code: public Date toDate(Object date) {
  
          Date d = null;
          if (null != date) {
              if (date instanceof Date) {
                  d = (Date)date;
              } else if (date instanceof Long) {
                  d = new Date(((Long)date).longValue());
              } else {
                  try {
                      long l = Long.parseLong(date.toString());
                      d = new Date(l);
                  } catch (Exception e) {
                      // do nothing, just let d remain null
                  }
              }
          }
          return d;
      }
docs: Converts the provided object to a date, if possible.
  
  @param date the date.
  
  @return the date as {@link java.util.Date}