How to compare dates in Java using compareTo()?

In Java, we can compare dates using the compareTo method. First, you need to convert the date into a Date object or a LocalDate object, and then use the compareTo method to compare them.

If you are using the Date object, you can compare them by following these steps:

1. – Appointment

Date date1 = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd").parse("2022-01-01");
Date date2 = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd").parse("2022-01-02");

1. compare with

int result = date1.compareTo(date2);

The meaning of the return value from the compareTo method is as follows:

1. If the first date is before the second date, the return value will be less than 0.
2. If the two dates are equal, the return value will be 0.
3. If the first date is after the second date, the return value is greater than 0.

To compare using the LocalDate object, you can follow these steps:

1. A date in the local time zone.

LocalDate date1 = LocalDate.parse("2022-01-01");
LocalDate date2 = LocalDate.parse("2022-01-02");

1. compare to

int result = date1.compareTo(date2);

The principle of comparing using LocalDate objects is the same as using Date objects.

The order of the two dates can be determined based on the positive or negative value of the comparison result.