Having worked with BeanUtils before, I seem to recall that the main reason there isn't a java.util.Date converter is that unlike java.sql.Date, it doesn't have a favored String format that is guaranteed to convert correctly.
I was able in my previous usage to register a particular converter for java.util.Date as correctly suggested by Henri, and it worked fine, but this is not a problem that can be solved in a generic way, so far as I can see. It might be useful for the future to be able to specify some configuration information for ConvertUtils. For instance, if a date format or formats (why not go for it?) for java.util.Date were specified (system property, directly passed in on creation, or however: I don't recall the implementation details of ConvertUtil) perhaps it could instantiate a converter (one that used multiple formats, perhaps, as they do in .NET). There would almost undoubtedly be more converters that could benefit from such a mechanism, I would think. My $0.02. David -----Original Message----- From: Henri Yandell [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2006 3:21 AM To: Jakarta Commons Users List Subject: Re: Digester and using of java.util.Date On 11/1/06, Zmitko, Jan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hi, > > I´ve a question why it´s not possible to use "java.util.Date" in > digester respectively in the digester rule file. Instead the type > "java.sql.Date" works. This was a fun one :) > Can someone explain me what´s the reason? Under the hood, Digester uses BeanUtils to do its converting. If you look at ConvertUtilsBean [http://svn.apache.org/repos/asf/jakarta/commons/proper/beanutils/trunk/src/java/org/apache/commons/beanutils/ConvertUtilsBean.java] and search for Date, you'll see that by default BeanUtils does not register a converter for java.util.Date. The other direction was resolved in BeanUtils a little while ago: http://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/BEANUTILS-239 but that's for Date->String. I've raised an issue for converting in this direction: http://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/BEANUTILS-255. If it's not something you can work around, you could write a UtilDateConverter of your own and register it with ConvertUtils for java.util.Date (and submit to BEANUTILS-255? :) ); or follow BEANUTILS-255 and one should hopefully be added soon. BeanUtils has been pretty inactive, but a few of us have started digging into its backlog of issues recently. Hen --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
