DateTime - parsing string with timezone in three letter acronyms

[Michael Meckelein]

Hello,

Wondering, if C# (framework 2.0) does not support parsing DateTime timezones
in three letter acronyms.

I would like to parse date strings like "2005 Nov 01 11:58:47.490 CST -6:00"
but it seems C# does not support the timezone letters (CST). I suppose to
use the symbol ZZZ for the timezone letters, but MSDE [1] pointed out that
it is not supported in C#, isn't it?

Of course I can write my own methode for parsing this (using regex or a list
of timezones, etc.) but I want to ask if there is no "build-in" support in
the 2.0 framework?

Best Regards,
Michael Meckelein

[1] DateTimeFormatInfo Class
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/lib...ormatinfo.aspx

[Claes Bergefall]

What exactly does that string mean? Is it -6 hours from UTC or -6 hours from
CST?
I'm guessing that you mean the time 11:58:47 CST, i.e. around noon somewhere
in the middle of the US? If so, the CST part is redundant since the timezone
offset (-6) is enough to know what time you're talking about.

Look into DateTime.TryParseExact/ParseExact if you want to control exactly
how the parsing should be done.
/claes

"Michael Meckelein" <mi*****@go-on-line.dewrote in message
news:44***********************@newsspool4.arcor-online.net...

Hello,

Wondering, if C# (framework 2.0) does not support parsing DateTime
timezones in three letter acronyms.

I would like to parse date strings like "2005 Nov 01 11:58:47.490
CST -6:00" but it seems C# does not support the timezone letters (CST). I
suppose to use the symbol ZZZ for the timezone letters, but MSDE [1]
pointed out that it is not supported in C#, isn't it?

Of course I can write my own methode for parsing this (using regex or a
list of timezones, etc.) but I want to ask if there is no "build-in"
support in the 2.0 framework?

Best Regards,
Michael Meckelein

[1] DateTimeFormatInfo Class
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/lib...ormatinfo.aspx

[Michael Meckelein]

Hello claes,

Thank you for your reply.

What exactly does that string mean? Is it -6 hours from UTC or -6 hours
from CST?
I'm guessing that you mean the time 11:58:47 CST, i.e. around noon
somewhere in the middle of the US? If so, the CST part is redundant since
the timezone offset (-6) is enough to know what time you're talking about.

You are absolutely right. It is -6 hours from UTC. I did not know for what
reason Cisco use this redundancy. In fact this is CISCO IOS compatible log
format e.g. used by VPN Concentrator.

Look into DateTime.TryParseExact/ParseExact if you want to control exactly
how the parsing should be done.

Actually this is what I did. But I am uncertain what string format to use
due to the missing timezone letters. Of course I can use string format "
yyyy MMM dd HH:mm:ss.fff CST z:00" for the given sample, however this does
not work in other timezones. As far as I see from the documentation there is
no placeholder for DateTime Format Strings such an ? or * as it is in regex.
So have I use regex in order to eliminate the timezone letters before I use
the DateTime.ParseExact? Or do you have any better solution at hand?

Thanks,
Michael

[Claes Bergefall]

"Michael Meckelein" <mi*****@go-on-line.dewrote in message
news:44***********************@newsspool2.arcor-online.net...

Hello claes,

Thank you for your reply.

>What exactly does that string mean? Is it -6 hours from UTC or -6 hours
from CST?
I'm guessing that you mean the time 11:58:47 CST, i.e. around noon
somewhere in the middle of the US? If so, the CST part is redundant since
the timezone offset (-6) is enough to know what time you're talking
about.

You are absolutely right. It is -6 hours from UTC. I did not know for what
reason Cisco use this redundancy. In fact this is CISCO IOS compatible log
format e.g. used by VPN Concentrator.

>Look into DateTime.TryParseExact/ParseExact if you want to control
exactly how the parsing should be done.

Actually this is what I did. But I am uncertain what string format to use
due to the missing timezone letters. Of course I can use string format "
yyyy MMM dd HH:mm:ss.fff CST z:00" for the given sample, however this does
not work in other timezones. As far as I see from the documentation there
is no placeholder for DateTime Format Strings such an ? or * as it is in
regex. So have I use regex in order to eliminate the timezone letters
before I use the DateTime.ParseExact? Or do you have any better solution
at hand?

That's the only solution I can think of. Guess it wouldn't hurt to ask Cisco
if they have some solution to convert it to a real date object. And while
you're at it, ask them what the hell they were thinking when the decided
upon that format :-)

/claes

[Michael Meckelein]

>>[eliminate the timezone letters]

That's the only solution I can think of. Guess it wouldn't hurt to ask
Cisco if they have some solution to convert it to a real date object.

I will try it, but it is not quite easy to get in touch with them.

>And while you're at it, ask them what the hell they were thinking when the
decided upon that format :-)

I will do so if I get a chance ;)

Thanks for your thoughts.

Michael