Parsing date string

Question

I am trying to parse a formatted date back to a Date object but I keep encountering exceptions, here is my code:

DateFormat dateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("MMMM d, yyyy ", Locale.ENGLISH);
date = dateFormat.parse(dateString);

When I try a date like Apr 17, 2016 it gives me an ParserException to say Unparseable date: "Apr 17, 2016" (at offset 12)

can u try with just 3 Ms. SimpleDateFormat("MMM d, yyyy ", Locale.ENGLISH) — Raman Shrivastava
– Raman Shrivastava, Commented Apr 19, 2016 at 17:20
"MMMM" means "full month name" which would mean "April" rather than "Apr". You want "MMM" meaning "abbreviated month name". Always check your format against the documentation when you run against problems like this. Also note that you have a trailing space in your pattern, which you appear not to have in your actual text. — Jon Skeet
– Jon Skeet, Commented Apr 19, 2016 at 17:20

rgettman · Accepted Answer · 2016-04-19 17:22:10Z

2

When you provide a date format string, all of the characters must account for all of the text in the dateString somehow, including the literal space characters.

You have a space character at the end of your format string:

"MMMM d, yyyy "

Eliminate that space (or include a space at the end of your dateString string).

The format strings MMMM or MMM will parse Apr just fine.

Text: For formatting, if the number of pattern letters is 4 or more, the full form is used; otherwise a short or abbreviated form is used if available. For parsing, both forms are accepted, independent of the number of pattern letters.

answered Apr 19, 2016 at 17:22

rgettman

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Little Santi · Accepted Answer · 2016-04-19 17:25:56Z

2

You have a little bundler in your date mask: The last blank is too many:

DateFormat dateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("MMMM d, yyyy ", Locale.ENGLISH);

It should be:

DateFormat dateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("MMMM d, yyyy", Locale.ENGLISH);

That's why the error points to "offset 12": The DateFormat expects a blank at that position.

answered Apr 19, 2016 at 17:25

Little Santi

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Federico Calvagna · Accepted Answer · 2016-04-19 17:52:43Z

1

You need to remove the last blank space on the string format.

You actually have

DateFormat dateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("MMMM d, yyyy ", Locale.ENGLISH);

And it should be

DateFormat dateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("MMMM d, yyyy", Locale.ENGLISH);

answered Apr 19, 2016 at 17:52

Federico Calvagna

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Arshid KV · Accepted Answer · 2016-04-19 17:31:29Z

0

Try as follows

DateFormat dateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("MMMM d, yyyy", Locale.ENGLISH);

Date date = dateFormat.parse(dateString);

edited Apr 19, 2016 at 17:31

answered Apr 19, 2016 at 17:21

Arshid KV

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2 Comments

Arshid KV Over a year ago

Add Date before date

Chrometobia Over a year ago

the space was the cause of my misfortune.

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