Java Development

[nirmalsat]

I have a string in the follwing format :   "5 Dec 1987 09:56" 

How do i convert this to date? 

I tried  :

date.setDate(Long.parseLong("5 Dec 1987 09:56")); 

But this throws NumberFormatException . 

[dpreussler]

your code can not work. Long.parse longs just needs a long

You would need some kind of DateParser.

There is one in the API but I think the supported format are a little bit differen (check out HttpDateParser)

[nirmalsat]

Yes i did check that , but the format that it supports are all different ( ones that are supported by http 1.1). The thing is at one point in my app i use the net.rim.device.api.ui.component.DateField to create a dateField. This values is later read and placed in a string. This string is again required to populate another datefield. The problem is it needs to be in string format during the intermediate step. Otherwise i would ve retained the original object .

[dpreussler]

You could get the date directly as long from the datefield!?

Or use a different format via setDateFormat which you can better parse later

[peter_strange]

Just adding to what dpreussier has said.

You said: "The problem is it needs to be in string format during the intermediate step"

Does the String in this intermediate step need to be recognized by anything as a Date, or can it be any format at all as long as it is a String?  Is any format is fine, then the easiest thing to do is to convert the long to String (Long.toString()) and then parse it back (long.parseLong()).

[nirmalsat]

The thing is the datefield is a part of a  field manager. The value is got by parsing through the manager like :

VerticalFieldManager.getField(index).toString() . When the value is retrieved it comes like how i mentioned in the precious post. So i am not sure how to convert it to long as you mention , but otherwise your idea looks excellent...

[peter_strange]

String fieldString = null;

Field testField = VerticalFieldManager.getField(index);

if ( testField instanceof DateField ) {

DateField convertDate = (DateField) testField;

fieldString = Long.toString(convertDate.getDate());

} else {

fieldString = testField.toString();

}

If you review what dpressieur said in his first post, I think you will find that this is basically what he suggested too.

[nirmalsat]

Am sorry. This was something that i was trying as well...But....

Quote : Simon

String fieldString = null;

Field testField = VerticalFieldManager.getField(index);

if ( testField instanceof DateField ) {

DateField convertDate = (DateField) testField;  //  Error : Cannot cast from Field to DateField 

fieldString = Long.toString(convertDate.getDate());

} else {

fieldString = testField.toString();

}

[peter_strange]

"DateField convertDate = (DateField) testField;  //  Error : Cannot cast from Field to DateField "

Hm.  This is interesting because I have production code that does just that.

Are you seeing a compile error or Runtime Error?

Can you confirm that you are using the correct DateField and not the javax.microedition.lcdui.DateField.  Perhaps change the lines to the following:

if ( testField instanceof net.rim.device.api.ui.component.DateField ) {

net.rim.device.api.ui.component.DateField  convertDate = (net.rim.device.api.ui.component.DateField) testField;

...

[RexDoug]

You might want to try HTTPDateParser - it will parse a wide variety of string date formats into a date object.