how to create Date object from String value

Question

When running through the below code I am getting an UNPARSABLE DATE EXCEPTION.

How do I fix this?

   package dateWork;

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

    public class DateCreation {

        /**
         * @param args
         */
        public static void main(String[] args) {

            String startDateString = "2013-03-26";
            DateFormat df = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy/MM/dd"); 
            Date startDate=null;
            String newDateString = null;
            try 
            {
                startDate = df.parse(startDateString);
                newDateString = df.format(startDate);
                System.out.println(startDate);
            } catch (ParseException e) 
            {
                e.printStackTrace();
            }
        }

    }

Solution 1

You used wrong dateformat for month, also you should use the same delimiter as in your date.

If you date string is of format "2013/01/03"

use the same delimiter / for the pattern "yyyy/MM/dd"

If your date string is of format "2013-01-03"

use the same delimiter '-' in your pattern "yyyy-MM-dd"

    DateFormat df = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy/mm/dd"); 

should be

    DateFormat df = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy/MM/dd"); 

From SimpleDateFormat Doc

MM---> month in an year

mm---> minutes in hour

Solution 2

MM instead of mm

- instead of / ie yyyy-MM-dd as you are using - in date string

Solution 3

String startDateString = "2013-03-26";
DateFormat df = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy/MM/dd"); 

you are using different pattern than what you are parsing.

either initialize this as DateFormat df = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd"); or this as String startDateString = "2013/03/26";

also look this article