Java Month valueOf() Method

The valueOf() method in Java, part of the java.time.Month enum, returns the Month constant corresponding to the specified name. This method is useful for converting a string name of a month to its corresponding Month enum value.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. valueOf() Method Syntax
3. Understanding valueOf()
4. Examples
   • Basic Usage
   • Using valueOf() in Conditional Statements
5. Conclusion

Introduction

The valueOf() method allows you to convert a string representing the name of a month into its corresponding Month enum value. This is particularly useful when you need to convert string input or data into Month enum instances.

valueOf() Method Syntax

The syntax for the valueOf() method is as follows:

public static Month valueOf(String name)

Parameters:

• name: The name of the month, in uppercase, to convert to a Month enum value.

Returns:

• A Month representing the specified month name.

Throws:

• IllegalArgumentException if the specified name is not a valid month.
• NullPointerException if the specified name is null.

Understanding valueOf()

The valueOf() method takes a string representing the name of a month (in uppercase) and returns the corresponding Month enum instance. If the provided string does not match any Month enum constant, an IllegalArgumentException is thrown.

Examples

Basic Usage

To demonstrate the basic usage of valueOf(), we will convert various month names to Month enum values.

Example

import java.time.Month;

public class MonthValueOfExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String monthName = "MARCH";
        Month month = Month.valueOf(monthName);

        System.out.println("Month name: " + monthName + " - Month: " + month);
    }
}

Output:

Month name: MARCH - Month: MARCH

Using valueOf() in Conditional Statements

This example shows how to use the valueOf() method in conditional statements to perform actions based on the month name.

Example

import java.time.Month;

public class MonthConditionalExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String monthName = "NOVEMBER";
        Month month = Month.valueOf(monthName);

        if (month == Month.NOVEMBER) {
            System.out.println("The month is November.");
        } else {
            System.out.println("The month is not November.");
        }
    }
}

Output:

The month is November.

Conclusion

The Month.valueOf() method is used to convert a string representing the name of a month into its corresponding Month enum value. This method is particularly useful for converting string input or data into Month enum instances. By understanding and using the valueOf() method, you can effectively manage and manipulate date-related data in your Java applications.