title: getting java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: Illegal pattern character 'o'? while parsing java.text.SimpleDateFormat
body: <p>I wanted to convert from string to java.util.Date. for the same purpose I used following code,</p>
  
  <pre><code>String timeStamp = "Mon Feb 14 18:15:39 IST 2011";
  DateFormat formatter = new SimpleDateFormat("dow mon dd hh:mm:ss zzz yyyy");
  Date ts = (Date)formatter.parse(timeStamp);
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>The format given to SimpleDateFormat() is format of java.util.Date. When you convert util's Date to string it comes in this format('dow mon dd hh:mm:ss zzz yyyy').
  But when I execute code, It gives me Exception. I Don't know what exactly I needed to do to get rid of this problem. I am posting the part of StackTrace of exception. If anybody knows the solution,</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>java.lang.IllegalArgumentException:
    Illegal pattern character 'o'     at
    java.text.SimpleDateFormat.compile(SimpleDateFormat.java:769)
      at
    java.text.SimpleDateFormat.initialize(SimpleDateFormat.java:576)
      at
    java.text.SimpleDateFormat.(SimpleDateFormat.java:501)
      at
    java.text.SimpleDateFormat.(SimpleDateFormat.java:476)
    Thank you in advance.</p>
  </blockquote>