objective c - How Do You Figure Out What the Date Format Is For a Given NSString? -

hey stackoverflow people,

i have date timestamp nsstring following value backend server:

nsstring *date = @"2014-01-27t21:06:59.000-05:00"; 

i can't life of me figure out date format string above , have been trying use nsdateformatter object 2 following date formats (that have both returned me nil):

format 1: @"yyyy-mm-ddthh:mm:ss.000-05:00";

format 2: @"yyyy-mm-ddthh:mm:ss.sss-ss:ss";

my question is: how heck use given string determine date format you're working with?

try this, works:

@"yyyy-mm-dd't'hh:mm:ss.ssszzzzz" 

the -05:00 timezone, need use zzzzz that.

also, because t not part of date, need scape it, use 't' that.

notice hh instead of hh.

find formatters examples here:

http://www.unicode.org/reports/tr35/tr35-25.html#date_format_patterns

about question of how know format, have guess based on see, or ask person providing date.