Package org.apache.commons.validator.routines

Class DateValidator

java.lang.Object

org.apache.commons.validator.routines.AbstractFormatValidator

org.apache.commons.validator.routines.AbstractCalendarValidator

org.apache.commons.validator.routines.DateValidator

All Implemented Interfaces:

Serializable

public class DateValidator
extends AbstractCalendarValidator

Date Validation and Conversion routines (java.util.Date).

This validator provides a number of methods for validating/converting a String date value to a java.util.Date using java.text.DateFormat to parse either:

• using the default format for the default Locale
• using a specified pattern with the default Locale
• using the default format for a specified Locale
• using a specified pattern with a specified Locale

For each of the above mechanisms, conversion method (i.e the validate methods) implementations are provided which either use the default TimeZone or allow the TimeZone to be specified.

Use one of the isValid() methods to just validate or one of the validate() methods to validate and receive a converted Date value.

Implementations of the validate() method are provided to create Date objects for different time zones if the system default is not appropriate.

Once a value has been successfully converted the following methods can be used to perform various date comparison checks:

• compareDates() compares the day, month and year of two dates, returning 0, -1 or +1 indicating whether the first date is equal, before or after the second.
• compareWeeks() compares the week and year of two dates, returning 0, -1 or +1 indicating whether the first week is equal, before or after the second.
• compareMonths() compares the month and year of two dates, returning 0, -1 or +1 indicating whether the first month is equal, before or after the second.
• compareQuarters() compares the quarter and year of two dates, returning 0, -1 or +1 indicating whether the first quarter is equal, before or after the second.
• compareYears() compares the year of two dates, returning 0, -1 or +1 indicating whether the first year is equal, before or after the second.

So that the same mechanism used for parsing an input value for validation can be used to format output, corresponding format() methods are also provided. That is you can format either:

• using a specified pattern
• using the format for a specified Locale
• using the format for the default Locale

Since:

1.3.0

See Also:

• Serialized Form

Constructor Summary

Constructors

Constructor	Description
DateValidator()	Constructs a strict instance with short date style.
DateValidator(boolean strict, int dateStyle)	Constructs an instance with the specified strict and date style parameters.

Method Summary

Modifier and Type	Method	Description
int	compareDates(Date value, Date compare, TimeZone timeZone)	Compare Dates (day, month and year - not time).
int	compareMonths(Date value, Date compare, TimeZone timeZone)	Compare Months (month and year).
int	compareQuarters(Date value, Date compare, TimeZone timeZone)	Compare Quarters (quarter and year).
int	compareQuarters(Date value, Date compare, TimeZone timeZone, int monthOfFirstQuarter)	Compare Quarters (quarter and year).
int	compareWeeks(Date value, Date compare, TimeZone timeZone)	Compare Weeks (week and year).
int	compareYears(Date value, Date compare, TimeZone timeZone)	Compare Years.
static DateValidator	getInstance()	Return a singleton instance of this validator.
protected Object	processParsedValue(Object value, Format formatter)	Returns the parsed Date unchanged.
Date	validate(String value)	Validate/convert a Date using the default Locale and TimeZone.
Date	validate(String value, String pattern)	Validate/convert a Date using the specified pattern and default TimeZone.
Date	validate(String value, String pattern, Locale locale)	Validate/convert a Date using the specified pattern and Locale and the default TimeZone.
Date	validate(String value, String pattern, Locale locale, TimeZone timeZone)	Validate/convert a Date using the specified pattern, and Locale and TimeZone.
Date	validate(String value, String pattern, TimeZone timeZone)	Validate/convert a Date using the specified pattern and TimeZone.
Date	validate(String value, Locale locale)	Validate/convert a Date using the specified Locale and default TimeZone.
Date	validate(String value, Locale locale, TimeZone timeZone)	Validate/convert a Date using the specified Locale and TimeZone.
Date	validate(String value, TimeZone timeZone)	Validate/convert a Date using the specified TimeZone and default Locale.

Methods inherited from class org.apache.commons.validator.routines.AbstractCalendarValidator

compare, compareQuarters, compareTime, format, format, format, format, format, format, getFormat, getFormat, isValid, parse

Methods inherited from class org.apache.commons.validator.routines.AbstractFormatValidator

format, format, format, isStrict, isValid, isValid, isValid, parse

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait

Constructor Details

DateValidator

public DateValidator()

Constructs a strict instance with short date style.

DateValidator

public DateValidator(boolean strict,
 int dateStyle)

Constructs an instance with the specified strict and date style parameters.

Parameters:

strict - true if strict Format parsing should be used.

dateStyle - the date style to use for Locale validation.

Method Details

getInstance

public static DateValidator getInstance()

Return a singleton instance of this validator.

Returns:

A singleton instance of the DateValidator.

compareDates

public int compareDates(Date value,
 Date compare,
 TimeZone timeZone)

Compare Dates (day, month and year - not time).

Parameters:

value - The Calendar value to check.

compare - The Calendar to compare the value to.

timeZone - The Time Zone used to compare the dates, system default if null.

Returns:

Zero if the dates are equal, -1 if first date is less than the seconds and +1 if the first date is greater than.

compareMonths

public int compareMonths(Date value,
 Date compare,
 TimeZone timeZone)

Compare Months (month and year).

Parameters:

value - The Date value to check.

compare - The Date to compare the value to.

timeZone - The Time Zone used to compare the dates, system default if null.

Returns:

Zero if the months are equal, -1 if first parameter's month is less than the seconds and +1 if the first parameter's month is greater than.

compareQuarters

public int compareQuarters(Date value,
 Date compare,
 TimeZone timeZone)

Compare Quarters (quarter and year).

Parameters:

value - The Date value to check.

compare - The Date to compare the value to.

timeZone - The Time Zone used to compare the dates, system default if null.

Returns:

Zero if the months are equal, -1 if first parameter's quarter is less than the seconds and +1 if the first parameter's quarter is greater than.

compareQuarters

public int compareQuarters(Date value,
 Date compare,
 TimeZone timeZone,
 int monthOfFirstQuarter)

Compare Quarters (quarter and year).

Parameters:

value - The Date value to check.

compare - The Date to compare the value to.

timeZone - The Time Zone used to compare the dates, system default if null.

monthOfFirstQuarter - The month that the first quarter starts.

Returns:

Zero if the quarters are equal, -1 if first parameter's quarter is less than the seconds and +1 if the first parameter's quarter is greater than.

compareWeeks

public int compareWeeks(Date value,
 Date compare,
 TimeZone timeZone)

Compare Weeks (week and year).

Parameters:

value - The Date value to check.

compare - The Date to compare the value to.

timeZone - The Time Zone used to compare the dates, system default if null.

Returns:

Zero if the weeks are equal, -1 if first parameter's week is less than the seconds and +1 if the first parameter's week is greater than.

compareYears

public int compareYears(Date value,
 Date compare,
 TimeZone timeZone)

Compare Years.

Parameters:

value - The Date value to check.

compare - The Date to compare the value to.

timeZone - The Time Zone used to compare the dates, system default if null.

Returns:

Zero if the years are equal, -1 if first parameter's year is less than the seconds and +1 if the first parameter's year is greater than.

processParsedValue

protected Object processParsedValue(Object value,
 Format formatter)

Returns the parsed Date unchanged.

Specified by:

processParsedValue in class AbstractCalendarValidator

Parameters:

value - The parsed Date object created.

formatter - The Format used to parse the value with.

Returns:

The parsed value converted to a Calendar.

validate

public Date validate(String value)

Validate/convert a Date using the default Locale and TimeZone.

Parameters:

value - The value validation is being performed on.

Returns:

The parsed Date if valid or null if invalid.

validate

public Date validate(String value,
 Locale locale)

Validate/convert a Date using the specified Locale and default TimeZone.

Parameters:

value - The value validation is being performed on.

locale - The locale to use for the date format, system default if null.

Returns:

The parsed Date if valid or null if invalid.

validate

public Date validate(String value,
 Locale locale,
 TimeZone timeZone)

Validate/convert a Date using the specified Locale and TimeZone.

Parameters:

value - The value validation is being performed on.

locale - The locale to use for the date format, system default if null.

timeZone - The Time Zone used to parse the date, system default if null.

Returns:

The parsed Date if valid or null if invalid.

validate

public Date validate(String value,
 String pattern)

Validate/convert a Date using the specified pattern and default TimeZone.

Parameters:

value - The value validation is being performed on.

pattern - The pattern used to validate the value against, or the default for the Locale if null.

Returns:

The parsed Date if valid or null if invalid.

validate

public Date validate(String value,
 String pattern,
 Locale locale)

Validate/convert a Date using the specified pattern and Locale and the default TimeZone.

Parameters:

value - The value validation is being performed on.

pattern - The pattern used to validate the value against, or the default for the Locale if null.

locale - The locale to use for the date format, system default if null.

Returns:

The parsed Date if valid or null if invalid.

validate

public Date validate(String value,
 String pattern,
 Locale locale,
 TimeZone timeZone)

Validate/convert a Date using the specified pattern, and Locale and TimeZone.

Parameters:

value - The value validation is being performed on.

pattern - The pattern used to validate the value against, or the default for the Locale if null.

locale - The locale to use for the date format, system default if null.

timeZone - The Time Zone used to parse the date, system default if null.

Returns:

The parsed Date if valid or null if invalid.

validate

public Date validate(String value,
 String pattern,
 TimeZone timeZone)

Validate/convert a Date using the specified pattern and TimeZone.

Parameters:

value - The value validation is being performed on.

pattern - The pattern used to validate the value against, or the default for the Locale if null.

timeZone - The Time Zone used to parse the date, system default if null.

Returns:

The parsed Date if valid or null if invalid.

validate

public Date validate(String value,
 TimeZone timeZone)

Validate/convert a Date using the specified TimeZone and default Locale.

Parameters:

value - The value validation is being performed on.

timeZone - The Time Zone used to parse the date, system default if null.

Returns:

The parsed Date if valid or null if invalid.