program to show how to format date in Java using SimpleDateFormat
 * Examples. Java allows to include date, time and timezone information
 * while formatting dates in Java.
 *
 * @author http://java67.blogspot.com
 */
public class DateFormatExample {

    public static void main(String args[]) {

        // This is how to get today's date in Java
        Date today = new Date();

        //If you print Date, you will get un formatted output
        System.out.println("Today is : " + today);

        //formatting date in Java using SimpleDateFormat
        SimpleDateFormat DATE_FORMAT = new SimpleDateFormat("dd-MM-yyyy");
        String date = DATE_FORMAT.format(today);
        System.out.println("Today in dd-MM-yyyy format : " + date);

        //Another Example of formatting Date in Java using SimpleDateFormat
        DATE_FORMAT = new SimpleDateFormat("dd/MM/yy");
        date = DATE_FORMAT.format(today);
        System.out.println("Today in dd/MM/yy pattern : " + date);

        //formatting Date with time information
        DATE_FORMAT = new SimpleDateFormat("dd-MM-yy:HH:mm:SS");
        date = DATE_FORMAT.format(today);
        System.out.println("Today in dd-MM-yy:HH:mm:SS : " + date);

        //SimpleDateFormat example - Date with timezone information
        DATE_FORMAT = new SimpleDateFormat("dd-MM-yy:HH:mm:SS Z");
        date = DATE_FORMAT.format(today);
        System.out.println("Today in dd-MM-yy:HH:mm:SSZ : " + date);

    } 

}

Output

Today is : Tue May 26 16:11:27 IST 2015

Today in dd-MM-yyyy format : 26-05-2015

Today in dd/MM/yy pattern : 26/05/15

Today in dd-MM-yy:HH:mm:SS : 26-05-15:16:11:316

Today in dd-MM-yy:HH:mm:SSZ : 26-05-15:16:11:316 +0530

Answer 2

java.util.Date objects do not have a format by themselves. They are just timestamp values, just like an int is just a number, without any inherent format. So, there is no such thing as "a Date object with the format yyyy-MM-dd".

The format is determined at the moment you convert the Date to a String. You can use SimpleDateFormat to convert a Date to a String in a specific format. For example:

Date date = new Date();

DateFormat fmt = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd");
String text = fmt.format(date);

System.out.println(text);