How to extract a date from a JTable

[pahiker]

One element I load to a JTable is a date, once it is there how do I extract the contents so that I can work with it as a date?


// Here are the dates
Date date1 = new GregorianCalendar(2009,0,26).getTime();
Date date2 = new GregorianCalendar(2008,2,20).getTime();

// Right now they are in an array, eventually they will come from a file
private Object[][] serviceTable = {
{ 97300, date1, "McElhinney's Service", 4798, "Check alternator and oil pressure", "Battery, Alternator, Serpentine Belt, Oil Pressure Sensor", 707.68},
{ 0, date2, "McElhinney's Service", 11112, "Replace engine", "Motor, cables, fluids", 4534.61}
};


private JTable table;

// Load the array into a table
private void PopulateTable()
{
for ( int r = 0; r < serviceTable.length; r++ )
for ( int c = 0; c < serviceTable[r].length; c++ )
model.setValueAt(serviceTable[r][c], r, c);
}


Later on in the code, depending on input from the user, I am going to want to extract the date that is in model.getValueAt(r,1), which is the date. I can't find anything that converts an object into a Date (either Date or Calendar).

[camickr]

I can't find anything that converts an object into a Date (either Date or Calendar).

As you where told in your last posting you can't just make an Object be anything your want. That is, you add a Date to the model you can't just magically make it become a Calendar. That is why you where told you need to create a custom renderer if you want to store a Calendar in the model.

However, since it "is a" Date then you can "cast" it to a Date:

Date value = (Date)model.getValueAt(...);

[pahiker]

camickr, I did create a custom renderer to display the date on the table. The is the back end of it, where I am trying to extract the information from the table. I was able to extract all of the other data in the table (strings, ints, doubles). And, I could extract the date as a string, but I was having problems finding a way to extract it as a date.

[pahiker]

When I was looking for ways to extract this, I came across parsing using SimpleDateFormatter. Is this now the preferred way to extract dates from different sources? Any thoughts (pros/cons) on using SimpleDateFormatter?

[camickr]

Only one question per thread. Your original question has been answered. If you want to know about formatting of Date objects then ask a new question. It gets too confusing when multiple questions and multiple answers are given in the same thread.

[pahiker]

OK, thanks.