How to Retrieve Duration Using the New DateTime API in Java?

How can I get duration using the new DateTime API in Java?

import java.time.Duration;
import java.time.LocalDateTime;

public class DurationExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        LocalDateTime start = LocalDateTime.of(2023, 1, 1, 10, 0);
        LocalDateTime end = LocalDateTime.of(2023, 1, 1, 12, 30);

        Duration duration = Duration.between(start, end);
        System.out.println("Duration: " + duration);
        System.out.println("Hours: " + duration.toHours());
        System.out.println("Minutes: " + duration.toMinutes());
    }
}

In Java, the new DateTime API introduced in Java 8 makes handling date and time simple and intuitive. To calculate the duration between two time points, you can use the `Duration` class, which represents a time-based amount of time between two instants. This functionality allows you to easily compute periods that can be expressed in hours, minutes, seconds, etc.

import java.time.Duration;\nimport java.time.LocalDateTime;\n\npublic class DurationExample {\n    public static void main(String[] args) {\n        LocalDateTime start = LocalDateTime.of(2023, 1, 1, 10, 0);\n        LocalDateTime end = LocalDateTime.of(2023, 1, 1, 12, 30);\n\n        Duration duration = Duration.between(start, end);\n        System.out.println("Duration: " + duration);\n        System.out.println("Hours: " + duration.toHours());\n        System.out.println("Minutes: " + duration.toMinutes());\n    }\n}

Causes

• Not using the correct DateTime API classes.
• Initializing LocalDateTime instances incorrectly.
• Ignoring time zones which can affect duration calculations.

Solutions

• Use `LocalDateTime` for representing local date-time.
• Utilize the `Duration.between()` method to calculate the duration.
• Convert `Duration` to hours, minutes or seconds as needed using provided methods.

Mistake: Using outdated Date API and classes, like java.util.Date and java.util.Calendar.

Solution: Always prefer the java.time package introduced in Java 8.

Mistake: Confusing Duration with Period; both serve different purposes.

Solution: Use Duration for time-based values (hours/minutes), and Period for date-based values (days/months).

Mistake: Failing to handle timezone differences when times are in different zones.

Solution: When dealing with timezone-aware dates, consider using ZonedDateTime.