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Date objects represent dates and times. You cannot display
or print a Date object without first converting it to a
String that is in the proper format. Just what is the
"proper" format? First, the format should conform to the
conventions of the end user's Locale. For example, Germans
recognize 20.4.09 as a valid date, but Americans expect
that same date to appear as 4/20/09. Second, the format
should include the necessary information. For instance, a program that
measures network performance may report on elapsed milliseconds. An
online appointment calendar probably won't display milliseconds, but it
will show the days of the week.
This section explains how to format dates and times in various ways and
in a locale-sensitive manner. If you follow these techniques your
programs will display dates and times in the appropriate
Locale, but your source code will remain independent of
any specific Locale.
The DateFormat class provides predefined
formatting styles that are locale-specific and easy to use.
With the SimpleDateFormat class, you can create customized,
locale-specific formats.
Using the DateFormatSymbols class, you can change the symbols
that represent the names of months, days of the week, and other
formatting elements.
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