Class DateConverter

java.lang.Object

com.thoughtworks.xstream.converters.basic.AbstractSingleValueConverter

com.thoughtworks.xstream.converters.basic.DateConverter

All Implemented Interfaces:

ConverterMatcher, ErrorReporter, SingleValueConverter

public class DateConverter
extends AbstractSingleValueConverter
implements ErrorReporter

Converts a Date to a string as a date format, retaining precision down to milliseconds.

The formatted string is by default in UTC and English locale. You can provide a different Locale and TimeZone that are used for serialization or null to use always the current TimeZone. Note, that the default format uses 3-letter time zones that can be ambiguous and may cause wrong results at deserialization and is localized since Java 6.

Using a Java 7 runtime or higher, the converter supports the datetime format defined by W3C (a subset of ISO 8601) at deserialization. Only the formats that also contain the time information.

Dates in a different era are using a special default pattern that contains the era itself.

Field Summary

Fields

Modifier and Type	Field	Description
private final ThreadSafeSimpleDateFormat[]	acceptableFormats
private static final String[]	DEFAULT_ACCEPTABLE_FORMATS
private static final String	DEFAULT_ERA_PATTERN
private static final String	DEFAULT_PATTERN
private final ThreadSafeSimpleDateFormat	defaultEraFormat
private final ThreadSafeSimpleDateFormat	defaultFormat
private static final long	ERA_START
private static final TimeZone	UTC

Constructor Summary

Constructors

Constructor	Description
DateConverter()	Construct a DateConverter with standard formats and lenient set off.
DateConverter(boolean lenient)	Construct a DateConverter with standard formats and using UTC.
DateConverter(String defaultFormat, String[] acceptableFormats)	Construct a DateConverter with lenient set off using UTC.
DateConverter(String defaultFormat, String[] acceptableFormats, boolean lenient)	Construct a DateConverter.
DateConverter(String defaultFormat, String[] acceptableFormats, TimeZone timeZone)	Construct a DateConverter with a given TimeZone and lenient set off.
DateConverter(String defaultFormat, String[] acceptableFormats, TimeZone timeZone, boolean lenient)	Construct a DateConverter.
DateConverter(String defaultEraFormat, String defaultFormat, String[] acceptableFormats, Locale locale, TimeZone timeZone, boolean lenient)	Construct a DateConverter.
DateConverter(TimeZone timeZone)	Construct a DateConverter with standard formats, lenient set off and uses a given TimeZone for serialization.

Method Summary

Modifier and Type	Method	Description
void	appendErrors(ErrorWriter errorWriter)	Append context information to an ErrorWriter.
boolean	canConvert(Class type)	Determines whether the converter can marshall a particular type.
Object	fromString(String str)	Unmarshals an Object from its single value representation.
String	toString(Object obj)	Marshals an Object into a single value representation.

Methods inherited from class Object

clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait

Field Details

DEFAULT_ACCEPTABLE_FORMATS

private static final String[] DEFAULT_ACCEPTABLE_FORMATS

DEFAULT_PATTERN

private static final String DEFAULT_PATTERN

DEFAULT_ERA_PATTERN

private static final String DEFAULT_ERA_PATTERN

UTC

private static final TimeZone UTC

ERA_START

private static final long ERA_START

defaultFormat

private final ThreadSafeSimpleDateFormat defaultFormat

defaultEraFormat

private final ThreadSafeSimpleDateFormat defaultEraFormat

acceptableFormats

private final ThreadSafeSimpleDateFormat[] acceptableFormats

Constructor Details

DateConverter

public DateConverter()

Construct a DateConverter with standard formats and lenient set off.

DateConverter

public DateConverter(TimeZone timeZone)

Construct a DateConverter with standard formats, lenient set off and uses a given TimeZone for serialization.

Parameters:

timeZone - the TimeZone used to serialize the Date

Since:

1.4

DateConverter

public DateConverter(boolean lenient)

Construct a DateConverter with standard formats and using UTC.

Parameters:

lenient - the lenient setting of DateFormat.setLenient(boolean)

Since:

1.3

DateConverter

public DateConverter(String defaultFormat,
 String[] acceptableFormats)

Construct a DateConverter with lenient set off using UTC.

Parameters:

defaultFormat - the default format

acceptableFormats - fallback formats

DateConverter

public DateConverter(String defaultFormat,
 String[] acceptableFormats,
 TimeZone timeZone)

Construct a DateConverter with a given TimeZone and lenient set off.

Parameters:

defaultFormat - the default format

acceptableFormats - fallback formats

Since:

1.4

DateConverter

public DateConverter(String defaultFormat,
 String[] acceptableFormats,
 boolean lenient)

Construct a DateConverter.

Parameters:

defaultFormat - the default format

acceptableFormats - fallback formats

lenient - the lenient setting of DateFormat.setLenient(boolean)

Since:

1.3

DateConverter

public DateConverter(String defaultFormat,
 String[] acceptableFormats,
 TimeZone timeZone,
 boolean lenient)

Construct a DateConverter.

Parameters:

defaultFormat - the default format

acceptableFormats - fallback formats

timeZone - the TimeZone used to serialize the Date

lenient - the lenient setting of DateFormat.setLenient(boolean)

Since:

1.4

DateConverter

public DateConverter(String defaultEraFormat,
 String defaultFormat,
 String[] acceptableFormats,
 Locale locale,
 TimeZone timeZone,
 boolean lenient)

Construct a DateConverter.

Parameters:

defaultEraFormat - the default format for dates in a different era (may be null to drop era support)

defaultFormat - the default format

acceptableFormats - fallback formats

locale - locale to use for the format

timeZone - the TimeZone used to serialize the Date

lenient - the lenient setting of DateFormat.setLenient(boolean)

Since:

1.4.4

Method Details

canConvert

public boolean canConvert(Class type)

Description copied from interface: ConverterMatcher

Determines whether the converter can marshall a particular type.

Specified by:

canConvert in interface ConverterMatcher

Specified by:

canConvert in class AbstractSingleValueConverter

Parameters:

type - the Class representing the object type to be converted

fromString

public Object fromString(String str)

Description copied from interface: SingleValueConverter

Unmarshals an Object from its single value representation.

Specified by:

fromString in interface SingleValueConverter

Specified by:

fromString in class AbstractSingleValueConverter

Parameters:

str - the String with the single value of the Object

Returns:

the Object

toString

public String toString(Object obj)

Description copied from interface: SingleValueConverter

Marshals an Object into a single value representation.

Specified by:

toString in interface SingleValueConverter

Overrides:

toString in class AbstractSingleValueConverter

Parameters:

obj - the Object to be converted

Returns:

a String with the single value of the Object or null

appendErrors

public void appendErrors(ErrorWriter errorWriter)

Description copied from interface: ErrorReporter

Append context information to an ErrorWriter.

Specified by:

appendErrors in interface ErrorReporter

Parameters:

errorWriter - the error writer