Converting a date string to a DateTime. Example please

[Kim Hellan]

I have a simple string in the format "DD-MM-YY hh:mm:ss", that I need to
convert to a DateTime value.
I know this is a standard problem, but please don't just link to all the
MSDN pages regarding Parse() and ParseExact().
I've been there and read all the information about using IFormatProvider s,
DateTimeStyles, CultureInfo.... ...

Bottom line is that I can't get it working, so could someone please just
post 5-10 lines of working code that is needed to perform this simple
conversion?

Thank You,
Kim

[Mark Rae]

"Kim Hellan" <so*****@nowher e.com> wrote in message
news:ec******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP12.phx.gbl...

I have a simple string in the format "DD-MM-YY hh:mm:ss", that I need to
convert to a DateTime value.
No problem.
I know this is a standard problem, but please don't just link to all the
MSDN pages regarding Parse() and ParseExact().
Er, well that's where the answer lies...
I've been there and read all the information about using IFormatProvider s,
DateTimeStyles, CultureInfo.... ...
Really? Maybe you were having a bad day...
Bottom line is that I can't get it working, so could someone please just
post 5-10 lines of working code that is needed to perform this simple
conversion?

string strDate = "13-10-05 10:19:26";
DateTime dtmDate = DateTime.Parse( strDate);

[Kim Hellan]

>>I have a simple string in the format "DD-MM-YY hh:mm:ss", that I need to

convert to a DateTime value.

No problem.

I know this is a standard problem, but please don't just link to all the
MSDN pages regarding Parse() and ParseExact().

Er, well that's where the answer lies...

I've been there and read all the information about using
IFormatProvider s, DateTimeStyles, CultureInfo.... ...

Really? Maybe you were having a bad day...

Bottom line is that I can't get it working, so could someone please just
post 5-10 lines of working code that is needed to perform this simple
conversion?

string strDate = "13-10-05 10:19:26";
DateTime dtmDate = DateTime.Parse( strDate);

Okay, lets say the date string is: "07-11-05 10:19:26".
How does the simple Parse() method above then know what is year, month and
day?
Assuming that the application runs on computers with different Windows
settings for date/time format.

[Cor Ligthert [MVP]]

Kim,

string strDate = "13-10-05 10:19:26";
DateTime dtmDate = DateTime.Parse( strDate);

Okay, lets say the date string is: "07-11-05 10:19:26".
How does the simple Parse() method above then know what is year, month and
day?

It does not, therefore you should only use the DateTime.Parse (or if you use
VBNet the than easier one for that CDate), if it comes from an input control
as the textbox (and than it should be the installed culture way and go
automaticly).

If you use it on internet, than you should be sure that you have showed the
datetime format mask beside the box.

You can on Internet try to get the location from which it comes (that is not
standard) and than assume the culture, however this is in my opinion real
dangerous, because in by instance in Canada are two complete different date
format paterns used.

I hope this helps,

Cor

[Cor Ligthert [MVP]]

OOPs

Forgot what I wrote about VBNet, this human hit his head again to the same
stone. (A dutch phrase for "once hitten twice shy"). A donkey does not do
that.

:-)

Cor

[Kim Hellan]

>>> string strDate = "13-10-05 10:19:26";

DateTime dtmDate = DateTime.Parse( strDate);

Okay, lets say the date string is: "07-11-05 10:19:26".
How does the simple Parse() method above then know what is year, month
and day?

It does not, therefore you should only use the DateTime.Parse (or if you
use VBNet the than easier one for that CDate), if it comes from an input
control as the textbox (and than it should be the installed culture way
and go automaticly).

If you use it on internet, than you should be sure that you have showed
the datetime format mask beside the box.

You can on Internet try to get the location from which it comes (that is
not standard) and than assume the culture, however this is in my opinion
real dangerous, because in by instance in Canada are two complete
different date format paterns used.

I hope this helps,

Thank you, but my initial question still stands.
Can anybody give me a C# EXAMPLE of how to parse the "13-10-05 10:19:26"
string.
The string always have the format "DD-MM-YY hh:mm:ss" and the parsing should
work on ANY machine, ANYWHERE in the world, regardless of culture/date
settings on the computer used.

Thank You!
Kim

[Mark Rae]

"Kim Hellan" <so*****@nowher e.com> wrote in message
news:uc******** *******@tk2msft ngp13.phx.gbl.. .

Okay, lets say the date string is: "07-11-05 10:19:26".
How does the simple Parse() method above then know what is year, month and
day?
Assuming that the application runs on computers with different Windows
settings for date/time format.

Apologies - I didn't read your original post well enough.

You're right that the data format is ambiguous as it stands - certainly not
Y2k-compliant.

However, if you're confident that the incoming string will always be in the
format you specified in your OP, the following is guaranteed to work:

string strDate = "13-10-65 10:19:26";
int intCenturyThres hold = 55; // amend as required
string strCentury = Convert.ToInt32 (strDate.Substr ing(6, 2)) >
intCenturyThres hold ? "19" : "20";
int intYear = Convert.ToInt32 (strCentury + strDate.Substri ng(6, 2));
int intMonth = Convert.ToInt32 (strDate.Substr ing(3, 2));
int intDay = Convert.ToInt32 (strDate.Substr ing(0, 2));
int intHour = Convert.ToInt32 (strDate.Substr ing(9, 2));
int intMinute = Convert.ToInt32 (strDate.Substr ing(12, 2));
int intSecond = Convert.ToInt32 (strDate.Substr ing(15, 2));
DateTime dtmDate = new DateTime(intYea r, intMonth, intDay, intHour,
intMinute, intSecond);

[James Curran]

I think your main problem is that your format string is wrong:

DateTime dt = DateTime.ParseE xact(
"13-10-05 10:19:26",
"dd-MM-yy hh:mm:ss", null);

Console.WriteLi ne(dt.ToString( "F"));

Prints: Thursday, October 13, 2005 10:19:26 AM
Kim Hellan wrote:

string strDate = "13-10-05 10:19:26";
DateTime dtmDate = DateTime.Parse( strDate);

Okay, lets say the date string is: "07-11-05 10:19:26".
How does the simple Parse() method above then know what is year,
month and day?

It does not, therefore you should only use the DateTime.Parse (or if
you use VBNet the than easier one for that CDate), if it comes from
an input control as the textbox (and than it should be the installed
culture way and go automaticly).

If you use it on internet, than you should be sure that you have
showed the datetime format mask beside the box.

You can on Internet try to get the location from which it comes
(that is not standard) and than assume the culture, however this is
in my opinion real dangerous, because in by instance in Canada are
two complete different date format paterns used.

I hope this helps,

Thank you, but my initial question still stands.
Can anybody give me a C# EXAMPLE of how to parse the "13-10-05
10:19:26" string.
The string always have the format "DD-MM-YY hh:mm:ss" and the parsing
should work on ANY machine, ANYWHERE in the world, regardless of
culture/date settings on the computer used.

Thank You!
Kim

--
Truth,
James Curran [erstwhile-MVP]
Home: www.noveltheory.com Work: www.njtheater.com
Blog: www.honestillusion.com Day Job: www.partsearch.com

[Bjorn Abelli]

"Kim Hellan" wrote...

Can anybody give me a C# EXAMPLE of how to parse the "13-10-05 10:19:26"
string.
The string always have the format "DD-MM-YY hh:mm:ss" and the parsing
should work on ANY machine, ANYWHERE in the world, regardless of
culture/date settings on the computer used.

I believe this should work:
string strDate = "13-10-05 10:19:26";

System.Globaliz ation.DateTimeF ormatInfo di =
new System.Globaliz ation.DateTimeF ormatInfo();

di.FullDateTime Pattern = "dd-MM-yy HH:mm:ss";

DateTime d = DateTime.ParseE xact(strDate, "F", di);
// Bjorn A

[Kim Hellan]

This is exactly what I have been looking for.
So simple, and without all that unnecessary IFormatProvider and CultureInfo
stuff.

THANK YOU!
"James Curran" <Ja*********@mv ps.org> skrev i en meddelelse
news:ua******** ******@TK2MSFTN GP10.phx.gbl...

I think your main problem is that your format string is wrong:

DateTime dt = DateTime.ParseE xact(
"13-10-05 10:19:26",
"dd-MM-yy hh:mm:ss", null);

Console.WriteLi ne(dt.ToString( "F"));

Prints: Thursday, October 13, 2005 10:19:26 AM
Kim Hellan wrote:

> string strDate = "13-10-05 10:19:26";
> DateTime dtmDate = DateTime.Parse( strDate);

Okay, lets say the date string is: "07-11-05 10:19:26".
How does the simple Parse() method above then know what is year,
month and day?

It does not, therefore you should only use the DateTime.Parse (or if
you use VBNet the than easier one for that CDate), if it comes from
an input control as the textbox (and than it should be the installed
culture way and go automaticly).

If you use it on internet, than you should be sure that you have
showed the datetime format mask beside the box.

You can on Internet try to get the location from which it comes
(that is not standard) and than assume the culture, however this is
in my opinion real dangerous, because in by instance in Canada are
two complete different date format paterns used.

I hope this helps,

Thank you, but my initial question still stands.
Can anybody give me a C# EXAMPLE of how to parse the "13-10-05
10:19:26" string.
The string always have the format "DD-MM-YY hh:mm:ss" and the parsing
should work on ANY machine, ANYWHERE in the world, regardless of
culture/date settings on the computer used.

Thank You!
Kim

--
Truth,
James Curran [erstwhile-MVP]
Home: www.noveltheory.com Work: www.njtheater.com
Blog: www.honestillusion.com Day Job: www.partsearch.com