Working with ZULU timestamps.

Question

I have this simple code:
String timestamp = "20050723165000Z-0500";
          SimpleDateFormat fmtTimestamp = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyyMMddHHmmss'Z'");
          int start = timestamp.lastIndexOf("Z") + 1;
          int end = timestamp.length();
          String offset = timestamp.substring(start, end);
          Date deliveryDate = fmtTimestamp.parse(timestamp);
          System.out.println(deliveryDate);
          DateFormat outputFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyyMMddHHmmssS");
          TimeZone timezone1 = TimeZone.getTimeZone(offset);
          outputFormat.setTimeZone(timezone1);
          System.out.println(outputFormat.format(deliveryDate));
It prints this: 200507232150000
I need it to print this: 200507231150000
What am I doing wrong?

Answer 1

Is this an earlier post of yours: http://saloon.javaranch.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=33&t=015971
You seem to be confused with + and - ZULU time.
The timestamp you give: 20050723165000Z-0500 is 5 hours before GMT,
ie, depending on daylight savings time, on the eastern side of
North America for example. I assume you want to convert this to
the time at GMT (It would be nice to have you admit to that). Clearly,
this will be +5 hours, not -4 hours. How are you arrive at your times?
Code:
String timestamp = "20050723165000Z-0500";
SimpleDateFormat fmtTimestamp = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyyMMddHHmmss'Z'Z");
Date deliveryDate = fmtTimestamp.parse(timestamp);
DateFormat outputFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyyMMddHHmmssS");
TimeZone timezone = TimeZone.getTimeZone("GMT+0");
outputFormat.setTimeZone(timezone);
System.out.println(outputFormat.format(deliveryDate));