input string not in correct format…when converting a string to datetime…error?

Question

I am trying to pass a parameter to a sql select query.

for some reason, no matter what i try, i keep getting the same error: input string not in the corect format

and the suggestion: when converting a string to datetime, parse the string to take the date before putting each variable into the datetime object.

i'm stumped as to what to do. here's the code.

sql query:

    ALTER PROCEDURE SearchAllPlayers
(
@personName,
@personPay,
@IDs
)

SELECT DISTINCT
                         person.personID, sports.sportsID, person.personName, person.personPay, sports.sport,

FROM            sports INNER JOIN
                person INNER JOIN
                personSport ON personSport.personID = person.personID
                       INNER JOIN
                personSport ON personSport.sportID = sports.sportsID

WHERE        (person.personName LIKE '%' + @personName + '%')
              AND
             (person.personPay >= @personPay OR 0 = @personPay)
              AND
             (person.regDate >= { fn CURDATE() }
              AND
             (sports.sportID IN
                    (SELECT   ID FROM dbo.fnSplitter(@IDs) AS fnSplitter_1) OR @IDs = 0)

codebehind:

protected void Button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    searchGrid();
}

protected void searchGrid()
{
    SqlConnection conn = new SqlConnection(connSTR);
    com = new SqlCommand();
    conn.Open();

    com.Connection = conn;

    com.CommandText = "SearchAllPlayers";
    com.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure;

    string StringWithDelimiter = string.Empty;
    for (int i = 0; i < DropDownCheckBoxes1.Items.Count; i++)
    {
        if (DropDownCheckBoxes1.Items[i].Selected)
            StringWithDelimiter += DropDownCheckBoxes1.Items[i].Value + ";";
    }

    com.Parameters.Add("@personName", SqlDbType.VarChar).Value = personName.Text;

    //next line is where I am having problems
    com.Parameters.Add("@personPay", SqlDbType.Decimal).Value = ??????
    com.Parameters.Add("@IDs", SqlDbType.VarChar).Value = StringWithDelimiter;

 so far i've tried the following combinations, all to know avail.


com.parameters.add("@playerPay", sqldbtype.decimal).value = playerPayTextBox.Text;

this doesn't seem to work, i get the following error: "Error converting data type nvarchar to decimal."

so then i tried this:

com.parameters.add("@playerPay", sqldbtype.decimal).value = playerPayTextBox.tostring();

i get the same error: "Error converting data type nvarchar to decimal."

which makes sense, so then i tried:

com.parameters.add("@playerPay", sqldbtype.decimal).value = decimal.parse(playerPayTextBox.tostring());

error: "Input string was not in a correct format." - then the datetime thing...

com.parameters.add("@playerPay", sqldbtype.decimal).value = decimal.parse(playerPayTextBox.text);

error: "Input string was not in a correct format." - then the datetime thing...

com.parameters.add("@playerPay", sqldbtype.decimal).value = convert.todecimal(playerPayTextBox.text);

error: "Input string was not in a correct format." - then the datetime thing...

com.parameters.add("@playerPay", sqldbtype.decimal).value = convert.todecimal(playerPayTextBox.text);

error: "Input string was not in a correct format." - then the datetime thing...

not sure what to do

Answer 1

Make sure your input string is using decimal point symbol for your current culture!. If your input string does not match these rules, decimal.Parse throws the Input string was not in a correct format exception

If you for instance use the invariant culture:

decimal.Parse("17.5", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture)

The dot will be the accepted decimal point.

You can read more about it over at MSDN

There they also mention that the decimal.TryParse method is better suited for invariant culture parsing

Also (obviously), make sure your input string is not null, empty, or containing any non-numerical characters (except for the one, optional, dot or comma, depending on your culture)