Java: simple string to date parsing fails with exception

Question

This is my method:

  @Test
  public void convertUpdateDateToDateTest() {
    String updateDate = "11-Dec-2015";

    SimpleDateFormat formatter = new SimpleDateFormat("dd-MMM-yyyy");

    try {
      Date date = formatter.parse(updateDate);
    } catch (ParseException e) {
      e.printStackTrace();
    }
  }

I don't understand why this is not working.

Exception:

java.text.ParseException: Unparseable date: "11-Dec-2015"

Please search StackOverflow before posting. These basic date-time questions have been answered many times over already. — Basil Bourque, Mar 18 '16 at 15:58

score 4 · Accepted Answer · edited Mar 18 '16 at 09:23

4

You can have a Locale different then English specified as your Java default one in which case parsing won't recognize English month names.

Try this:

SimpleDateFormat formatter = new SimpleDateFormat("dd-MMM-yyyy",Locale.ENGLISH);

IDEONE DEMO

edited Mar 18 '16 at 09:23

MJar

702
8
25

answered Mar 18 '16 at 09:16

Rahul Tripathi

161,154
30
262
319

Java: simple string to date parsing fails with exception

1 Answers1