class DateConverter extends AbstractAttributeConverter {

    protected String format;

    protected Locale locale;

    /**
     * <p>Constructor for DateConverter.</p>
     */
    public DateConverter() {
        this(DateTimeFormatter.ISO_LOCAL_DATE_TIME.toString());
    }

    /**
     * <p>Constructor for DateConverter.</p>
     *
     * @param format a {@link String} object
     */
    public DateConverter(final String format) {
        super(Date.class);
        this.format = format;
    }

    /**
     * <p>Constructor for DateConverter.</p>
     *
     * @param format a {@link String} object
     * @param locale a {@link Locale} object
     */
    public DateConverter(final String format, final Locale locale) {
        this(format);
        this.locale = locale;
    }

    /** {@inheritDoc} */
    @Override
    protected Date internalConvert(final Object attribute) {<FILL_FUNCTION_BODY>}
}

        if (attribute instanceof String s) {
            SimpleDateFormat simpleDateFormat;
            if (this.locale == null) {
                simpleDateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat(this.format);
            } else {
                simpleDateFormat = new SimpleDateFormat(this.format, this.locale);
            }
            try {
                return simpleDateFormat.parse(s);
            } catch (final ParseException e) {
                LOGGER.error("parse exception on {} with format: {} and locale: {}", s, this.format, this.locale, e);
            }
        }
        return null;
    
<methods>public java.lang.Boolean accept(java.lang.String) ,public java.lang.Object convert(java.lang.Object) <variables>private final non-sealed Class<? extends java.lang.Object> clazz