Using Null in DateTimePickers

[John Smith]

Hey folks,

I have a DateTimePicker control on my Windows Form. Whenever I either:
a) Don't give it a value
b) Set it's value to Null
c) Set it's value to ""
It makes the date today's date.

I need it to be empty though. How do I make it empty? It represents a
field in my database which legitimately can be null and so I can't show it
as todays date.

Thanks a lot for the help!

(I posted a similar message a couple of days ago without a response, but
it's really important and time is of the essence so I'm trying again)

[Nicholas Paldino [.NET/C# MVP]]

John,

Unfortunately, the DateTimePicker doesn't support this. The best way to
do this is to have a checkbox to indicate whether or not it has a value.

Hope this helps.
--
- Nicholas Paldino [.NET/C# MVP]
- mv*@spam.guard.caspershouse.com

"John Smith" <[e-mail]> wrote in message
news:u$**************@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...

Hey folks,

I have a DateTimePicker control on my Windows Form. Whenever I either:
a) Don't give it a value
b) Set it's value to Null
c) Set it's value to ""
It makes the date today's date.

I need it to be empty though. How do I make it empty? It represents a
field in my database which legitimately can be null and so I can't show it
as todays date.

Thanks a lot for the help!

(I posted a similar message a couple of days ago without a response, but
it's really important and time is of the essence so I'm trying again)

[Tom Porterfield]

John Smith wrote:

Hey folks,

I have a DateTimePicker control on my Windows Form. Whenever I either:
a) Don't give it a value
b) Set it's value to Null
c) Set it's value to ""
It makes the date today's date.

I need it to be empty though. How do I make it empty? It represents a
field in my database which legitimately can be null and so I can't show it
as todays date.

Thanks a lot for the help!

As Nicholas states, the DateTimePicker from MS does not support null.
There are third party controls that do. Infragistics
(www.infragistics.com) NetAdvantage Suite includes a calendar control
that supports null.
--
Tom Porterfield

[Ignacio Machin \( .NET/ C# MVP \)]

Hi Jon,
I want to add an approach that I used once in a web app, as DateTime does
not support null you need to define a null value inside its range, I
selected a date that was not possible in my domain ( I think you could also
use DateTime.MinDate ), so what I do is assign it as the selectedDate, but I
set the visible Date to today, therefore the controls is happy cause it has
a value and as this value is way outside the domain it will never be
displayed.

Maybe this does not solve your problem 100% but it may give you other
ideas.

Cheers,

--
Ignacio Machin,
ignacio.machin AT dot.state.fl.us
Florida Department Of Transportation

"John Smith" <[e-mail]> wrote in message
news:u$**************@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...

Hey folks,

I have a DateTimePicker control on my Windows Form. Whenever I either:
a) Don't give it a value
b) Set it's value to Null
c) Set it's value to ""
It makes the date today's date.

I need it to be empty though. How do I make it empty? It represents a
field in my database which legitimately can be null and so I can't show it
as todays date.

Thanks a lot for the help!

(I posted a similar message a couple of days ago without a response, but
it's really important and time is of the essence so I'm trying again)

[John Smith]

Thanks everyone....But how incredibly depressing :)
"John Smith" <[e-mail]> wrote in message
news:u$**************@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...

Hey folks,

I have a DateTimePicker control on my Windows Form. Whenever I either:
a) Don't give it a value
b) Set it's value to Null
c) Set it's value to ""
It makes the date today's date.

I need it to be empty though. How do I make it empty? It represents a
field in my database which legitimately can be null and so I can't show it
as todays date.

Thanks a lot for the help!

(I posted a similar message a couple of days ago without a response, but
it's really important and time is of the essence so I'm trying again)

[John Smith]

Thanks...the problem is though that if it's displaying today's date...the
user may think that is what is in the database and take action based upon
that.
"Ignacio Machin ( .NET/ C# MVP )" <ignacio.machin AT dot.state.fl.us> wrote
in message news:ux**************@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...

Hi Jon,
I want to add an approach that I used once in a web app, as DateTime does
not support null you need to define a null value inside its range, I
selected a date that was not possible in my domain ( I think you could also use DateTime.MinDate ), so what I do is assign it as the selectedDate, but I set the visible Date to today, therefore the controls is happy cause it has a value and as this value is way outside the domain it will never be
displayed.

Maybe this does not solve your problem 100% but it may give you other
ideas.

Cheers,

--
Ignacio Machin,
ignacio.machin AT dot.state.fl.us
Florida Department Of Transportation

"John Smith" <[e-mail]> wrote in message
news:u$**************@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...

Hey folks,

I have a DateTimePicker control on my Windows Form. Whenever I either:
a) Don't give it a value
b) Set it's value to Null
c) Set it's value to ""
It makes the date today's date.

I need it to be empty though. How do I make it empty? It represents a
field in my database which legitimately can be null and so I can't show it as todays date.

Thanks a lot for the help!

(I posted a similar message a couple of days ago without a response, but
it's really important and time is of the essence so I'm trying again)

[Ignacio Machin \( .NET/ C# MVP \)]

Hi,

What you can do is make clear than a date has not being selected, just
create a new control with a datetimepicker and a label, the label may
display some text for the user.

Cheers,

--
Ignacio Machin,
ignacio.machin AT dot.state.fl.us
Florida Department Of Transportation
"John Smith" <[e-mail]> wrote in message
news:uC**************@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...

Thanks...the problem is though that if it's displaying today's date...the
user may think that is what is in the database and take action based upon
that.
"Ignacio Machin ( .NET/ C# MVP )" <ignacio.machin AT dot.state.fl.us> wrote in message news:ux**************@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...

Hi Jon,
I want to add an approach that I used once in a web app, as DateTime does

not support null you need to define a null value inside its range, I
selected a date that was not possible in my domain ( I think you could also

use DateTime.MinDate ), so what I do is assign it as the selectedDate,

but I

set the visible Date to today, therefore the controls is happy cause it has

a value and as this value is way outside the domain it will never be
displayed.

Maybe this does not solve your problem 100% but it may give you other
ideas.

Cheers,

--
Ignacio Machin,
ignacio.machin AT dot.state.fl.us
Florida Department Of Transportation

"John Smith" <[e-mail]> wrote in message
news:u$**************@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...

Hey folks,

I have a DateTimePicker control on my Windows Form. Whenever I either: a) Don't give it a value
b) Set it's value to Null
c) Set it's value to ""
It makes the date today's date.

I need it to be empty though. How do I make it empty? It represents a field in my database which legitimately can be null and so I can't show it as todays date.

Thanks a lot for the help!

(I posted a similar message a couple of days ago without a response,

but it's really important and time is of the essence so I'm trying again)