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New Date-Time API in Java 8

Last Updated : 08 Sep, 2025
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Java 8 introduced a brand-new Date and Time API under the package java.time to overcome the limitations of the old java.util.Date and java.util.Calendar classes.

Why New Date-Time API?

  1. Not thread safe: Unlike old java.util.Date, which is not thread safe, the new date-time API is immutable and doesn't have setter methods.
  2. Fewer operations: In the old API, there are only a few date operations, but the new API provides us with many date operations.
  3. Confusing design: Mixing of date, time and timezone handling.

Core Classes in java.time

  • Local API: LocalDate, LocalTime, LocalDateTime (when timezone is not required).
  • Zoned API: ZonedDateTime, ZoneId (when working with timezones).
  • Period and Duration: Represent date-based and time-based amounts of time.
  • ChronoUnit Enum: Replace integer constants with type-safe units like DAYS, WEEKS, YEARS.
  • TemporalAdjusters: Utility for common date manipulations (like first day of month, next Saturday).

Example 1: LocalDate, LocalTime, LocalDateTime

Java
import java.time.*; import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter;   public class Date { public static void LocalDateTimeApi() {  // the current date  LocalDate date = LocalDate.now();  System.out.println("the current date is "+ date);    // the current time  LocalTime time = LocalTime.now();  System.out.println("the current time is "+ time);    // will give us the current time and date  LocalDateTime current = LocalDateTime.now();  System.out.println("current date and time : "+ current);    // to print in a particular format  DateTimeFormatter format = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("dd-MM-yyyy HH:mm:ss");     String formatedDateTime = current.format(format);     System.out.println("in formatted manner "+ formatedDateTime);    // printing months days and seconds  Month month = current.getMonth();  int day = current.getDayOfMonth();  int seconds = current.getSecond();  System.out.println("Month : "+month+" day : "+day+" seconds : "+seconds);    // printing some specified date  LocalDate date2 = LocalDate.of(1950,1,26);  System.out.println("the republic day :"+date2);    // printing date with current time.  LocalDateTime specificDate = current.withDayOfMonth(24).withYear(2016);  System.out.println("specific date with "+ "current time : "+specificDate); }  // Driver code  public static void main(String[] args)   {  LocalDateTimeApi();  } } 

Output
the current date is 2021-09-23 the current time is 20:52:39.954238 current date and time : 2021-09-23T20:52:39.956909 in formatted manner 23-09-2021 20:52:39 Month : SEPTEMBER day : 23 seconds : 39 the republic day :1950-01-26 specific date with current time : 2016-09-24T20:52:39.956909

Example 2: Zoned Date-Time API

Java
import java.time.LocalDateTime; import java.time.ZoneId; import java.time.ZonedDateTime; import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter; public class Zone { // Function to get Zoned Date and Time public static void ZonedTimeAndDate() {  LocalDateTime date = LocalDateTime.now();  DateTimeFormatter format1 = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("dd-MM-yyyy HH:mm:ss");     String formattedCurrentDate = date.format(format1);    System.out.println("formatted current Date and"+" Time : "+ formattedCurrentDate);   // to get the current zone  ZonedDateTime currentZone = ZonedDateTime.now();   System.out.println("the current zone is "+    ZoneId tokyo = ZoneId.of("Asia/Tokyo");  ZonedDateTime tokyoZone = currentZone.withZoneSameInstant(tokyo);    System.out.println("tokyo time zone is " + tokyoZone);  DateTimeFormatter format = DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("dd-MM-yyyy HH:mm:ss");     String formatedDateTime = tokyoZone.format(format);   System.out.println("formatted tokyo time zone "+ formatedDateTime);   }  // Driver code  public static void main(String[] args)   {  ZonedTimeAndDate();  } } 

Output
formatted current Date and Time : 09-04-2018 06:21:13 the current zone is Etc/UTC tokyo time zone is 2018-04-09T15:21:13.220+09:00[Asia/Tokyo] formatted tokyo time zone 09-04-2018 15:21:13

Example 3: Period and Duration

Java
import java.time.Duration; import java.time.LocalDate; import java.time.LocalTime; import java.time.Month; import java.time.Period; public class Geekforgeeks {  public static void checkingPeriod()  {  LocalDate date1 = LocalDate.now();  LocalDate date2 = LocalDate.of(2014, Month.DECEMBER, 12);  Period gap = Period.between(date2, date1);  System.out.println("gap between dates " + "is a period of " + gap);  }  // Function to check duration  public static void checkingDuration()  {  LocalTime time1 = LocalTime.now();  System.out.println("the current time is " + time1);  Duration fiveHours = Duration.ofHours(5);  // adding five hours to the current time and storing it in time2  LocalTime time2 = time1.plus(fiveHours);  System.out.println("after adding five hours " + "of duration " + time2);  Duration gap = Duration.between(time2, time1);  System.out.println("duration gap between time1" + " & time2 is " + gap);  }  // Driver code  public static void main(String[] args)  {  checkingPeriod();  checkingDuration();  } } 

Output
gap between dates is a period of P6Y6M25D the current time is 18:34:24.813548 after adding five hours of duration 23:34:24.813548 duration gap between time1 & time2 is PT-5H

Example 4: ChronoUnit Enum

Java
import java.time.LocalDate; import java.time.temporal.ChronoUnit; public class Geeksforgeeks {  // Function to check ChronoUnit  public static void checkingChronoEnum()  {  LocalDate date = LocalDate.now();  System.out.println("current date is :" + date);  // adding 2 years to the current date  LocalDate year = date.plus(2, ChronoUnit.YEARS);  System.out.println("next to next year is " + year);  // adding 1 month to the current date  LocalDate nextMonth = date.plus(1, ChronoUnit.MONTHS);  System.out.println("the next month is "  + nextMonth);  // adding 1 week to the current date  LocalDate nextWeek = date.plus(1, ChronoUnit.WEEKS);  System.out.println("next week is " + nextWeek);  // adding 2 decades to the current date  LocalDate Decade = date.plus(2, ChronoUnit.DECADES);  System.out.println("20 years after today " + Decade);  }  // Driver code  public static void main(String[] args)  {  checkingChronoEnum();  } } 

Output
current date is :2018-04-09 next to next year is 2020-04-09 the next month is 2018-05-09 next week is 2018-04-16 20 years after today 2038-04-09

Example 5: TemporalAdjuster

Java
import java.time.DayOfWeek; import java.time.LocalDate; import java.time.temporal.TemporalAdjusters; public class Geek {  // Function to check date and time according to our requirement  public static void checkingAdjusters()  {  LocalDate date = LocalDate.now();  System.out.println("the current date is " + date);  // to get the first day of next month  LocalDate dayOfNextMonth = date.with(TemporalAdjusters.firstDayOfNextMonth());  System.out.println("firstDayOfNextMonth : "+ dayOfNextMonth);  // get the next saturday  LocalDate nextSaturday = date.with(TemporalAdjusters.next(DayOfWeek.SATURDAY));  System.out.println("next saturday from now is "+ nextSaturday);  // first day of current month  LocalDate firstDay = date.with(TemporalAdjusters.firstDayOfMonth());  System.out.println("firstDayOfMonth : " + firstDay);  // last day of current month  LocalDate lastDay = date.with(TemporalAdjusters.lastDayOfMonth());  System.out.println("lastDayOfMonth : " + lastDay);  }  // Driver code  public static void main(String[] args)  {  checkingAdjusters();  } } 

Output
the current date is 2021-07-09 firstDayOfNextMonth : 2021-08-01 next saturday from now is 2021-07-10 firstDayOfMonth : 2021-07-01 lastDayOfMonth : 2021-07-31

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