Java Development

[carll70]

Hello.  I've come up with a method that seems to work fine.  Just thought there might be a more effective way of determining if a string date (must be from a string) is between 2 other dates (from string).

TimeZone clientZone = TimeZone.getDefault();

		String dateToCompare="2012-10-03";
		String dateBegin="2012-10-01";
		String dateEnd="2012-10-07";
		
		Date date1= new Date(HttpDateParser.parse(dateToCompare));
		Date date2= new Date(HttpDateParser.parse(dateBegin));
		Date date3= new Date(HttpDateParser.parse(dateEnd));
		
		Calendar calToCompare = Calendar.getInstance(clientZone);
		Calendar calBegin = Calendar.getInstance(clientZone);
		Calendar calEnd = Calendar.getInstance(clientZone);
		
		calToCompare.setTime(date1);
		calBegin.setTime(date2);
		calEnd.setTime(date3);
		
		if(calToCompare.after(calBegin) && calToCompare.before(calEnd)) {
			Dialog.alert("date is between");
		}
		else {
			Dialog.alert("date is NOT between");
		}
		

Is there a more effective way to accomplish this?  Thank you.

[peter_strange · Accepted solution]

Date date1= new Date(HttpDateParser.parse(dateToCompare));
Date date2= new Date(HttpDateParser.parse(dateBegin));
Date date3= new Date(HttpDateParser.parse(dateEnd));

long compareDateLong = date1.getTime();

long beginDateLong = date2.getTime();

long endTimeLong = date3.getTime();

if ( beginDateLong < compareDateLong ) && ( endTimeLong > compareDateLong ) {

Dialog.alert("date is between");
}
else {
Dialog.alert("date is NOT between");
}

[carll70]

Thank you, Peter.

[carll70]

Wondering if you could offer me some assistance or pointers.  When I use the following code

strTheDate = new Date(HttpDateParser.parse("2012-11-09"));
Dialog.alert(strTheDate.toString());

The dialog box displays the 8th of Nov, not the 9th.

[peter_strange]

I suspect a Time Zone issue, but I don't use HttpDateparser so have never looked at how it processes when there is not a Time Zone specified.  Review that and/or try with a Time Zone specified to see if you see some effect. 

[carll70]

Thanks.  I did try with a time and time zone but still same issue.

[peter_strange]

From the testing I have just done, the string:

2012-11-09

is treated midnight on the date specified, if you were on the GMT line.  But when you do this:

strTheDate.toString()

the time is converted to local time.  I suspect this explains the difference. 

Check the time zone specified on the device/simulator that you are using. 

[carll70]

Thanks time zone on device/simulator is -4 (Santiago).  Do i need to somehow specify this when parsing?

[carll70]

Seems that when I specify date as "2012-11-09T00:00-04:00" that I get the correct date.  Just need to determine now how to get string value of -04:00 from device.

[carll70]

Ok.  I can get the raw offset using

TimeZone clientZone = TimeZone.getDefault();
Calendar cal = Calendar.getInstance(clientZone);
Dialog.alert(Integer.toString(clientZone.getRawOffset() / 3600000));

Which will return -5.  I need to somehow now format that as hour.  eg.  -05:00

Is there a way to properly do this?