Problem with DateTime.ParseE xact

[Fred Strauss]

I am having an odd problem using the DateTime.ParseE xact() method that
I'm hoping someone can help me with.

I have XML files that use 2 different date formats internally. I am
trying to use the same call to ParseExact to parse either format. I am
using C# to call the following form of ParseExact:

public static DateTime ParseExact(stri ng, string[], IFormatProvider ,
DateTimeStyles) ;

Examples of the 2 formats I'm passing in the source string are:

20031211T151302 Z

and

2003-12-03T16:32:00-5:00

The format strings I'm passing in the 2nd argument are defined with:

private string[] sDateFormats = new string[] {"yyyyMMdd\\THH mmss\\Z",
"yyyy\\-MM\\-dd\\THH:mm:sszz z"};

The problem is that when I attempt to parse dates in the 2nd format a
FormatException is thrown.

Any help is greatly appreciated

Fred Strauss
Project Manager
Associated Press
212-621-1968
fr**********@ap .org