Convert english style date in italian style date

Question

I've a date like this (retrieved via Twitter API) Thu Jun 05 12:57:52 +0000 2014 and I would like transform in Italian style: Giovedì 5 Giugno 2014.

Is possible using NSDateFormatter, if yes how ?

Answer 1

Yes it is, use the correct format and locale.

NSString *localeIdentifier = @"en_US";
NSLocale *locale = [[NSLocale alloc] initWithLocaleIdentifier:localeIdentifier];

NSDateFormatter *dateFormatter = [[NSDateFormatter alloc] init];;
[dateFormatter setDateFormat:@"MMMM dd yyyy"];
[dateFormatter setLocale:locale];

NSString *formattedDateString = [dateFormatter stringFromDate:[NSDate date]];

The result from this code will be June 05 2014. As you see I am using en_US locale.

Date Format Patterns

Answer 2

that creates the italian date for you:

NSString *_dateInString = @"Thu Jun 05 12:57:52 +0000 2014";

NSDateFormatter *_dateFormatter = [[NSDateFormatter alloc] init];
[_dateFormatter setLocale:[NSLocale localeWithLocaleIdentifier:@"en_GB"]];
[_dateFormatter setDateFormat:@"EEE MMM dd HH:mm:ss Z yyyy"];
NSDate *_date = [_dateFormatter dateFromString:_dateInString];
[_dateFormatter setLocale:[NSLocale localeWithLocaleIdentifier:@"it_IT"]];
[_dateFormatter setDateFormat:@"EEEE d MMMM yyyy"];

NSLog(@"%@", [_dateFormatter stringFromDate:_date]);

the console says:

giovedì 5 giugno 2014

---

additionally, if you'd like to change the months' names or the weekdays' names (e.g. making them uppercase), you can play with the following method of the NSDateFormatter (I don't speak any Italian, so I leave it for someone who does):

-setWeekdaySymbols:
-setShortWeekdaySymbols:
-setVeryShortWeekdaySymbols:
-setStandaloneWeekdaySymbols:
-setShortStandaloneWeekdaySymbols:
-setVeryShortStandaloneWeekdaySymbols:

-setMonthSymbols:
-setShortMonthSymbols:
-setVeryShortMonthSymbols:
-setStandaloneMonthSymbols:
-setShortStandaloneMonthSymbols:
-setVeryShortStandaloneMonthSymbols:

you can find the official documetation for those here.

Answer 3

Try this code snippet first i have converted given date to english date then to Italian

NSString * yourJSONString = @"Thu Jun 05 12:57:52 +0000 2014";

    NSString *localeIdentifier = @"en_US";
    NSLocale *locale = [[NSLocale alloc] initWithLocaleIdentifier:localeIdentifier];

NSDateFormatter *dateFormatter = [[NSDateFormatter alloc] init];;
[dateFormatter setDateFormat:@"EEEE MMMM dd HH:mm:ss Z yyyy"];
[dateFormatter setLocale:locale];

NSDate *dateFromString = [dateFormatter dateFromString:yourJSONString];
NSLog(@"%@", dateFromString);

NSString *localeIdentifier1 = @"it_IT";
NSLocale *locale1 = [[NSLocale alloc] initWithLocaleIdentifier:localeIdentifier1];

NSDateFormatter *dateFormatter1 = [[NSDateFormatter alloc] init];;
[dateFormatter1 setDateFormat:@"EEEE d MMMM yyyy"];
[dateFormatter1 setLocale:locale1];

NSString *formattedDateString = [dateFormatter1 stringFromDate:dateFromString];
NSLog(@"%@", formattedDateString);