public interface

ReadableInstant

implements Comparable<T>
org.joda.time.ReadableInstant
Known Indirect Subclasses

Class Overview

Defines an instant in the datetime continuum. This interface expresses the datetime as milliseconds from 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z.

The implementation of this interface may be mutable or immutable. This interface only gives access to retrieve data, never to change it.

Methods in your application should be defined using ReadableInstant as a parameter if the method only wants to read the instant without needing to know the specific datetime fields.

Summary

Public Methods
abstract int compareTo(Object readableInstant)
Compares this object with the specified object for ascending millisecond instant order.
abstract boolean equals(Object readableInstant)
Compares this object with the specified object for equality based on the millisecond instant and the Chronology.
abstract int get(DateTimeFieldType type)
Get the value of one of the fields of a datetime.
abstract Chronology getChronology()
Gets the chronology of the instant.
abstract long getMillis()
Get the value as the number of milliseconds since the epoch, 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z.
abstract DateTimeZone getZone()
Gets the time zone of the instant from the chronology.
abstract int hashCode()
Gets a hash code for the instant that is compatible with the equals method.
abstract boolean isAfter(ReadableInstant instant)
Is this instant after the instant passed in comparing solely by millisecond.
abstract boolean isBefore(ReadableInstant instant)
Is this instant before the instant passed in comparing solely by millisecond.
abstract boolean isEqual(ReadableInstant instant)
Is this instant equal to the instant passed in comparing solely by millisecond.
abstract boolean isSupported(DateTimeFieldType field)
Checks whether the field type specified is supported by this implementation.
abstract Instant toInstant()
Get the value as a simple immutable Instant object.
abstract String toString()
Get the value as a String in a recognisable ISO8601 format.
[Expand]
Inherited Methods
From interface java.lang.Comparable

Public Methods

public abstract int compareTo (Object readableInstant)

Compares this object with the specified object for ascending millisecond instant order. This ordering is inconsistent with equals, as it ignores the Chronology.

All ReadableInstant instances are accepted.

Parameters
readableInstant a readable instant to check against
Returns
  • negative value if this is less, 0 if equal, or positive value if greater
Throws
NullPointerException if the object is null
ClassCastException if the object type is not supported

public abstract boolean equals (Object readableInstant)

Compares this object with the specified object for equality based on the millisecond instant and the Chronology. All ReadableInstant instances are accepted.

To compare two instants for absolute time (ie. UTC milliseconds ignoring the chronology), use isEqual(ReadableInstant) or compareTo(Object).

Parameters
readableInstant a readable instant to check against
Returns
  • true if millisecond and chronology are equal, false if not or the instant is null or of an incorrect type

public abstract int get (DateTimeFieldType type)

Get the value of one of the fields of a datetime.

This method uses the chronology of the instant to obtain the value.

Parameters
type a field type, usually obtained from DateTimeFieldType, not null
Returns
  • the value of that field
Throws
IllegalArgumentException if the field type is null

public abstract Chronology getChronology ()

Gets the chronology of the instant.

The Chronology provides conversion from the millisecond value to meaningful fields in a particular calendar system.

Returns
  • the Chronology, never null

public abstract long getMillis ()

Get the value as the number of milliseconds since the epoch, 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z.

Returns
  • the value as milliseconds

public abstract DateTimeZone getZone ()

Gets the time zone of the instant from the chronology.

Returns
  • the DateTimeZone that the instant is using, never null

public abstract int hashCode ()

Gets a hash code for the instant that is compatible with the equals method.

The formula used must be as follows:

 ((int) (getMillis() ^ (getMillis() >>> 32))) +
 (getChronology().hashCode())
 

Returns
  • a hash code as defined above

public abstract boolean isAfter (ReadableInstant instant)

Is this instant after the instant passed in comparing solely by millisecond.

Parameters
instant an instant to check against, null means now
Returns
  • true if the instant is after the instant passed in

public abstract boolean isBefore (ReadableInstant instant)

Is this instant before the instant passed in comparing solely by millisecond.

Parameters
instant an instant to check against, null means now
Returns
  • true if the instant is before the instant passed in

public abstract boolean isEqual (ReadableInstant instant)

Is this instant equal to the instant passed in comparing solely by millisecond.

Parameters
instant an instant to check against, null means now
Returns
  • true if the instant is equal to the instant passed in

public abstract boolean isSupported (DateTimeFieldType field)

Checks whether the field type specified is supported by this implementation.

Parameters
field the field type to check, may be null which returns false
Returns
  • true if the field is supported

public abstract Instant toInstant ()

Get the value as a simple immutable Instant object.

This can be useful if you don't trust the implementation of the interface to be well-behaved, or to get a guaranteed immutable object.

Returns
  • the value as an Instant object

public abstract String toString ()

Get the value as a String in a recognisable ISO8601 format.

The string output is in ISO8601 format to enable the String constructor to correctly parse it.

Returns
  • the value as an ISO8601 string