public static String getBestDateFormat(List<String> dateSamples) {
String[] formats = DataTypeDetector.COMMON_DATE_FORMATS;
ArrayList<FormatterHits> formatters = new ArrayList<FormatterHits>(formats.length);
for (String format : formats) {
formatters.add(new FormatterHits(format));
}
// try each common format on the sample, counting which one works
for (String sample : dateSamples) {
for (FormatterHits fh : formatters) {
try {
fh.getFormatter().parseDateTime(sample);
fh.increment();
} catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
// not a goo one, try the others
}
}
}
Collections.sort(formatters);
if (formatters.get(0).getHits() > 0) {
return formatters.get(0).getFormat();
} else {
return null;
}
}
public int compareTo(FormatterHits formatterHits) {
return formatterHits.getHits().compareTo(hits);
}