[SalesForce] How to insert a Date and Boolean columns into a DataExtension in ExactTarget using FuelSdk in Java

I have my Java based FuelSdk working for String column types. But as soon as I try to insert a date or a boolean, the application blows up.

It looks like I need to specify the data type for the column, but I can't find any example on how do that.

I have found the questions here about date format and have confirmed that I am writing the date in the correct format.

How can I tell FuelSdk that I am inserting a Date?

Best Answer

Fuel isn't going to format your date for you, nor will ExactTarget once it receives the data. You need to provide a valid data format for the date field if you want ExactTarget to accept it. You would pass it through Fuel as a string (as you are ostensibly doing) but it needs to be in the Date format.

Acceptable Date Formats:

Date: "YYYY-MM-DD"

Date and Time: "YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ssZ"

(Date and Time also accepts offset times like YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss+hh:mm and YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss-hh:mm)

Related Solutions

[SalesForce] Java sql.TimeStamp to Salesforce

When dealing with DateTime values in the Salesforce API they should be sent in ISO 8601 format with the UTC value.

Salesforce will change the value displayed in the UI based on the current users UTC offset.

Assuming your sample data is in the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) time zone, it would be:

2013-10-2013T13:01:01.000Z

[SalesForce] Apex: Date/DateTime.parse or valueOf string gets error

I think this is really lame, but there is no native way to parse "complex" strings into dates with Apex at the moment (Jan'16). You will have to write your own substring utility method along the lines of:

String dateString = 'Thu Jan 14 2016 23:29:58 GMT+1100 (AEDT)';

String mon = dateString.subString(4,7);
String dat = dateString.subString(8,10);
String yea = dateString.subString(11,15);

String monNum = '1';
if(mon.equals('Feb')) monNum = '2';
if(mon.equals('Mar')) monNum = '3';
if(mon.equals('Apr')) monNum = '4';
if(mon.equals('May')) monNum = '5';
if(mon.equals('Jun')) monNum = '6';
if(mon.equals('Jul')) monNum = '7';
if(mon.equals('Aug')) monNum = '8';
if(mon.equals('Sep')) monNum = '9';
if(mon.equals('Oct')) monNum = '10';
if(mon.equals('Nov')) monNum = '11';
if(mon.equals('Dec')) monNum = '12';

theDate = Date.newInstance(integer.valueOf(yea), 
 integer.valueOf(monNum), 
 integer.valueOf(dat));

and also check your input will always give a 2 digit date value for day (ie the second is 02)... or the index won't line up for the year correctly. I have done this once or twice (through gritted teeth) in Salesforce.

The date.parse only turns the date string into a date/datetime if it matches the users Locale settings, you can't "provide" a format for it to interpret the dateTime out of (like Java etc.) - even though the date engine in Apex is literally using the SimpleDateFormat of Java.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

[SalesForce] Java sql.TimeStamp to Salesforce

[SalesForce] Apex: Date/DateTime.parse or valueOf string gets error

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