Java Date before() Method

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Description

The Java Date before(Date when) method checks if this date is before the specified date.

Declaration

Following is the declaration for java.util.Date.before() method

public boolean before(Date when)

Parameters

when − date to be checked

Return Value

true if the represented Date object is strictly before than the instant represented by when; false otherwise.

Exception

NullPointerException − if when is null.

Checking a Future Date being Occuring Before a Given Date Example

The following example shows the usage of Java Date before() method. We're creating two Date instances of different dates. Each date is compared using before() method and result is printed.

package com.tutorialspoint;

import java.util.Date;

public class DateDemo {
   public static void main(String[] args) {

      // create 2 dates
      Date date = new Date(2022, 5, 21);
      Date date2 = new Date(2022, 11, 4);

      // tests if date 2 is before date and print
      boolean before = date2.before(date);
      System.out.println("Date 2 is before date: " + before);
   }
}

Output

Let us compile and run the above program, this will produce the following result −

Date 2 is before date: false

Checking a Past Date being Occuring Before a Given Date Example

The following example shows the usage of Java Date before() method. We're creating two Date instances of different dates. Each date is compared using before() method and result is printed. We've reversed the comparison as done in first example above.

package com.tutorialspoint;

import java.util.Date;

public class DateDemo {
   public static void main(String[] args) {

      // create 2 dates
      Date date = new Date(2022, 11, 4);
      Date date2 = new Date(2022, 5, 21);

      // tests if date 2 is before date and print
      boolean before = date2.before(date);
      System.out.println("Date 2 is before date: " + before);
   }
}

Output

Let us compile and run the above program, this will produce the following result −

Date 2 is before date: true

Checking a Same Date being Occuring Before a Given Date Example

The following example shows the usage of Java Date before() method. We're creating two Date instances of same dates. Each date is compared using before() method and result is printed.

package com.tutorialspoint;

import java.util.Date;

public class DateDemo {
   public static void main(String[] args) {

      // create 2 dates
      Date date = new Date(2022, 11, 4);
      Date date2 = new Date(2022, 11, 4);

      // tests if date 2 is before date and print
      boolean before = date2.before(date);
      System.out.println("Date 2 is before date: " + before);
   }
}

Output

Let us compile and run the above program, this will produce the following result −

Date 2 is before date: false