Java Development

[KJake]

English locale the string date is "Oct 27, 2011 10:20 AM"

French locale the string date is "27 oct. 2011 10:20"

I need to get "2011-10-27 10:20 AM" from both strings.  I've tried using httpdatparser and simpledateformat but contin to get a 1969 date.  Any ideas?

[searingmedia]

sdf should be able to handle either, give us an example of your code.

[KJake]

Here is the code that produces the 1969 date...

String a = "Oct 21, 2011 10:30 AM";

Dialog.inform(StringToDate(a));

publicstatic String StringToDate(String dateToParse) {

        Date formatter =

new Date(HttpDateParser.parse(dateToParse));

        SimpleDateFormat dateFormat =

new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss");

        formatter.setTime(formatter.getTime());

        String strCustomDateTime = dateFormat.format(formatter);

return strCustomDateTime;

    }

[simon_hain]

check if the httpdateparser can correctly parse your string, i.e. if the Date formatter contains the correct timestamp.
otherwise you have to adjust your string or parse it manually.

formatter.setTime(formatter.getTime()); seems to be quite useless btw.

[KJake]

Thanks Simon.  The string is coming directly from the OS based on language.  I assume httpdateparser should understand all formats that come the OS based on local.  My concern is that if my app is to be bilingual (en / fr) and I need a consistent date format regardless of English of French, how do I produce this consistent format (yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss) when Eng displays a date one way and French another way?

[simon_hain]

you should check your "understanding" against the api, the parser is limited:
http://www.blackberry.com/developers/docs/7.0.0api/net/rim/device/api/io/http/HttpDateParser.html

[KJake]

Thanks. Do you have any recommendations on how I can get a consistent date format regardless of language on drvice? Appreciate any feedback. Thanks a lot.

[simon_hain]

what is the source of your date?
i usually have a date-object (or long value) which i can format as i like to.
currently i don't understand your usecase.

[KJake]

I do store the date as a long (Long answerDateTime) then put that Long into a DateField.

DateField  dfAnswerDateTime = new DateField("", answerDateTime.longValue(), DateField.DATE_TIME);

I then use dfAnswerDateTime.toString(); to get the answer date as a string.  Only issue is that is is completely different format based on language.  Is there a parameter I can use in the DateField to maintain an exact format regardless of language?

I appreciate your assistance.  Thanks much.

[simon_hain]

well, don't use toString, use SimpleDateFormat with the Date created from the long value.