JTextField and SimpleDateFormat

[mine0926]

hi, i have a JtextField which user can input date in m/d/yyyy format. In mysql date data types are in yyyy-mm-dd format. So i have to change JTextfield's value when user click "add" button. My problem is I cannot format the JTextfield it returns error

    java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Cannot format given Object as a Date

here is the sample code that returns the error:

    //[b]INPUT:[/b]         5/25/2010
    //[b]EXPECTED OUTPUT:[/b]   2010-05-25
    import javax.swing.*;
    import javax.swing.event.*;
    import java.awt.event.*;
    import java.awt.*;
    import java.text.*;

    public class TextDate extends JFrame
    {	JTextField input = new JTextField();
            JTextField output = new JTextField();
            JPanel p1 = new JPanel();
            JButton b1 = new JButton("CLICK");

            public TextDate()
            {	this.setDefaultCloseOperation(EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
                    this.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
                    this.add(p1, BorderLayout.CENTER);

                    p1.setLayout(new GridLayout(2,2));
                    p1.add(input);
                    p1.add(b1);
                    p1.add(output);

                    pack();

                    b1.addActionListener(new ButtonClick());
            }

            public static void main(String[] args)
            {	SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable()
                    {	public void run()
                            { new TextDate().setVisible(true);
                            }
                    });
            }

            protected class ButtonClick implements ActionListener
            {	public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae)
                    {	SimpleDateFormat formatdate = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-mm-dd");
                        String newdate = formatdate.format(input.getText()); [b]//error here[/b]
                        output.setText(newdate);
                    }
            }
    }

Thanks,
geje

[Norm]

it returns error

Please copy and paste full text of error message here.

[Fubarable]

You need to use a SDF object to parse the String in the JTextField into a Date object, not a String. Then this Date object can be formatted into the other String using another SDF object.

[Tolls]

hi, i have a JtextField which user can input date in m/d/yyyy format. In mysql date data types are in yyyy-mm-dd format.

Wrong. DATE fields in a db do not have a "format" as such. They will display in a stock format (often dependent on the locale setting for the db) but the value stored is not in any way formatted.

So, what you want to do is take the String from the text field, use an SDF to format it into a Date (as suggested above), and then that Date is given to whatever PreparedStatement you are using to INSERT into the db.

Now, this doesn't solve your immediate problem...which is caused by you format()-ting (which is used to go from a Date to a String) rather than parse()-ing (which goes from a String to a Date).

Also, your format is wrong. You have "yyyy-mm-dd" when your input is apparently "5/25/2010", which will fail in any case.

ETA: In fact it's even more convoluted in that you seem to have actually completed missed the String->Date step and decided to go String->String.

[mine0926]

Wrong. DATE fields in a db do not have a "format" as such. They will display in a stock format (often dependent on the locale setting for the db) but the value stored is not in any way formatted.

The value stored in db does not have format, YES I agree. What I mean is when I use INSERT INTO statement. I try to use insert into in MySql Command Line, not from java, but when I try to insert in date data types using other format it returns error. I use formats like '05/25/2010', '25/05/2010', '2010/05/25'.

 [i]Error message from MySql Command Line[/i]
 Incorrect date value: '05-25-2010' for column 'Date_Req' at row 1

Also, your format is wrong. You have "yyyy-mm-dd" when your input is apparently "5/25/2010", which will fail in any case.

Obviously, I do not know this. I think my past coding in other language affect my thinking with this. :)
Can you explain why it will fail? Because that is actually what I am trying to do here. User can enter date in any format but in insert into it should be format to 'yyyy-mm-dd'

You need to use a SDF object to parse the String in the JTextField into a Date object, not a String. Then this Date object can be formatted into the other String using another SDF object.

I dont fully understand it but I try it. Its working but I dont know if this is what you mean...

import javax.swing.*;
import javax.swing.event.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.text.*;

public class TextDate extends JFrame
{	JTextField input = new JTextField();
	JTextField output = new JTextField();
	JPanel p1 = new JPanel();
	JButton b1 = new JButton("CLICK");

	public TextDate()
	{	this.setDefaultCloseOperation(EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
		this.setLayout(new BorderLayout());
		this.add(p1, BorderLayout.CENTER);

		p1.setLayout(new GridLayout(2,2));
		p1.add(input);
		p1.add(b1);
		p1.add(output);

		pack();

		b1.addActionListener(new ButtonClick());
	}

	public static void main(String[] args)
	{	SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable()
		{	public void run()
			{ new TextDate().setVisible(true);
			}
		});
	}

	protected class ButtonClick implements ActionListener
	{	public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae)
		{	String strDate = null;
			try
        			{//before I use yyyy-mm-dd, base from [url="http://www.kodejava.org/examples/19.html"]other site[/url] Small "m" means minute and not month.
			   	DateFormat mySqlFormat = new SimpleDateFormat[b]("yyyy-MM-dd")[/b];
            				java.util.Date newDate = (java.util.Date)mySqlFormat.parse(input.getText());

				System.out.println("input TextField:" + input.getText());
				System.out.println("newDate value :" + newDate);

            				strDate = mySqlFormat.format(newDate).toString();
        			}
        			catch(Exception ex){ex.printStackTrace();}
			output.setText(strDate);
			System.out.println("output TextField:" + input.getText());
		}
	}
}

problem now is it gives different output.

input: -----------> 05-15-2010
output: ----------> 0011-08-31
newDate output: --> Mon Aug 31 00:00:00 CST 11

Thanks,
geje

[Tolls]

The value stored in db does not have format, YES I agree. What I mean is when I use INSERT INTO statement. I try to use insert into in MySql Command Line, not from java, but when I try to insert in date data types using other format it returns error. I use formats like '05/25/2010', '25/05/2010', '2010/05/25'.

 [i]Error message from MySql Command Line[/i]
 Incorrect date value: '05-25-2010' for column 'Date_Req' at row 1

OK, but normally you would use a to_date() function to convert the String into a date. I expect MySQL has similar ones to Oracle. In fact, a quick Google and it's called Str_To_Date, which does pretty much what a SimpleDateFormat does. Forcing the database to do the translation itself is generally not good practice.

Anyway, since you will be using JDBC this isn't important. With a JDBC PreparedStatement you have setters for each datatype, one of which is setDate, which accepts a Date object. That's what you want to use.

Obviously, I do not know this. I think my past coding in other language affect my thinking with this. :)
Can you explain why it will fail? Because that is actually what I am trying to do here. User can enter date in any format but in insert into it should be format to 'yyyy-mm-dd'

OK, SimpleDateFormat has a format string. That string defines the format of the string you are working with, whether the string you are turning a Date into (format()), or the String you are using to create a Date (parse()). If you parse() a String with a different format you will get an exception (FormatException?) because the String, in this case "5/25/2010", does not match the format given to the SimpleDateFormat, in this case "yyyy-mm-dd".

I dont fully understand it but I try it. Its working but I dont know if this is what you mean...

	protected class ButtonClick implements ActionListener
	{	public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae)
		{	String strDate = null;
			try
        			{//before I use yyyy-mm-dd, base from [url="http://www.kodejava.org/examples/19.html"]other site[/url] Small "m" means minute and not month.
			   	DateFormat mySqlFormat = new SimpleDateFormat[b]("yyyy-MM-dd")[/b];
            				java.util.Date newDate = (java.util.Date)mySqlFormat.parse(input.getText());

				System.out.println("input TextField:" + input.getText());
				System.out.println("newDate value :" + newDate);

            				strDate = mySqlFormat.format(newDate).toString();
        			}
        			catch(Exception ex){ex.printStackTrace();}
			output.setText(strDate);
			System.out.println("output TextField:" + input.getText());
		}
	}
}

problem now is it gives different output.

input: -----------> 05-15-2010
output: ----------> 0011-08-31
newDate output: --> Mon Aug 31 00:00:00 CST 11

Thanks,
geje

OK, look at your input. You have month, day, year. Look at your format, you have year, month, day. Since the SimpleDateFormat defaults to lenient it attempts to format something that vaguely matches, so it's taken '05' as your year, '15' as your month (so rolls that into '06'), and '2010' as your day, so runs that forward several years until it hits a valid date.

Then you print out the resulting Date. Note I said above that Dates do not have a format, whether a Date object or a DATE field in a database. So all that printout is is the default Date format.

Anyway, you do NOT need to do anything other than parse from the input text to get a Date. You do NOT need to then format that date. Just use the Date object in your PreparedStatement.

[mine0926]

Anyway, you do NOT need to do anything other than parse from the input text to get a Date. You do NOT need to then format that date. Just use the Date object in your PreparedStatement.

heres what it try..

	protected class ButtonClick implements ActionListener
	{	public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent ae)
		{	String strDate = null;
			Date newDate = null; //java.sql.Date
			try
        			{	DateFormat mySqlFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-M-d");
                                	newDate = (Date)mySqlFormat.parse(txtReqDate.getText());

				System.out.println("input TextField:" + input.getText());
				System.out.println("newDate value :" + newDate.toString());
        			}
        			catch(Exception ex){ex.printStackTrace();}
			output.setText(newDate.toString());
			System.out.println("output TextField:" + output.getText());
		}
	}

	[b]ERROR MESSAGE[/b]
	java.lang.ClassCastException: java.util.Date cannot be cast to java.sql.Date

I think parse() return java.util.Date while setDate() requires java.sql.Date thats why it return that error message


Still cant get it..
I try to change newDate from java.sql.Date to java.util.Date. But netbeans giving me Error message

	[b]CODE[/b]
	java.util.Date newDate = null;

	[b]ERROR MESSAGE[/b]
	//netbeans underline the newDate (From setDate(2, newDate))
	cannot find symbol
	symbol: method setDate(int, java.util.Date)
	location: interface java.sql.PreparedStatement

Thanks for your time and for helping me,
geje

[Fubarable]

I don't do SQL, but I do know that the SimpleDateFormate class parses a String into a java.util.Date object not a java.sql.Date, and casting won't change this fact. Perhaps you can use this java.util.Date object in your prepared statement, but I don't know.

[mine0926]

Have done that. At post#7 on my second try. I change newDate from java.sql.Date to java.util.Date

        java.util.Date newDate = null;
        try
        {   DateFormat mySqlFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd");
            newDate = mySqlFormat.parse(input.getText());
        }
        catch(Exception ex){ex.printStackTrace();}

        try
        {//PreparedStatement here
            ...
            prep_stmt.setDate(2, newDate); //<-- newDate is the only underlined. When I point my cursor to new date it gives the error message
            [b]ERROR MESSAGE[/b]
            cannot find symbol
            symbol: method setDate(int, java.util.Date)
            location: interface java.sql.PreparedStatement
        }
        catch(Exception ex){ex.printStackTrace();}

from source window in netbeans, newDate is undelined.

[Fubarable]

Again, I'm speaking out of ignorance, but can you change a java.util.Date to a java.sql.Date via the latter's constructor?:

java.sql.Date sqlDate = new java.sql.Date(utilDate.getTime());

[mine0926]

Thanks. I was able to insert the new record. Here is what I did.

        java.sql.Date newDate = null; //java.sql.Date
	try
        {   DateFormat mySqlFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-M-d");
            newDate = new java.sql.Date(mySqlFormat.parse(input.getText()).getTime());
        }
        catch(Exception ex){ex.printStackTrace();}

I also saw an example from this site.. I think what I am trying to do is same with this one but they use valueof().

But both code requires me to enter "yyyy-mm-dd" format because They assume that substring BEFORE first dash("-") character is year, substring AFTER first dash("-") character and BEFORE SECODE dash("-") is month, substring AFTER SECOND dash is day.
THIS IS FROM Date.java from java.sql package

    public static Date valueOf(String s) {
        final int YEAR_LENGTH = 4;
        final int MONTH_LENGTH = 2;
        final int DAY_LENGTH = 2;
        final int MAX_MONTH = 12;
        final int MAX_DAY = 31;
        int firstDash;
        int secondDash;
        Date d = null;

        if (s == null) {
            throw new java.lang.IllegalArgumentException();
        }

        firstDash = s.indexOf('-');
        secondDash = s.indexOf('-', firstDash + 1);
        if ((firstDash > 0) && (secondDash > 0) && (secondDash < s.length()-1)) {[b]
            String yyyy = s.substring(0, firstDash); 
            String mm = s.substring(firstDash + 1, secondDash);
            String dd = s.substring(secondDash + 1);[/b]
            if (yyyy.length() == YEAR_LENGTH && mm.length() == MONTH_LENGTH &&
                dd.length() == DAY_LENGTH) {
                int year = Integer.parseInt(yyyy);
                int month = Integer.parseInt(mm);
                int day = Integer.parseInt(dd);
                if (month >= 1 && month <= MAX_MONTH) {
                    int maxDays = MAX_DAY;
                    switch (month) {
                        // February determine if a leap year or not
                        case 2:
                            if((year % 4 == 0 && !(year % 100 == 0)) || (year % 400 == 0)) {
                                maxDays = MAX_DAY-2; // leap year so 29 days in February
                            } else {
                                maxDays = MAX_DAY-3; //  not a leap year so 28 days in February 
                            }
                            break;
                        // April, June, Sept, Nov 30 day months
                        case 4:
                        case 6:
                        case 9:
                        case 11:
                            maxDays = MAX_DAY-1;
                            break;
                    }
                    if (day >= 1 && day <= maxDays) {
                        d = new Date(year - 1900, month - 1, day);
                    }
                }
            }
        }
        if (d == null) {
            throw new java.lang.IllegalArgumentException();
        }
        return d;
    }

You think I have to create a class that will format a date or string into desire format? Just like JFormattedTextField?

Thanks,
geje

[mine0926]

You think I have to create a class that will format a date or string into desire format? Just like JFormattedTextField?
On user input they want a "M/d/yyyy" while in setDate() method in PreparedStatement it requires "yyyy-M-d"?

Thanls in advance,
geje

[Tolls]

You think I have to create a class that will format a date or string into desire format? Just like JFormattedTextField?
On user input they want a "M/d/yyyy" while in setDate() method in PreparedStatement it requires "yyyy-M-d"?

Thanls in advance,
geje

OK, I missed the conversion from util.Date to sql.Date, but you have the line for that now:

newDate = new java.sql.Date(mySqlFormat.parse(input.getText()).getTime());

Now, as I keep saying, Date objects, and the DATE column type, do not have a format!

So you want a SimpleDateFormat of "MM/dd/yyyy" to parse the text field value, which you then turn into a sql.Date (as the line above). You then use that object in the setDate() method of a PreparedStatement.

That's it...nothing else.

[mine0926]

OK. Everything works now. After searching for what is wrong I found out that I forgot to change

SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd") to SimpleDateFormat("MM/dd/yyyy").

Many thanks to Fubarable and Tolls.
geje

[Fubarable]

You're welcome and glad you've got things working. Please let us know how this project eventually turns out.

[mine0926]

Please let us know how this project eventually turns out.

Sorry, Im not good in english. You mean this?

 	try
        {   DateFormat mySqlFormat = new SimpleDateFormat([b]"M/d/yyyy"[/b]);
            newDate = new java.sql.Date(mySqlFormat.parse(input.getText()).getTime());
        }
        catch(Exception ex){ex.printStackTrace();}