Convert java.util.Date to String

Question

I want to convert a java.util.Date object to a String in Java.

The format is 2010-05-30 22:15:52

Answer 1

Here are examples of using new Java 8 Time API to format legacy java.util.Date:

    DateTimeFormatter formatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss:SSS Z")
        .withZone(ZoneOffset.UTC);
    String utcFormatted = formatter.format(date.toInstant()); 

    ZonedDateTime utcDatetime = date.toInstant().atZone(ZoneOffset.UTC);
    String utcFormatted2 = utcDatetime.format(DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss:SSS Z"));
    // gives the same as above

    ZonedDateTime localDatetime = date.toInstant().atZone(ZoneId.systemDefault());
    String localFormatted = localDatetime.format(DateTimeFormatter.ISO_ZONED_DATE_TIME);
    // 2011-12-03T10:15:30+01:00[Europe/Paris]

    String nowFormatted = LocalDateTime.now().toString(); // 2007-12-03T10:15:30.123

It is nice about DateTimeFormatter that it can be efficiently cached as it is thread-safe (unlike SimpleDateFormat).

List of predefined fomatters and pattern notation reference.

Credits:

How to parse/format dates with LocalDateTime? (Java 8)

Java8 java.util.Date conversion to java.time.ZonedDateTime

Format Instant to String

What's the difference between java 8 ZonedDateTime and OffsetDateTime?