Parse timestamp string to Java.sql.timestamp

Question

I have the following timestamp in String format

2019-04-06T00:43:21+00:00
2019-04-04T21:24:33+00:00
2019-04-04T21:02:16+00:00

How can I parse the timestamp strings above to Java.sql.timestamp?

Answer 1

Use DateFormat to parse your String.

 try{
     String x="2019-04-04T21:24:33+00:00";
     DateFormat df = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd'T'hh:mm:ssX");
     Date date = (Date) df.parse(x);
     java.sql.Timestamp timeStamp = new java.sql.Timestamp(date.getTime());
 }catch(ParseException pe){
     pe.printStackTrace();
 }

As mentioned by others in comments, there is a more updated way to do this.

String time="2019-04-04T21:02:16+00:00";
OffsetDateTime odt=OffsetDateTime.parse(time,DateTimeFormatter.ISO_OFFSET_DATE_TIME);
java.sql.Timestamp timestamp=new java.sql.Timestamp(odt.toEpochSecond()*1000);

Answer 2

tl;dr

Timestamp                                   // Avoid this terrible legacy class if possible. Represents a moment in UTC. 
.from(                                      // Convert from modern `Instant` to legacy `Timestamp`. No data loss, as both resolve to nanoseconds.
    OffsetDateTime                          // Modern way to represent a moment with an offset-from-UTC (hours, minutes, and seconds).
    .parse( "2019-04-06T00:43:21+00:00" )   // Parse standard ISO 8601 strings. Returns a `java.time.OffsetDateTime` object.
    .toInstant()                            // Extract an `Instant` from the `OffsetDateTime`, thereby adjusting to UTC (an offset of zero). 
)                                           // Returns a `Timestamp` object, if needed to interoperate with old code not yet updated to *java.time*. 

Even better, skip the terrible Timestamp class entirely.

myPreparedStatement.setObject(                           // As of JDBC 4.2 and later, exchange *java.time* objects with your database.
    1 ,                                                  // Specify the nth placeholder in your SQL statement. 
    OffsetDateTime.parse( "2019-04-06T00:43:21+00:00" )  // Parse an ISO 8601 compliant string as a `OffsetDateTime` object, a moment with an offset-from-UTC. Pass to the database via the `setObject` call.
)

OffsetDateTime

Your input strings indicate an offset-from-UTC (a number of hours-minutes-seconds), that part at the end.

Your input strings are in standard ISO 8601 format. The java.time classes use these formats by default in parsing/generating strings. So no need to specify a formatting pattern.

OffsetDateTime odt = OffsetDateTime.parse( "2019-04-06T00:43:21+00:00" ) ;

java.sql.Timestamp

Never use java.util.Timestamp. That terrible class was supplanted years ago by the modern java.time classes.

If you must have a Timestamp object to interoperate with old code not yet updated to java.time, convert by calling new methods added to the old classes. Extract a Instant from the OffsetDateTime (thereby adjusting from any offset to an offset of zero, for UTC itself). Pass the Instant object to Timestamp.from.

java.sql.Timestamp ts = Timestamp.from( odt.toInstant() ) ;

JDBC 4.2

As of JDBC 4.2, we can exchange java.time objects with the database.

myPreparedStatement.setObject( … , odt ) ;

Retrieval.

OffsetDateTime odt = myResultSet.getObject( … , OffsetDateTime.class ) ;

All this has been covered many many times already on Stack Overflow. So search for more info. And in the future, search thoroughly before posting.

---

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.