Is there a date format to display the day of the week in java?

Date formats: A rabbithole of options

Skim through the rich tapestry of options to present dates in Java, focusing on the nuances of displaying the day of the week.

Size doesn't always matter: Abbreviations and combinations

There are days when verbosity might scare you or case scenarios when you crave for date part combos:

// Small is beautiful 😊
SimpleDateFormat sdfShort = new SimpleDateFormat("E");
System.out.println("Abbreviation: " + sdfShort.format(new Date())); // Coughs up "Wed"

// The holy trinity of dates 📅
SimpleDateFormat sdfCombo = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-E");
System.out.println("Combo: " + sdfCombo.format(new Date())); // Ejects "2023-03-Wed" for instance


Multilingual support: Locale-specific weekdays

Communicate in the lingo of your user with our locale-savvy dates:

// Speaking French, are we? 🇫🇷
DateTimeFormatter formatterWithLocale = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("EEEE", Locale.FRENCH);
System.out.println(LocalDate.now().format(formatterWithLocale)); // Renders "mercredi" for Wednesday


Java 8+: Rise of the date and time classes

Java 8 ushered in java.time: The "Valhalla" of date and time handling, making Date and SimpleDateFormat relics of the past:

DayOfWeek day = LocalDate.now().getDayOfWeek();
System.out.println(day.getDisplayName(TextStyle.FULL, Locale.ENGLISH)); // Echoes "Wednesday"


This methodology is thread-safe and eliminates the peculiar idiosyncrasies of the earlier models.

When weeks count: Week numbering

For the week number enthusiasts and ISO-standard aficionados, TemporalField from java.time saves the day:

int isoWeekOfYear = LocalDate.now().get(WeekFields.ISO.weekOfYear());
System.out.println("ISO Week O.G. " + isoWeekOfYear); // (*mic drop*)


Stack Overflow & ThreeTen-Extra: The secret map

Stack Overflow houses treasure-troves of previously accepted answers, like a hidden alley of common practices and reliable solutions. The ThreeTen-Extra project extends the reach beyond the java.time horizon.

Treading on thin ice: Handling exceptions and documentation

Nailing the date formats is an art; so is dodging exceptions:

try {
    SimpleDateFormat sdf = new SimpleDateFormat("EEEE"); // The date sledgehammer
    System.out.println(sdf.format(new Date())); // "WHAM!"
} catch(IllegalArgumentException e){
    System.err.println("Err..That date pattern awkwardly tripped!");
}


A deep dive into the SimpleDateFormat and DateTimeFormatter documentations is like a hike up an informative hill.

Mix 'n match: Customizing your date displays

Combine elements and style your dates in Java:

// Dressing up the date! 🎩
String customPattern = "EEEE, MMMM dd, yyyy";
DateTimeFormatter customFormatter = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern(customPattern);
System.out.println(LocalDate.now().format(customFormatter)); // Presents "Wednesday, March 29, 2023"


This flexibility to customize empowers Java to meet wide-ranging data representation requirements.