TimeZone ID's in Java

Question

I'm having weird problem with java TimeZone..

Calling TimeZone.getDefault() gives my local time zone, which has an ID "GMT+02:00". Funny thing is that this ID doesn't appear in a list provided by TimeZone.getAvailableIDs(). Apparently my zone appears to be "Etc/GMT+2".

I'm trying to populate a combo with time zones, but it's impossible to put a selection because GMT+02:00 is not in the list.. Anyone seen this problem? Any ideas?

---

Update:

The bottom line is - can't rely on ID strings, must go with the offset as display ID's may vary from system to system.

Answer 1

GMT+02:00 is a custom ID, it won't appear in the output of TimeZone.getAvailableIDs() (which is huge). What you could do is to ask the user to specify his offset first and then get the available IDs for the given offset. For example, for GMT+02:00, the following piece of code:

for (String string : TimeZone.getAvailableIDs(TimeZone.getTimeZone(
        "GMT+02:00").getRawOffset())) {
    System.out.println(string);
}

gives the following output:

ART
Africa/Blantyre
Africa/Bujumbura
Africa/Cairo
Africa/Gaborone
Africa/Harare
Africa/Johannesburg
Africa/Kigali
Africa/Lubumbashi
Africa/Lusaka
Africa/Maputo
Africa/Maseru
Africa/Mbabane
Africa/Tripoli
Asia/Amman
Asia/Beirut
Asia/Damascus
Asia/Gaza
Asia/Istanbul
Asia/Jerusalem
Asia/Nicosia
Asia/Tel_Aviv
CAT
EET
Egypt
Etc/GMT-2
Europe/Athens
Europe/Bucharest
Europe/Chisinau
Europe/Helsinki
Europe/Istanbul
Europe/Kaliningrad
Europe/Kiev
Europe/Mariehamn
Europe/Minsk
Europe/Nicosia
Europe/Riga
Europe/Simferopol
Europe/Sofia
Europe/Tallinn
Europe/Tiraspol
Europe/Uzhgorod
Europe/Vilnius
Europe/Zaporozhye
Israel
Libya
Turkey

It's still big but human browsable this time.

Answer 2

java.time.ZoneId

TimeZone is part of the troublesome old date-time classes that are now legacy, supplanted by the java.time classes.

In your case, look at ZoneId and ZoneOffset. An offset-from-UTC is a number of hours and minutes. A time zone is a history of past, present, and future offsets in use by a region over various periods of time.

Get a collection of all known zones via ZoneId.getAvailableZoneIds. Be sure your JVM has been updated recently enough with info about all time zones in which you have an interest. Politicians have a surprising propensity for frequently changing zone definitions, often with little forewarning.

Set < String > ids = ZoneId.getAvailableZoneIds() ;

As of Java 8 Update 144.

[Asia/Aden, America/Cuiaba, Etc/GMT+9, Etc/GMT+8, Africa/Nairobi, America/Marigot, Asia/Aqtau, Pacific/Kwajalein, America/El_Salvador, Asia/Pontianak, Africa/Cairo, Pacific/Pago_Pago, Africa/Mbabane, Asia/Kuching, Pacific/Honolulu, Pacific/Rarotonga, America/Guatemala, Australia/Hobart, Europe/London, America/Belize, America/Panama, Asia/Chungking, America/Managua, America/Indiana/Petersburg, Asia/Yerevan, Europe/Brussels, GMT, Europe/Warsaw, America/Chicago, Asia/Kashgar, Chile/Continental, Pacific/Yap, CET, Etc/GMT-1, Etc/GMT-0, Europe/Jersey, America/Tegucigalpa, Etc/GMT-5, Europe/Istanbul, America/Eirunepe, Etc/GMT-4, America/Miquelon, Etc/GMT-3, Europe/Luxembourg, Etc/GMT-2, Etc/GMT-9, America/Argentina/Catamarca, Etc/GMT-8, Etc/GMT-7, Etc/GMT-6, Europe/Zaporozhye, Canada/Yukon, Canada/Atlantic, Atlantic/St_Helena, Australia/Tasmania, Libya, Europe/Guernsey, America/Grand_Turk, US/Pacific-New, Asia/Samarkand, America/Argentina/Cordoba, Asia/Phnom_Penh, Africa/Kigali, Asia/Almaty, US/Alaska, Asia/Dubai, Europe/Isle_of_Man, America/Araguaina, Cuba, Asia/Novosibirsk, America/Argentina/Salta, Etc/GMT+3, Africa/Tunis, Etc/GMT+2, Etc/GMT+1, Pacific/Fakaofo, Africa/Tripoli, Etc/GMT+0, Israel, Africa/Banjul, Etc/GMT+7, Indian/Comoro, Etc/GMT+6, Etc/GMT+5, Etc/GMT+4, Pacific/Port_Moresby, US/Arizona, Antarctica/Syowa, Indian/Reunion, Pacific/Palau, Europe/Kaliningrad, America/Montevideo, Africa/Windhoek, Asia/Karachi, Africa/Mogadishu, Australia/Perth, Brazil/East, Etc/GMT, Asia/Chita, Pacific/Easter, Antarctica/Davis, Antarctica/McMurdo, Asia/Macao, America/Manaus, Africa/Freetown, Europe/Bucharest, Asia/Tomsk, America/Argentina/Mendoza, Asia/Macau, Europe/Malta, Mexico/BajaSur, Pacific/Tahiti, Africa/Asmera, Europe/Busingen, America/Argentina/Rio_Gallegos, Africa/Malabo, Europe/Skopje, America/Catamarca, America/Godthab, Europe/Sarajevo, Australia/ACT, GB-Eire, Africa/Lagos, America/Cordoba, Europe/Rome, Asia/Dacca, Indian/Mauritius, Pacific/Samoa, America/Regina, America/Fort_Wayne, America/Dawson_Creek, Africa/Algiers, Europe/Mariehamn, America/St_Johns, America/St_Thomas, Europe/Zurich, America/Anguilla, Asia/Dili, America/Denver, Africa/Bamako, Europe/Saratov, GB, Mexico/General, Pacific/Wallis, Europe/Gibraltar, Africa/Conakry, Africa/Lubumbashi, Asia/Istanbul, America/Havana, NZ-CHAT, Asia/Choibalsan, America/Porto_Acre, Asia/Omsk, Europe/Vaduz, US/Michigan, Asia/Dhaka, America/Barbados, Europe/Tiraspol, Atlantic/Cape_Verde, Asia/Yekaterinburg, America/Louisville, Pacific/Johnston, Pacific/Chatham, Europe/Ljubljana, America/Sao_Paulo, Asia/Jayapura, America/Curacao, Asia/Dushanbe, America/Guyana, America/Guayaquil, America/Martinique, Portugal, Europe/Berlin, Europe/Moscow, Europe/Chisinau, America/Puerto_Rico, America/Rankin_Inlet, Pacific/Ponape, Europe/Stockholm, Europe/Budapest, America/Argentina/Jujuy, Australia/Eucla, Asia/Shanghai, Universal, Europe/Zagreb, America/Port_of_Spain, Europe/Helsinki, Asia/Beirut, Asia/Tel_Aviv, Pacific/Bougainville, US/Central, Africa/Sao_Tome, Indian/Chagos, America/Cayenne, Asia/Yakutsk, Pacific/Galapagos, Australia/North, Europe/Paris, Africa/Ndjamena, Pacific/Fiji, America/Rainy_River, Indian/Maldives, Australia/Yancowinna, SystemV/AST4, Asia/Oral, America/Yellowknife, Pacific/Enderbury, America/Juneau, Australia/Victoria, America/Indiana/Vevay, Asia/Tashkent, Asia/Jakarta, Africa/Ceuta, Asia/Barnaul, America/Recife, America/Buenos_Aires, America/Noronha, America/Swift_Current, Australia/Adelaide, America/Metlakatla, Africa/Djibouti, America/Paramaribo, Europe/Simferopol, Europe/Sofia, Africa/Nouakchott, Europe/Prague, America/Indiana/Vincennes, Antarctica/Mawson, America/Kralendijk, Antarctica/Troll, Europe/Samara, Indian/Christmas, America/Antigua, Pacific/Gambier, America/Indianapolis, America/Inuvik, America/Iqaluit, Pacific/Funafuti, UTC, Antarctica/Macquarie, Canada/Pacific, America/Moncton, Africa/Gaborone, Pacific/Chuuk, Asia/Pyongyang, America/St_Vincent, Asia/Gaza, Etc/Universal, PST8PDT, Atlantic/Faeroe, Asia/Qyzylorda, Canada/Newfoundland, America/Kentucky/Louisville, America/Yakutat, Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh, Antarctica/Casey, Europe/Copenhagen, Africa/Asmara, Atlantic/Azores, Europe/Vienna, ROK, Pacific/Pitcairn, America/Mazatlan, Australia/Queensland, Pacific/Nauru, Europe/Tirane, Asia/Kolkata, SystemV/MST7, Australia/Canberra, MET, Australia/Broken_Hill, Europe/Riga, America/Dominica, Africa/Abidjan, America/Mendoza, America/Santarem, Kwajalein, America/Asuncion, Asia/Ulan_Bator, NZ, America/Boise, Australia/Currie, EST5EDT, Pacific/Guam, Pacific/Wake, Atlantic/Bermuda, America/Costa_Rica, America/Dawson, Asia/Chongqing, Eire, Europe/Amsterdam, America/Indiana/Knox, America/North_Dakota/Beulah, Africa/Accra, Atlantic/Faroe, Mexico/BajaNorte, America/Maceio, Etc/UCT, Pacific/Apia, GMT0, America/Atka, Pacific/Niue, Canada/East-Saskatchewan, Australia/Lord_Howe, Europe/Dublin, Pacific/Truk, MST7MDT, America/Monterrey, America/Nassau, America/Jamaica, Asia/Bishkek, America/Atikokan, Atlantic/Stanley, Australia/NSW, US/Hawaii, SystemV/CST6, Indian/Mahe, Asia/Aqtobe, America/Sitka, Asia/Vladivostok, Africa/Libreville, Africa/Maputo, Zulu, America/Kentucky/Monticello, Africa/El_Aaiun, Africa/Ouagadougou, America/Coral_Harbour, Pacific/Marquesas, Brazil/West, America/Aruba, America/North_Dakota/Center, America/Cayman, Asia/Ulaanbaatar, Asia/Baghdad, Europe/San_Marino, America/Indiana/Tell_City, America/Tijuana, Pacific/Saipan, SystemV/YST9, Africa/Douala, America/Chihuahua, America/Ojinaga, Asia/Hovd, America/Anchorage, Chile/EasterIsland, America/Halifax, Antarctica/Rothera, America/Indiana/Indianapolis, US/Mountain, Asia/Damascus, America/Argentina/San_Luis, America/Santiago, Asia/Baku, America/Argentina/Ushuaia, Atlantic/Reykjavik, Africa/Brazzaville, Africa/Porto-Novo, America/La_Paz, Antarctica/DumontDUrville, Asia/Taipei, Antarctica/South_Pole, Asia/Manila, Asia/Bangkok, Africa/Dar_es_Salaam, Poland, Atlantic/Madeira, Antarctica/Palmer, America/Thunder_Bay, Africa/Addis_Ababa, Asia/Yangon, Europe/Uzhgorod, Brazil/DeNoronha, Asia/Ashkhabad, Etc/Zulu, America/Indiana/Marengo, America/Creston, America/Punta_Arenas, America/Mexico_City, Antarctica/Vostok, Asia/Jerusalem, Europe/Andorra, US/Samoa, PRC, Asia/Vientiane, Pacific/Kiritimati, America/Matamoros, America/Blanc-Sablon, Asia/Riyadh, Iceland, Pacific/Pohnpei, Asia/Ujung_Pandang, Atlantic/South_Georgia, Europe/Lisbon, Asia/Harbin, Europe/Oslo, Asia/Novokuznetsk, CST6CDT, Atlantic/Canary, America/Knox_IN, Asia/Kuwait, SystemV/HST10, Pacific/Efate, Africa/Lome, America/Bogota, America/Menominee, America/Adak, Pacific/Norfolk, Europe/Kirov, America/Resolute, Pacific/Tarawa, Africa/Kampala, Asia/Krasnoyarsk, Greenwich, SystemV/EST5, America/Edmonton, Europe/Podgorica, Australia/South, Canada/Central, Africa/Bujumbura, America/Santo_Domingo, US/Eastern, Europe/Minsk, Pacific/Auckland, Africa/Casablanca, America/Glace_Bay, Canada/Eastern, Asia/Qatar, Europe/Kiev, Singapore, Asia/Magadan, SystemV/PST8, America/Port-au-Prince, Europe/Belfast, America/St_Barthelemy, Asia/Ashgabat, Africa/Luanda, America/Nipigon, Atlantic/Jan_Mayen, Brazil/Acre, Asia/Muscat, Asia/Bahrain, Europe/Vilnius, America/Fortaleza, Etc/GMT0, US/East-Indiana, America/Hermosillo, America/Cancun, Africa/Maseru, Pacific/Kosrae, Africa/Kinshasa, Asia/Kathmandu, Asia/Seoul, Australia/Sydney, America/Lima, Australia/LHI, America/St_Lucia, Europe/Madrid, America/Bahia_Banderas, America/Montserrat, Asia/Brunei, America/Santa_Isabel, Canada/Mountain, America/Cambridge_Bay, Asia/Colombo, Australia/West, Indian/Antananarivo, Australia/Brisbane, Indian/Mayotte, US/Indiana-Starke, Asia/Urumqi, US/Aleutian, Europe/Volgograd, America/Lower_Princes, America/Vancouver, Africa/Blantyre, America/Rio_Branco, America/Danmarkshavn, America/Detroit, America/Thule, Africa/Lusaka, Asia/Hong_Kong, Iran, America/Argentina/La_Rioja, Africa/Dakar, SystemV/CST6CDT, America/Tortola, America/Porto_Velho, Asia/Sakhalin, Etc/GMT+10, America/Scoresbysund, Asia/Kamchatka, Asia/Thimbu, Africa/Harare, Etc/GMT+12, Etc/GMT+11, Navajo, America/Nome, Europe/Tallinn, Turkey, Africa/Khartoum, Africa/Johannesburg, Africa/Bangui, Europe/Belgrade, Jamaica, Africa/Bissau, Asia/Tehran, WET, Europe/Astrakhan, Africa/Juba, America/Campo_Grande, America/Belem, Etc/Greenwich, Asia/Saigon, America/Ensenada, Pacific/Midway, America/Jujuy, Africa/Timbuktu, America/Bahia, America/Goose_Bay, America/Virgin, America/Pangnirtung, Asia/Katmandu, America/Phoenix, Africa/Niamey, America/Whitehorse, Pacific/Noumea, Asia/Tbilisi, America/Montreal, Asia/Makassar, America/Argentina/San_Juan, Hongkong, UCT, Asia/Nicosia, America/Indiana/Winamac, SystemV/MST7MDT, America/Argentina/ComodRivadavia, America/Boa_Vista, America/Grenada, Asia/Atyrau, Australia/Darwin, Asia/Khandyga, Asia/Kuala_Lumpur, Asia/Famagusta, Asia/Thimphu, Asia/Rangoon, Europe/Bratislava, Asia/Calcutta, America/Argentina/Tucuman, Asia/Kabul, Indian/Cocos, Japan, Pacific/Tongatapu, America/New_York, Etc/GMT-12, Etc/GMT-11, Etc/GMT-10, SystemV/YST9YDT, Europe/Ulyanovsk, Etc/GMT-14, Etc/GMT-13, W-SU, America/Merida, EET, America/Rosario, Canada/Saskatchewan, America/St_Kitts, Arctic/Longyearbyen, America/Fort_Nelson, America/Caracas, America/Guadeloupe, Asia/Hebron, Indian/Kerguelen, SystemV/PST8PDT, Africa/Monrovia, Asia/Ust-Nera, Egypt, Asia/Srednekolymsk, America/North_Dakota/New_Salem, Asia/Anadyr, Australia/Melbourne, Asia/Irkutsk, America/Shiprock, America/Winnipeg, Europe/Vatican, Asia/Amman, Etc/UTC, SystemV/AST4ADT, Asia/Tokyo, America/Toronto, Asia/Singapore, Australia/Lindeman, America/Los_Angeles, SystemV/EST5EDT, Pacific/Majuro, America/Argentina/Buenos_Aires, Europe/Nicosia, Pacific/Guadalcanal, Europe/Athens, US/Pacific, Europe/Monaco]

Get your JVM’s current default time zone.

ZoneId z = ZoneId.systemDefault() ; 

America/Los_Angeles

Be aware that the JVM's default can be changed at any moment during runtime by any code in any thread of any app within the JVM. Generally better to specify the desired/expected time zone rather than rely on system default.

Specify a proper time zone name in the format of continent/region, such as America/Montreal, Africa/Casablanca, or Pacific/Auckland. Never use the 3-4 letter abbreviation such as EST or IST as they are not true time zones, not standardized, and not even unique(!).

ZoneId z = ZoneId.of( "America/Montreal" ) ;

If you want to know the offset in play at a particular moment for a particular zone, ask via the ZoneRules object.

ZoneOffset offsetInEffectNow = z.getRules().getOffset( Instant.now() );

See all the above code run live at IdeOne.com.

The bottom line is - can't rely on ID strings, must go with the offset as display ID's may vary from system to system.

No, time zone identifiers are documented and consistent. See this list in Wikipedia tracked by the IANA.

I do not know much about what TimeZone was doing, but if like the rest of the legacy date-time classes, it may not be wisely designed. Also not sure how your host OS and JVM was configured. Hard to diagnose as you did not provide enough information.

---

About java.time

The java.time framework is built into Java 8 and later. These classes supplant the troublesome old legacy date-time classes such as java.util.Date, Calendar, & SimpleDateFormat.

The Joda-Time project, now in maintenance mode, advises migration to the java.time classes.

To learn more, see the Oracle Tutorial. And search Stack Overflow for many examples and explanations. Specification is JSR 310.

Where to obtain the java.time classes?

• Java SE 8, Java SE 9, and later
  • Built-in.
  • Part of the standard Java API with a bundled implementation.
  • Java 9 adds some minor features and fixes.
• Java SE 6 and Java SE 7
  • Much of the java.time functionality is back-ported to Java 6 & 7 in ThreeTen-Backport.
• Android
  • The ThreeTenABP project adapts ThreeTen-Backport (mentioned above) for Android specifically.
  • See How to use ThreeTenABP….

The ThreeTen-Extra project extends java.time with additional classes. This project is a proving ground for possible future additions to java.time. You may find some useful classes here such as Interval, YearWeek, YearQuarter, and more.

Answer 3

Joda time has a constant DateTimeZone.UTC. That class or constant might be of help to you. http://joda-time.sourceforge.net/apidocs/org/joda/time/DateTimeZone.html

Java 8 UPDATE

Java 8 also now has ZoneOffset.UTC: https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/java/time/ZoneOffset.html#UTC

Answer 4

Looking back on some other SO questions, this seems to be a Java-on-Windows problem. Please have a look at this article, especially answer 1, which points to a wikipedia link that may solve your mapping issue.

Answer 5

How about using TimeZone.getAvailableIDs() and group them by the part before the slash and make it a two step selection?

Answer 6

Any timezone can be specified as "GMT" plus/minus an offset. The timezone doc refers to this as a "custom ID".

To populate a drop-down, I think you'd be better off coming up with a specific list of cities/offsets, with an association to the timezone. The array returned by getAvailableIDs() is huge -- 586 entries in my install -- and you definitely don't want to force your users to plod through this.

Answer 7

UTC is not GMT. When people (included Java educated engineering) start understanding this. GMT HAS daylight savings (yes!) UTC never changes (!). I would think that everybody should be aware of this just like the rule of leap year or leap minute.