Thread: Compare two date objects

I made a bill class that uses a date and money class to create bills.
I have to be able to check whether the paid date is before (or on) the due date. I am unsure of how to compare the dates.

I am doing this in the public void setPaid method.

Bill Class:

public class Bill{
 
    //Variables/Data
    Money amount;
    Date dueDate;
    Date paidDate;
    String originator;
 
    //Methods
 
    public Bill(Money amount, Date dueDate, String originator){
       setAmount(amount);                
       setDueDate(dueDate);
       setOriginator(originator);
 
    }
 
    public Bill(Bill toCopy){
       this.setAmount(toCopy.amount);
       this.setDueDate(toCopy.dueDate);
       this.setOriginator(toCopy.originator);
 
 
       //setAmount(toCopy.getAmount());                
       //setDueDate(toCopy.getDueDate());
       //setOriginator(toCopy.getOriginator());
    }
 
    public Money getAmount(){
        return amount;
    }
 
    public Date getDueDate(){
        return dueDate;
    }
 
    public String getOriginator(){
        return originator; 
    }
 
    public boolean isPaid(){
        if(!(paidDate == null)){
            return true;
        }else{
            return false;
        }
    }
 
    public void setPaid(Date onDay){
       if(dueDate > paidDate){
           System.out.println("The due date has passed");
      }else{
           paidDate = onDay;
       }
    }
 
    public void setUnpaid(){
        paidDate = null;
    }
 
    public void setDueDate(Date nextDate){
        dueDate = nextDate;
    }
 
    public void setAmount(Money amountGiven){
        amount = amountGiven;
    }
 
    public void setOriginator(String originatorGiven){
        originator = originatorGiven;
    }
 
    public String toString(){
        if(paidDate== null){
            if(originator == null){
                return "An unknown company owes " + amount + " by the due date " + dueDate;
            }else{    
                return originator + " owes " + amount + " by the due date " + dueDate;
            }
        }else{
            if(originator == null){
                return "An unknown company owes " + " paid " + amount + " by the due date " + dueDate
                   + " it was paid on " + paidDate;
            }else{    
                return originator + " paid " + amount + " by the due date " + dueDate
                   + " it was paid on " + paidDate;
            }
 
        }
    }
 
 
    public boolean equals(Bill toCompare){
        //null check
        if (toCompare == null){
            return false;
        }else{
            if(!getClass().equals(toCompare.getClass())){
                return false;
            }else{    
                Bill toCopy = (Bill) toCompare;
                return getOriginator() == toCompare.getOriginator() &&
                       getDueDate() == toCompare.getDueDate() &&
                       getAmount() == toCompare.getAmount() ;
            }
 
        }
    }
 
}

Date Class:

public class Date{
    private int month, day, year;
 
    public Date(){
        setMonth(1);
        setDay(1);
        setYear(1970);   
    }
 
    public Date(int month, int day, int year){
        setMonth(month);
        setDay(day);
        setYear(year);    
    }
 
    public Date(Date otherDate){
        setMonth(otherDate.getMonth());
        setDay(otherDate.getDay());
        setYear(otherDate.getYear());  
    }
 
    public int getMonth(){
        return month;
    }
 
    public int getDay(){
        return day;
    }
 
    public int getYear(){
        return year;
    }
 
    public void setMonth(int newMonth){
        if(newMonth < 1 || newMonth > 12){
            throw new IllegalStateException(String.format("Illegal month: %d", newMonth));  
        } else{
            month = newMonth;
        }
    }
 
    public void setDay(int newDay){
        if(newDay < 1 || newDay > 31){
            throw new IllegalStateException(String.format("Illegal day: %d", newDay));  
        } else{
            day = newDay;
        }
    }
 
    public void setYear(int newYear){
        if(newYear < 1970){
            throw new IllegalStateException(String.format("Illegal year: %d", newYear));  
        } else{
            year = newYear;
        }
    }
 
    public void setDate(int month, int day, int year){
        setMonth(month);
        setDay(day);
        setYear(year);
 
    }
 
    public String toString(){
        return String.format("%d/%d/%d", getMonth(), getDay(), getYear());
 
    }
 
    public boolean equals(Object otherObject){
        if (otherObject == null){
            return false;
        }else{
 
            if(!getClass().equals(otherObject.getClass())){
                return false;
            }else{
                Date otherDate = (Date) otherObject; 
                return getMonth()== otherDate.getMonth() && 
                       getDay()== otherDate.getDay() && 
                       getYear()== otherDate.getYear();
 
                    }
 
        }    
    }
}

Be aware that in Java if you have two objects and do an == compare, you are checking if the two objects are the same exact identical object, not if the two objects are equal. To do the later you would implement and use the equals method of the objects in question.

Rolf