Compare Dates in Java

package nilpointer.net;

import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
import java.util.Calendar;
import java.util.Date;

public class Demo {

	public static void main(String[] args) {

		try {
			SimpleDateFormat simpleDateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat("dd/MM/yyyy");

			Date date1 = simpleDateFormat.parse("20/10/2021");
			Calendar calendar1 = Calendar.getInstance();
			calendar1.setTime(date1);

			Date date2 = simpleDateFormat.parse("23/10/2021");
			Calendar calendar2 = Calendar.getInstance();
			calendar2.setTime(date2);

			System.out.println("Approach 1");
			if (date1.after(date2)) {
				System.out.println("Date1 is after Date2");
			}

			if (date1.before(date2)) {
				System.out.println("Date1 is before Date2");
			}

			if (date1.equals(date2)) {
				System.out.println("Date1 is equal Date2");
			}

			System.out.println("Approach 2");
			if (date1.compareTo(date2) > 0) {
				System.out.println("Date1 is after Date2");
			} else if (date1.compareTo(date2) < 0) {
				System.out.println("Date1 is before Date2");
			} else {
				System.out.println("Date1 is equal to Date2");
			}

		} catch (Exception e) {
			System.err.println(e.getMessage());
		}

	}

}

Output

Approach 1
Date1 is before Date2
Approach 2
Date1 is before Date2