Format Date output in JSF

Question

If #{myBean.birthdate} is of java.util.Calendar or java.util.Date type, can I possibly format this inside the EL itself using an exist

Answer 1

Use <f:convertDateTime>. You can nest this in any input and output component. Pattern rules are same as java.text.SimpleDateFormat.

<h:outputText value="#{someBean.dateField}" >
    <f:convertDateTime pattern="dd.MM.yyyy HH:mm" />
</h:outputText>

Answer 2

With EL 2 (Expression Language 2) you can use this type of construct for your question:

    #{formatBean.format(myBean.birthdate)}

Or you can add an alternate getter in your bean resulting in

    #{myBean.birthdateString}

where getBirthdateString returns the proper text representation. Remember to annotate the get method as @Transient if it is an Entity.

Answer 3

If you use OmniFaces you can also use it's EL functions like of:formatDate() to format Date objects. You would use it like this:

<h:outputText value="#{of:formatDate(someBean.dateField, 'dd.MM.yyyy HH:mm')}" />

This way you can not only use it for output but also to pass it on to other JSF components.