java - Date before method returns false if both dates are equal

Question

when comparing two dates with date before method, if the dates are similar it returns false as follows:

• date1: Tue Dec 18 00:00:00 GMT+02:00 2012
• date2: Tue Dec 18 00:00:00 GMT+02:00 2012

the method date1.before(date2) always return false in thise case, which does not make sense to me (doesn't apply to my case in other words). i want to check if a date (day/month/year) equals today's date (day/month/year) ?

question from:https://stackoverflow.com/questions/13936576/date-before-method-returns-false-if-both-dates-are-equal

Answer 1

As date1.equals(date2), it is normal that date1.before(date2) returns false. As will do date1.after(date2).

Both dates are the same, so one is not before the other.

From javadoc :

true if and only if the instant of time represented by this Date object is strictly earlier than the instant represented by when; false otherwise.

Try something like :

if(date1.before(date2) || date1.equals(date2)) ...

Answers provided below suggest testing for the inverse, and they're right:

if(!date1.after(date2)) ...

Both tests are equivalent.