string convert to long How?

Please help me with the codes
to convert string values to long
The following command is wrong because
values from parameters are string, but
I need it to be converted to long.
How to do that ?

long fromcgi = getParameter("DATE");

You may use Long.parseLong(String s) or Long.valueOf(String s) to convert your string to a long
value.
good luck,
Alfred Wu