StdDateFormat: add option to serialize timezone offset with a colon

[brenuart]

Jackson's StdDateFormat serializes datetimes without colon in the timezone offset, eg. 1970-01-01T01:00:00.123+0100.

Java8 and Joda have decided to include a colon in the offset, eg 1970-01-01T01:00:00.123+01:00.

Although Joda accepts to deserialize a datetime with or without the colon, Java8 considers the colon as mandatory and fails to deserialize datetimes produced Jackson's StdDateFormat.

In addition, some platforms like iOS also require a colon in the offset and are therefore also unable to read dates produces by Jackson's StdDateFormat.

Consequence: It would be nice if Jackson's StdDateFormat could be easily configured, extended or customized to include a colon in the timezone offset.

[cowtowncoder]

I agree in that it'd be good to improve inter-operability here.

Unfortunately this seems like a tricky thing to do. It is possible to specify format (via @JsonFormat(pattern=...), global defaults), which users probably have to do, but I can not think of other easy setting to use. Use of SerializationFeature would be a possibility although it'd seem unfortunate to add a datatype-specific feature in general set (it has been done often before, but seems wrong nonetheless). And then we have the practical problem that API should not be extended in patch release, which would suggest any feature added would have to wait until 3.0.
So, bit of a problem there.

[brenuart]

Maybe we could make StdDateFormat configurable via setter methods or constructor arguments.
This way users willing to change the default could simply do:

StdDateFormat fmt = new StdDateFormat();
fmt.setUseTzColumnFormat(true);
mapper.setDateFormat(fmt);

This way they have the full power of the StdDateFormat without having to subclass it and can customise its behaviour without requiring the introduction of new SerializationFeature.

[cowtowncoder]

That sounds like a good idea to me. For Jackson 3.0 we can get more creative -- I think (De)SerializationFeature's could use breaking up. And perhaps there's room for introducing other properties for for @JsonFormat as well.

(also: I think you mean "colon" for the character; I modified title)

[brenuart]

Nice. Let me prepare à PR for this.
And yes, you are right I meant "colon"... ;-)

[brenuart]

May be you should first review the other pending PR since they affect the same class. Otherwise we gonna have merge issues...

[cowtowncoder]

Ok, went ahead, change setters -> with-mutator. Will be in 2.9.1.

[caeaugusto]

Hello,

@cowtowncoder, just to confirm, there were no changes regarding the colon use on @jsonformat right? I couldn't get a working pattern that included it in the timezone.

I also didn't manage to get StdDateFormat to work with ZonedDateTime. My solution right now is a custom serializer that inserts the colon manually. Is there a better way to do it in 2.9.1?

Sorry for the noobish question, I'm new to the web world.