How do I fetch UTC time?

Answered by Tom Adger

To fetch UTC time in Java, there are several methods available. I’ll explain each method in detail, along with examples for better understanding.

1. SimpleDateFormat:
The SimpleDateFormat class is commonly used to format and parse dates in Java. It allows us to specify the desired date format, including the timezone.

Here’s an example of fetching the current UTC time using SimpleDateFormat:

“`java
SimpleDateFormat sdf = new SimpleDateFormat(“yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss”);
Sdf.setTimeZone(TimeZone.getTimeZone(“UTC”));
String utcTime = sdf.format(new Date());
System.out.println(“Current UTC time: ” + utcTime);
“`

In the above code, we set the timezone of the SimpleDateFormat object to UTC using `setTimeZone()` method. Then, we format the current date using `format()` method and print the UTC time.

2. Java 8 Instant:
Java 8 introduced the Instant class, which represents an instantaneous point on the time-line. It can be used to get the current UTC time.

Here’s an example:

“`java
Instant instant = Instant.now();
System.out.println(“Current UTC time: ” + instant);
“`

The `Instant.now()` method returns the current instant in UTC. It automatically takes care of the timezone conversion.

3. Java 8 OffsetDateTime:
OffsetDateTime is another class introduced in Java 8, which represents a date-time with an offset from UTC/Greenwich. It provides flexibility in dealing with timezones.

Here’s an example of fetching the current UTC time using OffsetDateTime:

“`java
OffsetDateTime utcTime = OffsetDateTime.now(ZoneOffset.UTC);
System.out.println(“Current UTC time: ” + utcTime);
“`

In the above code, `OffsetDateTime.now(ZoneOffset.UTC)` returns the current date and time in UTC.

4. Joda Time:
Joda Time is a widely used date and time library in Java. It provides a rich set of classes for handling date, time, and timezone-related operations.

Here’s an example of fetching the current UTC time using Joda Time:

“`java
DateTime utcTime = DateTime.now(DateTimeZone.UTC);
System.out.println(“Current UTC time: ” + utcTime);
“`

The `DateTime.now(DateTimeZone.UTC)` method returns the current date and time in UTC using the Joda Time library.

These are the different methods you can use to fetch UTC time in Java. Choose the one that best suits your requirements and coding style.