Java class that fixes a number of SimpleDateFormat annoyances

StrictDateFormat.java

import java.text.DateFormat;
import java.text.ParseException;
import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;
import java.util.Date;

/**
 * Helper class providing a thread-safe, null-safe wrapper around a DateFormat
 * object configured to perform 'strict' (i.e. non-lenient) date parsing.
 * 
 * @author rob.dawson
 */
public class StrictDateFormat {
    private final DateFormat dateFormat;
    private final String formatString;

    /**
     * Initialises the instance.
     * 
     * @param formatString the format string to be used for String/Date conversion
     * @throws IllegalArgumentException is the specified String is not a valid date format
     */
    public StrictDateFormat(final String formatString) {
        this.formatString = formatString;
        dateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat(formatString);
        dateFormat.setLenient(false);
    }

    /**
     * Attempts to convert the specified text into a Date object using the
     * format string for this instance.
     * 
     * @param dateText the String to be converted to a date
     * @return a Date object obtained by parsing the specified string, or null if the dateText argument is null
     * @throws IllegalArgumentException is the specified String is not a valid date
     */
    public Date parse(final String dateText) {
        if (dateText == null) {
            return null;
        } else {
            try {
                synchronized (dateFormat) {
                    return dateFormat.parse(dateText);
                }
            } catch (ParseException ex) {
                throw new IllegalArgumentException(
                        String.format(
                                "Unable to convert the text '%1$s' into a Date using the format '%2$s'. The error message was %3$s",
                                dateText, formatString, ex.getMessage()));
            }
        }
    }

    /**
     * Formats the specified Date object into a String conforming to the format
     * string for this instance.
     * 
     * @param date Date object to be formatted
     * @return a String representation of the date argument, or null if the date argument is null
     */
    public String format(final Date date) {
        if (date == null) {
            return null;
        } else {
            synchronized (dateFormat) {
                return dateFormat.format(date);
            }
        }
    }

    @Override
    public String toString() {
        return formatString;
    }
}