Java Date and Time API
Java provides a modern and robust date-time API in the java.time package (introduced in Java 8). This API replaces older date classes and offers clear, immutable, and thread-safe representations of dates and times.
Display the Current Date in Java
LocalDate represents a date without time or timezone.
import java.time.LocalDate;
public class CurrentDateExample {
public static void main(String[] args) {
LocalDate today = LocalDate.now();
System.out.println("Today's date: " + today);
}
}
Sample Output
Today's date: 2026-02-24
Display the Current Time
LocalTime represents time without date or timezone
import java.time.LocalTime;
public class CurrentTimeExample {
public static void main(String[] args) {
LocalTime currentTime = LocalTime.now();
System.out.println("Current time: " + currentTime);
}
}
Sample Output
Current time: 10:28:11.700767
The value reflects the system clock of the machine running the program.
Display Current Date and Time
LocalDateTime combines both date and time.
import java.time.LocalDateTime;
public class CurrentDateTimeExample {
public static void main(String[] args) {
LocalDateTime now = LocalDateTime.now();
System.out.println("Now: " + now);
}
}
Sample Output
Now: 2026-02-24T10:28:11.700212
The T separator follows the ISO-8601 standard between date and time.
Formatting Date and Time in Java
Raw LocalDateTime output includes the T separator and nanoseconds. To display user-friendly
formats, use DateTimeFormatter.
import java.time.LocalDateTime;
import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter;
public class DateFormattingExample {
public static void main(String[] args) {
LocalDateTime timestamp = LocalDateTime.now();
System.out.println("Default format: " + timestamp);
DateTimeFormatter formatter =
DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("dd-MM-yyyy HH:mm:ss");
String formatted = timestamp.format(formatter);
System.out.println("Formatted: " + formatted);
}
}
Sample Output
Default format: 2026-02-24T10:28:11.700089
Formatted: 24-02-2026 10:28:11
Why Use java.time Instead of Old Date Classes?
The modern API provides major improvements over java.util.Date and Calendar:
- Immutable and thread-safe
- Clear separation of date/time concepts
- ISO-8601 standard compliance
- Powerful formatting and parsing
- Fluent API design
