How to format datetime from string - objective-c

Question

I have one string like this "2012 12 12 12:12", how to format as a Date ?
I try this but not work
-(NSDate *)stringToDate:(NSString *)date
{
NSDateFormatter *formatter = [[NSDateFormatter alloc] init];
NSTimeZone *timeZone = [NSTimeZone localTimeZone];
[formatter setTimeZone:timeZone];
[formatter setDateFormat : #"yyyy MM dd HH:mm"];
NSString *stringTime = date;
NSDate *dateTime = [formatter dateFromString:stringTime];
[formatter release];
return dateTime;
}
Update: when I change the position of formatter, it also can not work by:
NSLog(#"%#", stringToDate(#"2012 12 12 12:12"));
It outputs "null", But it works with string format like "2012-12-12 12:12"

Answer 1

Change this,
[formatter setDateFormat : #"yyyy MM dd HH:mm"];
[formatter release];
NSString *stringTime = date;
NSDate *dateTime = [formatter dateFromString:stringTime];
to
[formatter setDateFormat : #"yyyy MM dd HH:mm"];
NSString *stringTime = date;
NSDate *dateTime = [formatter dateFromString:stringTime];
[formatter release];
Don't release formatter until you are done with the use of it in converting from string to date. In your code, you are releasing it before the conversion itself.
Update:
You need to use it as,
NSLog(#"%#", [self stringToDate:#"2012 12 12 12:12"]);
You can not use stringToDate(#"2012 12 12 12:12") in objective-c. Equivalent here is [self stringToDate:#"2012 12 12 12:12"].

Answer 2

You can use this:
NSDateFormatter *formatter = [[[NSDateFormatter alloc] init] autorelease];
instead of these two lines:
NSDateFormatter *formatter = [[NSDateFormatter alloc] init];
...
[formatter release];
If you use ARC, then no trouble to you for memory management.
EDIT: But kindly read some memory management rules and guidelines, that is a must for everyone working in cococa.

Answer 3

You are releasing NSDateFormatter before it is used
Use this code :-
-(NSDate *)stringToDate:(NSString *)date
{
NSDateFormatter *formatter = [[NSDateFormatter alloc] init];
NSTimeZone *timeZone = [NSTimeZone localTimeZone];
[formatter setTimeZone:timeZone];
[formatter setDateFormat : #"yyyy MM dd HH:mm"];
NSString *stringTime = date;
NSDate *dateTime = [formatter dateFromString:stringTime];
[formatter release];
return dateTime;
}