DatePicker

A DatePicker lets the user choose a date from a calendar. It returns a LocalDate object.

FXML

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<?import javafx.scene.control.Button?>
<?import javafx.scene.control.DatePicker?>
<?import javafx.scene.control.Label?>
<?import javafx.scene.layout.VBox?>

<VBox spacing="15"
      alignment="CENTER"
      xmlns="http://javafx.com/javafx/17"
      xmlns:fx="http://javafx.com/fxml/1"
      fx:controller="org.example.demo.HelloController">

    <Label text="Choose your birth date:"/>

    <DatePicker fx:id="birthDatePicker"
                onAction="#handleDateSelection"/>

    <Button text="Show Information"
            onAction="#showDateInformation"/>

    <Label fx:id="resultLabel"
           text="No date selected yet."/>

</VBox>

Controller

package org.example.demo;

import javafx.fxml.FXML;
import javafx.scene.control.DatePicker;
import javafx.scene.control.Label;

import java.time.LocalDate;
import java.time.Period;
import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter;

public class HelloController {

    @FXML
    private DatePicker birthDatePicker;

    @FXML
    private Label resultLabel;

    private final DateTimeFormatter formatter =
            DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("dd / MM / yyyy");

    @FXML
    private void initialize() {

        // Set a default date
        birthDatePicker.setValue(LocalDate.of(2000, 1, 1));

        resultLabel.setText(
                "Default date: " + formatter.format(birthDatePicker.getValue())
        );
    }

    @FXML
    private void handleDateSelection() {

        LocalDate selectedDate = birthDatePicker.getValue();

        if (selectedDate != null) {
            resultLabel.setText(
                    "Selected date: " + formatter.format(selectedDate)
            );
        }
    }

    @FXML
    private void showDateInformation() {

        LocalDate selectedDate = birthDatePicker.getValue();

        if (selectedDate == null) {
            resultLabel.setText("Please select a date first.");
            return;
        }

        // Calculate age
        LocalDate today = LocalDate.now();
        Period age = Period.between(selectedDate, today);

        resultLabel.setText(
                "You selected " + formatter.format(selectedDate)
                        + "\nAge: " + age.getYears() + " years"
                        + "\nMonth: " + selectedDate.getMonth()
        );
    }
}

Example of what happens

If the user selects:

15 / 08 / 2010

The label changes to:

Selected date: 15 / 08 / 2010

Then after clicking the button:

You selected 15 / 08 / 2010
Age: 15 years
Month: AUGUST

Important methods

birthDatePicker.getValue();              // Get selected date
birthDatePicker.setValue(LocalDate.now()); // Set today's date
birthDatePicker.setDisable(true);        // Disable the control
birthDatePicker.setEditable(false);      // Prevent typing manually

More advanced example: prevent future dates

You can stop the user from choosing a future date:

birthDatePicker.setDayCellFactory(picker -> new DateCell() {
    @Override
    public void updateItem(LocalDate date, boolean empty) {
        super.updateItem(date, empty);

        if (date.isAfter(LocalDate.now())) {
            setDisable(true);
            setStyle("-fx-background-color: #ffc0cb;");
        }
    }
});

This disables all dates after today and colors them pink.