Comparing dates in java

Hi,

I'm trying to compare current date - date1 (which I would like to get automatically from Calendar.getInstance();) to some future date, so that when the dates are equal I would recieve a message like - The moon is full.

I've gotten the following code, but I don't know how to make it work because I'm new to java, so if anybody could help I would be very gratefull?

package com.mkyong.date;

import java.text.ParseException;
import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
import java.util.Calendar;
import java.util.Date;

public class DateFuture
{
public static void main( String[] args )
{
try{

SimpleDateFormat sdf = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd");
Date date1 = sdf.parse("2010-01-31");
Date date2 = sdf.parse("2010-01-31");

System.out.println(sdf.format(date1));
System.out.println(sdf.format(date2));

Calendar cal1 = Calendar.getInstance();
Calendar cal2 = Calendar.getInstance();
cal1.setTime(date1);
cal2.setTime(date2);


if(cal1.equals(cal2)){
System.out.println("The Moon is full");
}

}catch(ParseException ex){
ex.printStackTrace();
}
}
}

You have two basic options. The first is to set up an infinite loop, constantly checking the time, then printing whatever you want and exiting the loop when the time reaches the other time.

The better way is to use a Timer or Thread, wait for the amount of time difference, and then print out whatever you want.

I would like to implement this later into an android application so that when an activity starts, it would checked the current date, than compared it with another date and if equal displayed toast message. Do I still need a loop for that even thought it's a time thing?

if somebody still want this. you could use this

Date modDate = removeTime(your first date);
Date curDate = removeTime(your 2nd date);

if (modDate.before(curDate)) {
........
}



private Date removeTime(Date pDate){
Calendar cal = Calendar.getInstance();
cal.setTime(pDate);

// Set time fields to zero
cal.set(Calendar.HOUR_OF_DAY, 0);
cal.set(Calendar.MINUTE, 0);
cal.set(Calendar.SECOND, 0);
cal.set(Calendar.MILLISECOND, 0);

// Put it back in the Date object
return cal.getTime();
}

Quote:

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Originally Posted by junnydc

if somebody still want this. you could use this

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Spoonfeeding is not helping. Besides, that doesn't actually answer the OP's actual question!