How to construct a Date from a String [duplicate]

Question

I have to compare two dates in if/else, the current date and the predefined date (let's say 1 Jan 2011). This was supposed to be simple, but I can't find the way to set the predefined date something like:

Java.util.Date date = new Date("2011-01-01");

How to compare two dates? I really don't know why it's so complicated to do.

Answer 1

Try:

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

...

Date today = new Date();
Date predefined = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd").parse("2011-01-01");

if(today.equals(predefined)) {
    ...
}

Answer 2

Use java.util.Calendar.

Calendar cal = Calendar.getInstance();
cal.clear();
cal.set(Calendar.YEAR, 2011);
cal.set(Calendar.MONTH, 1);
cal.set(Calendar.DATE, 1);
Date predefined = cal.getTime();

Date now = new Date();

if (now.after(predefined))
{
    // do something
}
else
{
    // do something else
}

or use JodaTime.

How to compare two dates? I really don't know why it's so complicated to do.

Because calendars/dates/times are really hard to get right, and the Java implementation of Date (and, in part Calendar) is an utter train wreck.