Parse a string value to DateTime object?

Question

I have a text box that accepts DataTime string in format: MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss. For example :

Let's say I have selected a datetime : "12/26/2013 17:37:03"

I am trying to get the Datetime object using:

DateTime.TryParseExact(strDate, "MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, DateTimeStyles.None,out date);

But every time it parses the string to:{ 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM }

Please anyone correct me here.

Answer 1

hh is for 01 to 12 .

Use HH instead which is for 00 to 23 .

For example;

string s = "12/26/2013 17:37:03";
DateTime dt = DateTime.Now;
bool success = DateTime.TryParseExact(s, "MM/dd/yyyy HH:mm:ss", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, DateTimeStyles.None, out dt);
Console.WriteLine("Is Parsing Successful? {0}", success);
Console.WriteLine(dt);

Output will be;

Is Parsing Successful? True
12/26/2013 5:37:03 PM

Here a demonstration .

But even if you parsing, why still you get a DateTime value?

From DateTime.TryParseExact method

If date, time, and time zone elements are present in s, they must also appear in the order specified by format. If format defines a date with no time element and the parse operation succeeds, the resulting DateTime value has a time of midnight (00:00:00).

NOTE : Please read ken2k 's comments: ¹ and ² . When you define your date with a default value like DateTime date ; You can't know your conversion is successful or not because since these both generate the default value of DateTime ( 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM )

• DateTime date makes date as 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM
• If your parsing fails, date will be also 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM

That's why, I change it in my code to DateTime dt = DateTime.Now; which you can check whether your converssion is successful or not. If it is successful, your date will be 12/26/2013 17:37:03 , if it is not, your date will be 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM

Answer 2

Apart from the hour issue that other people have already noted. Why use invariant culture? The datetime in your example is US.

Answer 3

Your time is in 24 hour format. Therefore, you need to use HH(used for 24 hour format) instead of hh (used for 12 hour format).

DateTime.TryParseExact(strDate, "MM/dd/yyyy HH:mm:ss", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, DateTimeStyles.None,out date);

But every time it parses the string to:{1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM}

It means that your parsing failed. You need to check the result of parsing before proceeding further. You can do it like below.

if(DateTime.TryParseExact(strDate, "MM/dd/yyyy HH:mm:ss", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, DateTimeStyles.None,out date))
{
     //Parsing successful
}
else
{
     //Parsing failed
}

Answer 4

Here the Answer:

var TimeIn = Application.Current.Properties["date"].ToString();
DateTime InTime = DateTime.ParseExact(TimeIn, "dd/MM/yyyy HH:mm:ss", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture);