Calculating Age In Java From Birth Date

Playing around with dates is tricky and can sometimes make you use your head, specially with the boundary conditions. In this tutorial, I am presenting a code that can take any birth date as the input and then calculates what is his / her age now.

Here is the algorithm:

• Subtract birth year from current year.
• Check if birth month is greater than current month (condition 1)
• If birth month is same, check if birth day of the month is latter than the current day of the month (condition 2)
• If condition 1 or condition 2 is satisfied, subtract 1 year from the difference calculated in step 1.
• This value is the correct age of the individual.

Having said that, here is the Java implementation of this algorithm.

package com.kushal.utils.date;

/**
 * @Author Kushal Paudyal
 * www.sanjaal.com/java
 * Last Modified On 2009-10-13
 *
 * Takes any birth date as input
 * Calculates the current age
 */
import java.util.GregorianCalendar;
import java.util.Calendar;

public class AgeCalculation {

/**
* Month Representations
*/
static final int JAN = 0;
static final int FEB = 1;
static final int MAR = 2;
static final int APR = 3;
static final int MAY = 4;
static final int JUN = 5;
static final int JUL = 6;
static final int AUG = 7;
static final int SEP = 8;
static final int OCT = 9;
static final int NOV = 10;
static final int DEC = 11;

public static void main(String[] args) {
System.out.println("Born In 1982-JUL-11. Current Age: "
+ calculateMyAge(1982, JUL, 11));
System.out.println("Born In 1957-DEC-09. Current Age: "
+ calculateMyAge(1957, DEC, 9));
}

/**
*
* @param year --> Birth Year
* @param month --> Birth Month
* @param day --> Birth Day
* @return --> Calculated Age
*/
private static int calculateMyAge(int year, int month, int day) {
Calendar birthCal = new GregorianCalendar(year, month, day);

Calendar nowCal = new GregorianCalendar();

int age = nowCal.get(Calendar.YEAR) - birthCal.get(Calendar.YEAR);

boolean isMonthGreater = birthCal.get(Calendar.MONTH) >= nowCal
.get(Calendar.MONTH);

boolean isMonthSameButDayGreater = birthCal.get(Calendar.MONTH) == nowCal
.get(Calendar.MONTH)
&& birthCal.get(Calendar.DAY_OF_MONTH) > nowCal
.get(Calendar.DAY_OF_MONTH);

if (isMonthGreater || isMonthSameButDayGreater) {
age=age-1;
}
return age;
}
/*
* SANJAAL CORPS MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES ABOUT THE SUITABILITY OF
* THE SOFTWARE, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED
* TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A
* PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. SANJAAL CORPS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR
* ANY DAMAGES SUFFERED BY LICENSEE AS A RESULT OF USING, MODIFYING OR
* DISTRIBUTING THIS SOFTWARE OR ITS DERIVATIVES.
*
* THIS SOFTWARE IS NOT DESIGNED OR INTENDED FOR USE OR RESALE AS ON-LINE
* CONTROL EQUIPMENT IN HAZARDOUS ENVIRONMENTS REQUIRING FAIL-SAFE
* PERFORMANCE, SUCH AS IN THE OPERATION OF NUCLEAR FACILITIES, AIRCRAFT
* NAVIGATION OR COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL, DIRECT LIFE
* SUPPORT MACHINES, OR WEAPONS SYSTEMS, IN WHICH THE FAILURE OF THE
* SOFTWARE COULD LEAD DIRECTLY TO DEATH, PERSONAL INJURY, OR SEVERE
* PHYSICAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE ("HIGH RISK ACTIVITIES"). SANJAAL CORPS
* SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR
* HIGH RISK ACTIVITIES.
*/
}

Here is the output of the program above:

Born In 1982-JUL-11. Current Age: 27
Born In 1957-DEC-09. Current Age: 51

Originally posted 2009-10-13 10:18:55.