Java code for getting current time

java

time-zones

java-8

best-practices

byAlex Kataev·Jan 21, 2025

Here's how you capture the current time in Java with LocalTime.now(), precise up to thundering nanoseconds:

import java.time.LocalTime;

LocalTime currentTime = LocalTime.now();
System.out.println("Time now, requesting in nanoseconds: " + currentTime);

But you want the whole deal? LocalDateTime.now() gives you date with time:

import java.time.LocalDateTime;

LocalDateTime currentDateTime = LocalDateTime.now();
System.out.println("Time and Date, the full package: " + currentDateTime);

Both return the exact moment of invocation. As constant as north, these values are immutable.

Understanding and working with time zones

Time zones in your hand

In a world as round as a pancake, time is a relative supper. Here, we consider time zones:

import java.time.ZoneId;
import java.time.ZonedDateTime;

ZonedDateTime zonedDateTime = ZonedDateTime.now(ZoneId.of("America/New_York"));
System.out.println("Time in NYC. Is it the rush hour? " + zonedDateTime);

A moment in time

To track a moment with tick-tock preciseness, we bank on Instant.now(). More exact than System.currentTimeMillis() and free from the tangle of time zones:

import java.time.Instant;

Instant instant = Instant.now(); // The ghost of the current moment.
System.out.println("This is how we roll in UTC: " + instant);

Sync to system time

An unattended park isn't fun. Similarly, your code should play nice with the local system time and settings.

Beautifying time display

The artist's brush - SimpleDateFormat

Make time display an elegant art. Use SimpleDateFormat, the Picasso of time:

import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
import java.util.Date;

SimpleDateFormat sdf = new SimpleDateFormat("HH:mm:ss");
System.out.println("Call me vain, but look at my formatted Time: " + sdf.format(new Date()));