Java Utililty Methods yyyy

if (date == null) {
    return null;
SimpleDateFormat sdf = new SimpleDateFormat(outputPattern);
return sdf.format(date);

LOCK.lock();
try {
    DateFormat fmt = new SimpleDateFormat(pattern);
    return fmt.format(date);
} catch (Exception e) {
    e.printStackTrace();
    return null;
} finally {
...

SimpleDateFormat format = new SimpleDateFormat(pattern);
return format.format(date);

SimpleDateFormat format = new SimpleDateFormat(pattern);
return format.format(date);

if (pattern == null || pattern.equals("") || pattern.equals("null")) {
    pattern = "yyyy-MM-dd";
SimpleDateFormat sdf = new SimpleDateFormat(pattern);
return sdf.format(date);

if (date == null)
    return "";
SimpleDateFormat dateformat = new SimpleDateFormat(sf);
SimpleDateFormat sdf = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd");
if (date.getHours() == 0)
    return sdf.format(date);
else
    return dateformat.format(date);
...

return TIMEZONE_DATE_FORMATS.get().computeIfAbsent(timeZone, aTimeZone -> {
    SimpleDateFormat sdf = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd");
    sdf.setTimeZone(aTimeZone);
    return sdf;
}).format(date);

String returnValue = null;
if ((inputDate != null) && (formatPattern != null)) {
    SimpleDateFormat targetFormat = new SimpleDateFormat(formatPattern);
    returnValue = targetFormat.format(inputDate);
return returnValue;

String formattedDate = "";
try {
    DateFormat df = DateFormat.getInstance();
    SimpleDateFormat sf = (SimpleDateFormat) df;
    sf.applyPattern(format);
    formattedDate = df.format(unformattedDate);
} catch (RuntimeException e) {
return formattedDate;

if (aDateTime == null) {
    return null;
SimpleDateFormat theFormat = new SimpleDateFormat(XML_DATE_FORMAT);
theFormat.setTimeZone(Calendar.getInstance().getTimeZone());
return theFormat.format(aDateTime.toDate());