CustomDateEditor (Spring Framework 3.2.1.RELEASE API)
Date: 2013-01-24

org.springframework.beans.propertyeditors

## Class CustomDateEditor

- java.lang.Object
- - java.beans.PropertyEditorSupport
  - - org.springframework.beans.propertyeditors.CustomDateEditor

- All Implemented Interfaces:
    PropertyEditor

      public class CustomDateEditor
      extends PropertyEditorSupport

  Property editor for `java.util.Date`, supporting a custom `java.text.DateFormat`.

  This is not meant to be used as system PropertyEditor but rather as locale-specific date editor within custom controller code, parsing user-entered number strings into Date properties of beans and rendering them in the UI form.

  In web MVC code, this editor will typically be registered with `binder.registerCustomEditor` calls in a custom `initBinder` method.

  Since:
    28.04.2003
  Author:
    Juergen Hoeller
  See Also:
    `Date`, `DateFormat`, `DataBinder.registerCustomEditor(java.lang.Class<?>, java.beans.PropertyEditor)`, `BaseCommandController.initBinder(javax.servlet.http.HttpServletRequest, org.springframework.web.bind.ServletRequestDataBinder)`

- - ### Constructor Summary

    Constructors
    Constructor and Description
    `CustomDateEditor(DateFormat dateFormat, boolean allowEmpty)` Create a new CustomDateEditor instance, using the given DateFormat for parsing and rendering.
    `CustomDateEditor(DateFormat dateFormat, boolean allowEmpty, int exactDateLength)` Create a new CustomDateEditor instance, using the given DateFormat for parsing and rendering.

  - ### Method Summary

    Methods
    Modifier and Type | Method and Description
    --- | ---
    `String` | `getAsText()` Format the Date as String, using the specified DateFormat.
    `void` | `setAsText(String text)` Parse the Date from the given text, using the specified DateFormat.

    - ### Methods inherited from class java.beans.PropertyEditorSupport

      `addPropertyChangeListener, firePropertyChange, getCustomEditor, getJavaInitializationString, getSource, getTags, getValue, isPaintable, paintValue, removePropertyChangeListener, setSource, setValue, supportsCustomEditor`

    - ### Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object

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

- - ### Constructor Detail

    - #### CustomDateEditor

          public CustomDateEditor(DateFormat dateFormat,
                          boolean allowEmpty)

      Create a new CustomDateEditor instance, using the given DateFormat for parsing and rendering.

      The "allowEmpty" parameter states if an empty String should be allowed for parsing, i.e. get interpreted as null value. Otherwise, an IllegalArgumentException gets thrown in that case.

      Parameters:
        `dateFormat` - DateFormat to use for parsing and rendering
        `allowEmpty` - if empty strings should be allowed

    - #### CustomDateEditor

          public CustomDateEditor(DateFormat dateFormat,
                          boolean allowEmpty,
                          int exactDateLength)

      Create a new CustomDateEditor instance, using the given DateFormat for parsing and rendering.

      The "allowEmpty" parameter states if an empty String should be allowed for parsing, i.e. get interpreted as null value. Otherwise, an IllegalArgumentException gets thrown in that case.

      The "exactDateLength" parameter states that IllegalArgumentException gets thrown if the String does not exactly match the length specified. This is useful because SimpleDateFormat does not enforce strict parsing of the year part, not even with `setLenient(false)`. Without an "exactDateLength" specified, the "01/01/05" would get parsed to "01/01/0005". However, even with an "exactDateLength" specified, prepended zeros in the day or month part may still allow for a shorter year part, so consider this as just one more assertion that gets you closer to the intended date format.

      Parameters:
        `dateFormat` - DateFormat to use for parsing and rendering
        `allowEmpty` - if empty strings should be allowed
        `exactDateLength` - the exact expected length of the date String

  - ### Method Detail

    - #### setAsText

          public void setAsText(String text)
                         throws IllegalArgumentException

      Parse the Date from the given text, using the specified DateFormat.
      Specified by:
        `setAsText` in interface `PropertyEditor`
      Overrides:
        `setAsText` in class `PropertyEditorSupport`
      Throws:
        `IllegalArgumentException`

    - #### getAsText

          public String getAsText()

      Format the Date as String, using the specified DateFormat.
      Specified by:
        `getAsText` in interface `PropertyEditor`
      Overrides:
        `getAsText` in class `PropertyEditorSupport`