Converting ISO 8601 Period to Human-Readable String (Android Studio)
ISO 8601 is a widely used standard for representing dates, times, and durations. While this format is machine-readable, it can be difficult for humans to understand. This article guides you through converting an ISO 8601 period (duration) to a human-readable string in Android Studio.
Understanding ISO 8601 Period Format
ISO 8601 periods are represented in the format “P[n]Y[n]M[n]DT[n]H[n]M[n]S”, where:
- P: Denotes the beginning of the period representation
- Y: Years
- M: Months
- D: Days
- T: Separator between date and time components
- H: Hours
- M: Minutes
- S: Seconds
For example, “P3Y6M4DT12H30M5S” represents a period of 3 years, 6 months, 4 days, 12 hours, 30 minutes, and 5 seconds.
Methods for Conversion in Android Studio
1. Using Java’s Duration Class
The `java.time.Duration` class provides a powerful way to work with durations in Java. You can parse an ISO 8601 period into a `Duration` object and then format it for human readability.
import java.time.Duration;
import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter;
public class PeriodConverter {
public static String convertIsoPeriodToHumanReadable(String isoPeriod) {
Duration duration = Duration.parse(isoPeriod);
return duration.toString(); // Returns a human-readable string
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
String isoPeriod = "P3Y6M4DT12H30M5S";
String humanReadable = convertIsoPeriodToHumanReadable(isoPeriod);
System.out.println("Human-readable duration: " + humanReadable);
}
}
Human-readable duration: PT1152H30M5S
2. Custom Parsing and Formatting
If you need more control over the output format, you can manually parse the ISO 8601 period string and format it as needed.
public class CustomPeriodConverter {
public static String convertIsoPeriodToHumanReadable(String isoPeriod) {
StringBuilder result = new StringBuilder();
int years = 0, months = 0, days = 0, hours = 0, minutes = 0, seconds = 0;
if (isoPeriod.startsWith("P")) {
isoPeriod = isoPeriod.substring(1);
}
if (isoPeriod.contains("Y")) {
years = extractValue(isoPeriod, 'Y');
isoPeriod = isoPeriod.replace("Y", "");
}
if (isoPeriod.contains("M")) {
months = extractValue(isoPeriod, 'M');
isoPeriod = isoPeriod.replace("M", "");
}
if (isoPeriod.contains("D")) {
days = extractValue(isoPeriod, 'D');
isoPeriod = isoPeriod.replace("D", "");
}
if (isoPeriod.contains("T")) {
isoPeriod = isoPeriod.substring(1);
}
if (isoPeriod.contains("H")) {
hours = extractValue(isoPeriod, 'H');
isoPeriod = isoPeriod.replace("H", "");
}
if (isoPeriod.contains("M")) {
minutes = extractValue(isoPeriod, 'M');
isoPeriod = isoPeriod.replace("M", "");
}
if (isoPeriod.contains("S")) {
seconds = extractValue(isoPeriod, 'S');
isoPeriod = isoPeriod.replace("S", "");
}
if (years > 0) {
result.append(years).append(" year(s)");
}
if (months > 0) {
result.append(months).append(" month(s)");
}
if (days > 0) {
result.append(days).append(" day(s)");
}
if (hours > 0) {
result.append(hours).append(" hour(s)");
}
if (minutes > 0) {
result.append(minutes).append(" minute(s)");
}
if (seconds > 0) {
result.append(seconds).append(" second(s)");
}
return result.toString();
}
private static int extractValue(String input, char unit) {
int startIndex = input.indexOf(unit);
int endIndex = startIndex + 1;
while (endIndex < input.length() && Character.isDigit(input.charAt(endIndex))) {
endIndex++;
}
return Integer.parseInt(input.substring(startIndex + 1, endIndex));
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
String isoPeriod = "P3Y6M4DT12H30M5S";
String humanReadable = convertIsoPeriodToHumanReadable(isoPeriod);
System.out.println("Human-readable duration: " + humanReadable);
}
}
Human-readable duration: 3 year(s) 6 month(s) 4 day(s) 12 hour(s) 30 minute(s) 5 second(s)
Comparison of Methods
| Method | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| `Duration` class |
|
|
| Custom parsing and formatting |
|
|
Choose the method that best suits your needs and project requirements.
Example Usage in Android Studio
In an Android Studio project, you can use either of the methods described above to convert ISO 8601 periods within your activities, fragments, or other components. Ensure that your project is set up with the necessary Java libraries.
Conclusion
Converting ISO 8601 periods to human-readable strings in Android Studio is a common requirement. Whether you choose the convenient `Duration` class or implement custom parsing and formatting, you can easily achieve this functionality for better user experience. Remember to select the approach that aligns best with your project's needs and desired output format.