SimpleDateFormat and Timestamp does not exist in the 1.6 JDK (1.6.0_18)

Question

I am trying to compile a program with SimpleDateFormat and I get "cannot find symbol". I'm using Netbeans and Maven and in Netbeans, the software finds the correct import java.text.SimpleDateFormat, so it's not a question of the definitions not being there, it's the compiled classes that are missing somehow.
Any ideas what could be the problem?
My classpath: CLASSPATH=.;C:\Program\Java\jdk.1.6.0_18\jre\lib\resources.jar;C:\Program\Java\jdk1.6.0_18\jre\lib\rt.jar;C:\Program\Java\jdk1.6.0_18\jre\lib\sunrsasign.jarI reinstalled both netbeans and the JDK (after first uninstalling them, then removing any remaining files manually and then rebooting my computer).
This simple application demonstrates the problem:
import java.text.DateFormat;
import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
public class DatabaseBuilder
    private DateFormat m_formatter;
    public DatabaseBuilder()
        m_formatter = SimpleDateFormat( "yyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss" );
}Resulting output:
DatabaseBuilder.java:10: cannot find symbol
symbol  : method SimpleDateFormat(java.lang.String)
location: class DatabaseBuilder
        m_formatter = SimpleDateFormat( "yyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss" );
                      ^
1 error

Answer 1

dh-at-cross wrote:
On the internet it is easy to be misunderstood and to me your message came across much more "read the error message, stupid" than you intended I just wanted to let you know.I'm aware that it's easy to be mis-understood on the internet. But to be totally honest: that's a risk, I'm willing to take.
The alternative is to be extremely polite in every post and add an extensive disclaimer describing my very intent in addition to the pure technical discussion.
But I choose not to do that (and thus tolerate a (hopefully) small number of people who are offended by me) for several reasons:
- I'm to lazy to write that disclaimer
- writing it would cost time, which I can use better for helping others or getting some work done
- writing that disclaimer would give people the impression that it will always be that way, but it's not true: you'll have to be able to deal with technical criticism in the technical world
- if someone wants to feel offended, they will find a reason, no matter how polite I am