Generic way to parse dates in Java

Question

What is the best way to parse dates in Java ? Is there any built in way to parse strings such as \"18 Jul 2011\" , \"Jul 18, 2011\", \"18-07-2011\", \"2011-07-18\" without k

Answer 1

You can't really do that. Consider "10-12-2011". Do you mean 10 of december or 12 of october? You need to make your own list of patterns to try out. This list will vary depending on locale and what is the "expected" way someone in that country/locale will interpret the date.