How Can I Easily Parse Any Date String in Java, Like Python's dateutil?

Parse any date string effortlessly with Java

Parsing dates in Java can often be a cumbersome task, requiring you to manually determine the specific format of the date string. But what if you could parse any date string with ease, like the python-dateutil library?

Using Python's dateutil.parser, you can parse various date formats hassle-free. However, in Java, Joda Time, often considered a robust date parsing solution, still requires you to specify the date format before parsing.

Finding a Comparable Java Solution

To address this, you can utilize a brute force approach or employ regular expressions to match date format patterns. One notable example is the DateUtil class:

private static final Map<String, String> DATE_FORMAT_REGEXPS = new HashMap<>() {{
    put("^\d{8}$", "yyyyMMdd");
    put("^\d{1,2}-\d{1,2}-\d{4}$", "dd-MM-yyyy");
    ...
}};

public static String determineDateFormat(String dateString) {
    for (String regexp : DATE_FORMAT_REGEXPS.keySet()) {
        if (dateString.toLowerCase().matches(regexp)) {
            return DATE_FORMAT_REGEXPS.get(regexp);
        }
    }
    return null; // Unknown format.
}

This class provides a substantial list of regular expressions and corresponding SimpleDateFormat patterns for the most common date formats. By leveraging this approach, you can determine the appropriate date format and parse accordingly.

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