How do I format dates in Java?

How do I format dates in Java?

In Java, you can format dates using the SimpleDateFormat class. For example, you can use it like this:

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

public class DateFormatExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        SimpleDateFormat formatter = new SimpleDateFormat("dd-MM-yyyy");
        Date date = new Date();
        String formattedDate = formatter.format(date);
        System.out.println(formattedDate);
    }
}

What patterns can I use for formatting?

You can use various patterns like "yyyy-MM-dd" for year-month-day, "MM/dd/yyyy" for month/day/year, and many others. Check the Java documentation for a full list.

Can I parse a date string back to a Date object?

Yes, you can parse a date string using the parse method of SimpleDateFormat. For example:

Date parsedDate = formatter.parse("25-12-2023");