DateFormatSymbols

public class DateFormatSymbols extends Object
implements Serializable Cloneable

DateFormatSymbols is a public class for encapsulating localizable date-time formatting data, such as the names of the months, the names of the days of the week, and the time zone data. SimpleDateFormat uses DateFormatSymbols to encapsulate this information.

Typically you shouldn't use DateFormatSymbols directly. Rather, you are encouraged to create a date-time formatter with the DateFormat class's factory methods: getTimeInstance, getDateInstance, or getDateTimeInstance. These methods automatically create a DateFormatSymbols for the formatter so that you don't have to. After the formatter is created, you may modify its format pattern using the setPattern method. For more information about creating formatters using DateFormat's factory methods, see DateFormat.

If you decide to create a date-time formatter with a specific format pattern for a specific locale, you can do so with:

 new SimpleDateFormat(aPattern, DateFormatSymbols.getInstance(aLocale)).
 

DateFormatSymbols objects are cloneable. When you obtain a DateFormatSymbols object, feel free to modify the date-time formatting data. For instance, you can replace the localized date-time format pattern characters with the ones that you feel easy to remember. Or you can change the representative cities to your favorite ones.

New DateFormatSymbols subclasses may be added to support SimpleDateFormat for date-time formatting for additional locales.

See Also

• DateFormat
• SimpleDateFormat
• SimpleTimeZone

Public Constructor Summary

	DateFormatSymbols() Construct a DateFormatSymbols object by loading format data from resources for the default FORMAT locale.
	DateFormatSymbols(Locale locale) Construct a DateFormatSymbols object by loading format data from resources for the given locale.

Public Method Summary

Object	clone() Overrides Cloneable
boolean	equals(Object obj) Override equals
String[]	getAmPmStrings() Gets ampm strings.
static Locale[]	getAvailableLocales() Returns an array of all locales for which the getInstance methods of this class can return localized instances.
String[]	getEras() Gets era strings.
final static DateFormatSymbols	getInstance() Gets the DateFormatSymbols instance for the default locale.
final static DateFormatSymbols	getInstance(Locale locale) Gets the DateFormatSymbols instance for the specified locale.
String	getLocalPatternChars() Gets localized date-time pattern characters.
String[]	getMonths() Gets month strings.
String[]	getShortMonths() Gets short month strings.
String[]	getShortWeekdays() Gets short weekday strings.
String[]	getWeekdays() Gets weekday strings.
String[][]	getZoneStrings() Gets time zone strings.
int	hashCode() Override hashCode.
void	setAmPmStrings(String[] newAmpms) Sets ampm strings.
void	setEras(String[] newEras) Sets era strings.
void	setLocalPatternChars(String newLocalPatternChars) Sets localized date-time pattern characters.
void	setMonths(String[] newMonths) Sets month strings.
void	setShortMonths(String[] newShortMonths) Sets short month strings.
void	setShortWeekdays(String[] newShortWeekdays) Sets short weekday strings.
void	setWeekdays(String[] newWeekdays) Sets weekday strings.
void	setZoneStrings(String[][] newZoneStrings) Sets time zone strings.

Inherited Method Summary

From class java.lang.Object

Object	clone() Creates and returns a copy of this Object.
boolean	equals(Object obj) Compares this instance with the specified object and indicates if they are equal.
void	finalize() Invoked when the garbage collector has detected that this instance is no longer reachable.
final Class<?>	getClass() Returns the unique instance of Class that represents this object's class.
int	hashCode() Returns an integer hash code for this object.
final void	notify() Causes a thread which is waiting on this object's monitor (by means of calling one of the wait() methods) to be woken up.
final void	notifyAll() Causes all threads which are waiting on this object's monitor (by means of calling one of the wait() methods) to be woken up.
String	toString() Returns a string containing a concise, human-readable description of this object.
final void	wait(long timeout, int nanos) Causes the calling thread to wait until another thread calls the notify() or notifyAll() method of this object or until the specified timeout expires.
final void	wait(long timeout) Causes the calling thread to wait until another thread calls the notify() or notifyAll() method of this object or until the specified timeout expires.
final void	wait() Causes the calling thread to wait until another thread calls the notify() or notifyAll() method of this object.

Public Constructors

public DateFormatSymbols ()

Construct a DateFormatSymbols object by loading format data from resources for the default FORMAT locale. It is recommended that the getInstance method is used instead.

This is equivalent to calling DateFormatSymbols(Locale.getDefault(Locale.Category.FORMAT)).

Throws

MissingResourceException	if the resources for the default locale cannot be found or cannot be loaded.

See Also

• getInstance()
• Locale.getDefault(java.util.Locale.Category)
• Locale.Category.FORMAT

public DateFormatSymbols (Locale locale)

Construct a DateFormatSymbols object by loading format data from resources for the given locale. It is recommended that the getInstance method is used instead.

Parameters

locale	the desired locale

Throws

MissingResourceException	if the resources for the specified locale cannot be found or cannot be loaded.

See Also

• getInstance(Locale)

Public Methods

public Object clone ()

Overrides Cloneable

Returns

• a copy of this object.

public boolean equals (Object obj)

Override equals

Parameters

obj	the object to compare this instance with.

Returns

• true if the specified object is equal to this Object; false otherwise.

public String[] getAmPmStrings ()

Gets ampm strings. For example: "AM" and "PM".

Returns

• the ampm strings.

public static Locale[] getAvailableLocales ()

Returns an array of all locales for which the getInstance methods of this class can return localized instances.

Returns

• An array of locales for which localized DateFormatSymbols instances are available.

public String[] getEras ()

Gets era strings. For example: "AD" and "BC".

Returns

• the era strings.

public static final DateFormatSymbols getInstance ()

Gets the DateFormatSymbols instance for the default locale.

This is equivalent to calling getInstance(Locale.getDefault(Locale.Category.FORMAT)).

Returns

• a DateFormatSymbols instance.

See Also

• Locale.getDefault(java.util.Locale.Category)
• Locale.Category.FORMAT

public static final DateFormatSymbols getInstance (Locale locale)

Gets the DateFormatSymbols instance for the specified locale.

Parameters

locale	the given locale.

Returns

• a DateFormatSymbols instance.

Throws

NullPointerException	if locale is null

public String getLocalPatternChars ()

Gets localized date-time pattern characters. For example: 'u', 't', etc.

Returns

• the localized date-time pattern characters.

public String[] getMonths ()

Gets month strings. For example: "January", "February", etc.

If the language requires different forms for formatting and stand-alone usages, this method returns month names in the formatting form. For example, the preferred month name for January in the Czech language is ledna in the formatting form, while it is leden in the stand-alone form. This method returns "ledna" in this case. Refer to the Calendar Elements in the Unicode Locale Data Markup Language (LDML) specification for more details.

Returns

• the month strings.

public String[] getShortMonths ()

Gets short month strings. For example: "Jan", "Feb", etc.

If the language requires different forms for formatting and stand-alone usages, This method returns short month names in the formatting form. For example, the preferred abbreviation for January in the Catalan language is de gen. in the formatting form, while it is gen. in the stand-alone form. This method returns "de gen." in this case. Refer to the Calendar Elements in the Unicode Locale Data Markup Language (LDML) specification for more details.

Returns

• the short month strings.

public String[] getShortWeekdays ()

Gets short weekday strings. For example: "Sun", "Mon", etc.

Returns

• the short weekday strings. Use Calendar.SUNDAY, Calendar.MONDAY, etc. to index the result array.

public String[] getWeekdays ()

Gets weekday strings. For example: "Sunday", "Monday", etc.

Returns

• the weekday strings. Use Calendar.SUNDAY, Calendar.MONDAY, etc. to index the result array.

public String[][] getZoneStrings ()

Gets time zone strings. Use of this method is discouraged; use TimeZone.getDisplayName() instead.

The value returned is a two-dimensional array of strings of size n by m, where m is at least 5. Each of the n rows is an entry containing the localized names for a single TimeZone. Each such row contains (with i ranging from 0..n-1):

• zoneStrings[i][0] - time zone ID
• zoneStrings[i][1] - long name of zone in standard time
• zoneStrings[i][2] - short name of zone in standard time
• zoneStrings[i][3] - long name of zone in daylight saving time
• zoneStrings[i][4] - short name of zone in daylight saving time

The zone ID is not localized; it's one of the valid IDs of the TimeZone class that are not custom IDs. All other entries are localized names. If a zone does not implement daylight saving time, the daylight saving time names should not be used.

If setZoneStrings has been called on this DateFormatSymbols instance, then the strings provided by that call are returned. Otherwise, the returned array contains names provided by the runtime.

Returns

• the time zone strings.

See Also

• setZoneStrings(String[][])

public int hashCode ()

Override hashCode. Generates a hash code for the DateFormatSymbols object.

Returns

• this object's hash code.

public void setAmPmStrings (String[] newAmpms)

Sets ampm strings. For example: "AM" and "PM".

Parameters

newAmpms	the new ampm strings.

public void setEras (String[] newEras)

Sets era strings. For example: "AD" and "BC".

Parameters

newEras	the new era strings.

public void setLocalPatternChars (String newLocalPatternChars)

Sets localized date-time pattern characters. For example: 'u', 't', etc.

Parameters

newLocalPatternChars	the new localized date-time pattern characters.

public void setMonths (String[] newMonths)

Sets month strings. For example: "January", "February", etc.

Parameters

newMonths	the new month strings.

public void setShortMonths (String[] newShortMonths)

Sets short month strings. For example: "Jan", "Feb", etc.

Parameters

newShortMonths	the new short month strings.

public void setShortWeekdays (String[] newShortWeekdays)

Sets short weekday strings. For example: "Sun", "Mon", etc.

Parameters

newShortWeekdays	the new short weekday strings. The array should be indexed by Calendar.SUNDAY, Calendar.MONDAY, etc.

public void setWeekdays (String[] newWeekdays)

Sets weekday strings. For example: "Sunday", "Monday", etc.

Parameters

newWeekdays	the new weekday strings. The array should be indexed by Calendar.SUNDAY, Calendar.MONDAY, etc.

public void setZoneStrings (String[][] newZoneStrings)

Sets time zone strings. The argument must be a two-dimensional array of strings of size n by m, where m is at least 5. Each of the n rows is an entry containing the localized names for a single TimeZone. Each such row contains (with i ranging from 0..n-1):

• zoneStrings[i][0] - time zone ID
• zoneStrings[i][1] - long name of zone in standard time
• zoneStrings[i][2] - short name of zone in standard time
• zoneStrings[i][3] - long name of zone in daylight saving time
• zoneStrings[i][4] - short name of zone in daylight saving time

The zone ID is not localized; it's one of the valid IDs of the TimeZone class that are not custom IDs. All other entries are localized names.

Parameters

newZoneStrings	the new time zone strings.

Throws

IllegalArgumentException	if the length of any row in newZoneStrings is less than 5
NullPointerException	if newZoneStrings is null

See Also

• getZoneStrings()