Java date iterator factory, with rules specifying how to calculate the intervals

I am looking for a Java class where I can specify a set of date rules, such as "every 3rd sunday" and "the first occurrence of a monday every second month". I want to be able to get something like an infinite iterator out of it (.next() would return the next date matching the rules set).

I think I'd be able to build it myself - but calendars are a hassle, and it feels like something similar should exist already. I hate being the one to reinvent a crappier wheel.

Is anyone aware of something like this? I have been looking at JODA, and it seems to lay the groundwork for it, but does not appear to give the full functionality I want..

From stackoverflow

• I don't think there's any readily made iterators for joda-time or Java Calendar API for that matter, however with joda it's so easy that you should just go with it. For example after re-familiarizing myself with joda after a few months pause I made this in about 10 minutes:

  public class InstantIterator implements Iterator<Instant>,
                                          Iterable<Instant> {
  
      private Instant current;
      private final Instant original;
      private Duration skip;
      private List<Instant> skipThese;
  
      public InstantIterator(Instant startFrom, Duration skip) {
          this.current = original = startFrom;
          this.skip = skip;
          skipThese = new Vector<Instant>();
      }
  
      public boolean hasNext() {
          return true;
      }
  
      public Instant next() {
          Instant currentNext = current.toInstant();
          current = current.plus(skip);
          while (skipThese.contains(currentNext)) {
              currentNext = current.toInstant();
              current = current.plus(skip);
          }
          return currentNext;
      }
  
      public void remove() {
          skipThese.add(current.toInstant());
      }
  
      public Iterator<Instant> iterator() {
          return this;
      }
  
      public void rewind() {
          current = original.toInstant();
      }
  
      public void resetRemoved() {
          skipThese.clear();
      }
  
      public void resetIterator() {
          rewind();
          resetRemoved();
      }
  }
  

  Joda Time is awesome :-)

  Jacob Hansson : You rocked my afternoon - thanks mate!

  Esko : While not important at all, I just want to say that this is the second Iterator I've ever made which supports remove(), usually I've found it to be too cumbersome to support it.

• My company has something very much like you want but it's for .NET so it probably won't do you any good.

• You could have a look at Quartz which is designed for job scheduling.