iOS dateformatter producing wrong date

johnmerlino said:

self.report.time returns 02/13/2012 03:40:02 PM


I try to format it:

Code:

- (NSString *)formatTimeFor:(Report *)report
{
    if(report){
        NSDateFormatter *dateFormat = [[NSDateFormatter alloc] init];
        [dateFormat setTimeZone:[NSTimeZone timeZoneWithAbbreviation:@"GMT"]];
        [dateFormat setDateFormat:@"MM/dd/YYYY HH:mm:ss a"];
        NSDate *date = [dateFormat dateFromString:report.time];
                
        NSDateFormatter *formatter = [[NSDateFormatter alloc] init];
        [formatter setTimeZone:[NSTimeZone systemTimeZone]];
        [formatter setDateFormat:@"yyyy/MM/dd HH:mm:ss a"];
        NSString *dateTimeStr = [formatter stringFromDate:date];
        
        return [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@", dateTimeStr];
    }
    else {
        return  @"No time specified";
    }

}

and it returns 2011/12/25 07:40:02 AM

Click to expand...

You are creating a date formatter that assumes your input date string is in the GMT time zone, and then converting that date into a new date string in the user's local time zone. Unless the user is in GMT, your code will give the wrong date/time.

Get rid of the line that sets the first date formatter to GMT. Let both date formatters assume the user's current time zone. Alternately, make BOTH date formatters use GMT.