java - How to print out a string between certain dates from log file -

so i've got log file need search strings , print out lines fall in between date ranges.

ive got first part done im stuck on second. how print out string within date. want print strings between 2012-09-01 , 2012-09-15

log example:

  2012-09-13 16:04:22 debug sid:34523 bid:1329 rid:65d33 'starting new session'  2012-09-13 16:04:30 debug sid:34523 bid:1329 rid:54f22 'authenticating user'  2012-09-13 16:05:30 debug sid:42111 bid:319 rid:65a23 'starting new session'  2012-09-13 16:04:50 error sid:34523 bid:1329 rid:54ff3 'missing authentication token'  2012-09-13 16:05:31 debug sid:42111 bid:319 rid:86472 'authenticating user'  2012-09-13 16:05:31 debug sid:42111 bid:319 rid:7a323 'deleting asset id 543234'  2012-09-13 16:05:32 warn sid:42111 bid:319 rid:7a323 'invalid asset id' 

this code far:

import java.io.file; import java.io.filenotfoundexception; import java.util.arraylist; import java.util.date; import java.util.scanner;   public class readlogs {     public static void main(string args[]) throws filenotfoundexception{        string line, logstring ="";        date startdate, enddate;         arraylist<string> loglist = new arraylist<>();         scanner logscanner = new scanner(new        file("c:\\users\\cmccarth\\desktop\\logs.txt"));        while (logscanner.hasnextline()) {             line = logscanner.nextline();             loglist.add(line);                           }         (string z : loglist) { //          system.out.println(z);         }         // function prints out lines containing specific string         for( int = 0; <= loglist.size() - 1; i++)        {            logstring = loglist.get(i);            if(logstring.contains("16:04:22")){                system.out.println("string contains" +logstring);            }         }    }      } 

perform following steps :

1) create 2 date objects date range want search in ( these dates using simple date format) :

 date lowerrange;   date upperrange; 

2) loop through filtered log list , okenize string log file , date tokens[0].

string[] tokens = logstring.split(" "); string datestr = tokens[0];  // convert date string using simple date format date date = new simpledateformat("yyyy-mm-dd", locale.english).parse(datestr); 

3) can compare date 2 dates have see if falls in range.

if(date > lowerrange && date < upperrange) {   // date wanted...process log file entry } 

refer following post string date conversion : string-to-date