[Java] Comparing String timestamps

[Shally]

Hey guys,

This is probably simple but I can't find an elegant solution.

I have a timestamp like this as a String:

String recvTime =  "2020-08-12T17:30:12.236Z";
String inputTIme =  "2021-09-13T18:50:13.236Z";

Essentially I just want to compare the times to see if recvTime is more recent than inputTime

What is best practice to do such a comparison?  
 

[Shally]

Found it:
 

String recvTime =  "2020-08-12T17:30:12.236Z";
   SimpleDateFormat sdf = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss");
   System.out.println(sdf.parse(recvTime));

[minibois]

1 minute ago, Shally said:

I have a timestamp like this as a String:

String recvTime =  "2020-08-12T17:30:12.236Z";
String inputTIme =  "2021-09-13T18:50:13.236Z";

Essentially I just want to compare the times to see if recvTime is more recent than inputTime

What is best practice to do such a comparison?  

Convert these to a LocalDateTime and use the .isBefore() method to compare the two.

https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/java/time/LocalDate.html

[Shally]

1 minute ago, minibois said:

Convert these to a LocalDateTime and use the .isBefore() method to compare the two.

https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/java/time/LocalDate.html

I think it's just .before() but thanks! 

[minibois]

1 minute ago, Shally said:

I think it's just .before() but thanks! 

I linked the official Oracle documents, which says it's isBefore().

LocalDate a = LocalDate.of(2012, 6, 30);
LocalDate b = LocalDate.of(2012, 7, 1);
a.isBefore(b) == true
a.isBefore(a) == false
b.isBefore(a) == false

 

[OrionFOTL]

Since both your dates are strings in the yyyy-mm-dd-hh-mm-ss format, you can just compare the strings lexicographically. recvTime > inputTime. If one date's string would appear later than the other in a dictionary, then that date is later.