How do I discover the Quarter of a given Date?

Question

Given a java.util.Date object how do I go about finding what Quarter it's in?

Assuming Q1 = Jan Feb Mar, Q2 = Apr, May, Jun, etc.

score 69 · Accepted Answer · edited May 10 '23 at 13:23

69

Since Java 8, the quarter is accessible as a field using classes in the java.time package.

import java.time.LocalDate;
import java.time.temporal.IsoFields;

LocalDate myLocal = LocalDate.now();
int quarter = myLocal.get(IsoFields.QUARTER_OF_YEAR);

In older versions of Java, you could use:

import java.util.Date;

Date myDate = new Date();
int quarter = (myDate.getMonth() / 3) + 1;

Be warned, though that getMonth was deprecated early on:

As of JDK version 1.1, replaced by Calendar.get(Calendar.MONTH).

Instead you could use a Calendar object like this:

import java.util.Calendar;
import java.util.GregorianCalendar;

Calendar myCal = new GregorianCalendar();
int quarter = (myCal.get(Calendar.MONTH) / 3) + 1;

edited May 10 '23 at 13:23

kometen

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answered Nov 19 '08 at 17:18

Bill the Lizard

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how do you do this when having month from 1-12? I tried the same but with x / 4 + 1 but having rounding issues. – Gambo Sep 03 '12 at 13:47
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@Gambo I don't think there's a nice neat formula in that case, unfortunately. I'd use a switch (see Outlaw Programmer's answer below). – Bill the Lizard Sep 03 '12 at 13:53
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@BobAvallone Months are 0-11 in Java. – Bill the Lizard Dec 06 '13 at 15:58
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@Gambo Joda Time returns monthOfYear in 1-12, so you can use this for example: `dimTimeByDay.setQuarter( ((curDate.getMonthOfYear() - 1) / 3) + 1 );` – Hendy Irawan Apr 22 '14 at 15:07

score 54 · Answer 2 · edited Mar 15 '18 at 15:38

54

In Java 8 and later, the java.time classes have a more simple version of it. Use LocalDate and IsoFields

LocalDate.now().get(IsoFields.QUARTER_OF_YEAR)

edited Mar 15 '18 at 15:38

bkissinger

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answered Apr 21 '16 at 09:31

abdolence

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Our fiscal year starts in October, so using this answer I just used: new LocalDate().plusMonths(3).get(IsoFields.QUARTER_OF_YEAR); – dannrob Nov 03 '17 at 19:38
@dannrob It's LocalDate.now().plusMonths(3).get(IsoFields.QUARTER_OF_YEAR); – Usama Aug 24 '20 at 16:29
That requires API O in Android :( – Pratik Butani Sep 10 '20 at 05:55

score 14 · Answer 3 · answered Nov 19 '08 at 17:20

You are going to have to write your own code because the term "Quarter" is different for each business. Can't you just do something like:

Calendar c = /* get from somewhere */
int month = c.get(Calendar.MONTH);

return (month >= Calendar.JANUARY && month <= Calendar.MARCH)     ? "Q1" :
       (month >= Calendar.APRIL && month <= Calendar.JUNE)        ? "Q2" :
       (month >= Calendar.JULY && month <= Calendar.SEPTEMBER)    ? "Q3" :
                                                                    "Q4";

erickson · Answer 4 · 2008-11-19T17:46:59.900

10

Since quarters are a localized (Western) concept, specify a Locale rather than using the platform default:

Calendar cal = Calendar.getInstance(Locale.US);
/* Consider whether you need to set the calendar's timezone. */
cal.setTime(date);
int month = cal.get(Calendar.MONTH); /* 0 through 11 */
int quarter = (month / 3) + 1;

This will avoid getting the thirteenth month (Calendar.UNDECIMBER) on non-Western calendars, and any skew caused by their shorter months.

edited Nov 19 '08 at 17:46

answered Nov 19 '08 at 17:23

erickson

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So I think this depends on how your library treats months. In Jodatime I think March is 3, whereas in something else, that field might be 2. It all depends on whether January starts a 0 or 1. – obesechicken13 Sep 23 '15 at 14:59
@obesechicken13 This was core Java, `java.util.Calendar`, and there's no variation, the first month is always 0. `Calendar` (and Joda) are obsolete with Java 8 though. – erickson Sep 23 '15 at 16:32
I'm not sure if Calendar is obsolete. None of its method seem to be deprecated. Also what do you mean by Joda becoming obsolete with Java 8? Do you mean LocalDateTime is better and if so what are the advantages of LocalDateTime over Joda? – obesechicken13 Sep 24 '15 at 19:24
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@obesechicken13 No, the classes aren't annotated with `@Deprecated`, but the recommendation from from [the Joda-Time home page:](http://www.joda.org/joda-time/#Why_Joda_Time) "The standard date and time classes prior to Java SE 8 are poor. ... **Note that from Java SE 8 onwards, users are asked to migrate to java.time (JSR-310).**" Also, "Note that Joda-Time is considered to be a largely “finished” project. No major enhancements are planned. **If using Java SE 8, please migrate to java.time (JSR-310).**" – erickson Sep 24 '15 at 21:21

score 5 · Answer 5 · answered Jun 26 '13 at 00:43

5

If you have

private static final int[] quarters = {1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4};

Then current quarter is

private static final int thisQuarter = quarters[thisMonth];

Where thisMonth is

private static final int thisMonth = cal.get(Calendar.MONTH);

answered Jun 26 '13 at 00:43

James Raitsev

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Basil Bourque · Answer 6 · 2019-10-06T20:37:59.287

tl;dr

YearQuarter
.from(
    LocalDate.of( 2018 , 1 , 23 ) 
)

ThreeTen-Extra

The Answer by abdmob is correct: Using java.time is the wise way to go.

In addition, the ThreeTen-Extra project extends java.time with additional classes. This project is a proving ground for possible future additions to java.time.

Its useful classes include:

Current quarter

To get the current quarter, specify a time zone. Determining a quarter means determining a date. And determining a date means specifying a time zone. For any given moment, the date varies around the globe by zone. Specify by using a proper time zone name in form of continent/region. Never use the 3-4 letter abbreviations such as EST or IST.

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

Given a `java.util.Date`

If given a java.util.Date first convert to a java.time type. The Instant class represents a moment on the timeline in UTC with a resolution of nanoseconds.

Instant instant = myUtilDate.toInstant();

Assign a time zone to get a ZoneDateTime.

ZoneId z = ZoneId.of( "America/Montreal" );
ZonedDateTime zdt = instant.atZone( z );

Generate a YearQuarter from that ZonedDateTime.

YearQuarter yq = YearQuarter.from( zdt );

Use throughout your code

You should be passing around instances of YearQuarter rather than mere numbers or strings. Using objects provides type-safety, ensures valid values, and makes your code more self-documenting.

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.

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

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

You may exchange java.time objects directly with your database. Use a JDBC driver compliant with JDBC 4.2 or later. No need for strings, no need for java.sql.* classes.

Where to obtain the java.time classes?

Java SE 8, Java SE 9, Java SE 10, Java SE 11, and later - 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
- Most of the java.time functionality is back-ported to Java 6 & 7 in ThreeTen-Backport.
Android
- Later versions of Android bundle implementations of the java.time classes.
- For earlier Android (<26), the ThreeTenABP project adapts ThreeTen-Backport (mentioned above). 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.

score 3 · Answer 7 · answered Aug 18 '16 at 12:40

3

When using Joda time, use Math.ceil() function:

double quarter = Math.ceil(new Double(jodaDate.getMonthOfYear()) / 3.0);

answered Aug 18 '16 at 12:40

Coltini

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score 1 · Answer 8 · edited Jul 11 '14 at 20:33

1

int month = Calendar.getInstance().get( Calendar.MONTH ) + 1;

int quarter = month % 3 == 0?  (month / 3): ( month / 3)+1;

edited Jul 11 '14 at 20:33

slfan

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answered Jul 11 '14 at 20:11

user3830848

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@http://stackoverflow.com/users/430688/graham-savage This "works" because it is just the accepted answer but done in a stupid way. Adding 1 to month in line one messes up the integer division so instead of simply not doing that he has a complicated conditional. Simpler is int month = Calendar.getInstance().get(Calendar.MONTH) and int quarter = (month / 3)+1; Oh wait, that's the accepted answer. – Dirk Bester Mar 04 '15 at 01:58

score 1 · Answer 9 · edited Apr 24 '15 at 18:04

1

Make sure that the thisMonth is at least a float or a double, not an int:

String quarter = thisMonth/3 <= 1 ? "Q1" : thisMonth/3 <= 2 ? "Q2" : thisMonth/3 <= 3 ? "Q3" : "Q4";

Regards, MS

edited Apr 24 '15 at 18:04

NathanOliver

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answered Apr 24 '15 at 17:47

Marco

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score 1 · Answer 10 · answered Nov 19 '08 at 17:30

1

JFreeChart has a Quarter class. If you're curious, check out the javadoc. The source is also available from SourceForge if you want to check out the implementation.

answered Nov 19 '08 at 17:30

Brendan Cashman

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score 1 · Answer 11 · answered Nov 19 '08 at 18:06

Good solutions here, but remember that quarters can be subject to change depending on company/industry too. Sometimes a quarter can be a different 3 months.

You probably want to extend or encapsulate the calendar class to customize it to your tasks rather than write some utility function that converts it. Your application is probably complex enough in that area that you will find other uses for your new calendar class--I promise you'll be glad you extended or encapsulated it even if it seems silly now.

score 0 · Answer 12 · answered Nov 12 '15 at 13:09

0

For Me, I Used this method for string representation:

int quarter = (Calendar.getInstance().get(Calendar.MONTH) / 3); // 0 to 3
String[] mQuarterKey = {"qt1", "qt2", "qt3", "qt4"};
String strQuarter = mQuarterKey[quarter];

answered Nov 12 '15 at 13:09

Karl John Hernandez

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score 0 · Answer 13 · answered Sep 12 '16 at 08:25

0

with java8 you may use formatter:

import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter
import java.time.LocalDate

println("withQuarter: " + LocalDate.of("2016".toInt,"07".toInt,1).format(DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("yyyyQMM")))

withQuarter: 2016307

answered Sep 12 '16 at 08:25

nexoma

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score 0 · Answer 14 · answered Oct 01 '19 at 07:46

0

I use this method.

 public static Integer getQuarter(Date d){
    Calendar c = Calendar.getInstance();
    c.setTime(d);
    int month = c.get(Calendar.MONTH);
    return (month /3)+1;
}

answered Oct 01 '19 at 07:46

Sunila SS

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