How can I convert ticks to a date format?

Question

I am converting a ticks value to a date like this:

Convert(datetime, (MachineGroups.TimeAdded - 599266080000000000)/864000000000);

Using this i get:

9/27/2009 10:50:27 PM

But I want just the date in this format:

October 1, 2009

My sample ticks value is

633896886277130000

What is the best way to do this?

Answer 1

A DateTime object can be constructed with a specific value of ticks. Once you have determined the ticks value, you can do the following:

DateTime myDate = new DateTime(numberOfTicks);
String test = myDate.ToString("MMMM dd, yyyy");

Answer 2

It's much simpler to do this:

DateTime dt = new DateTime(633896886277130000);

Which gives

dt.ToString() ==> "9/27/2009 10:50:27 PM"

You can format this any way you want by using dt.ToString(MyFormat) . Refer to this reference for format strings. "MMMM dd, yyyy" works for what you specified in the question.

Not sure where you get October 1.

Answer 3

    private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        long myTicks = 633896886277130000;
        DateTime dtime = new DateTime(myTicks);
        MessageBox.Show(dtime.ToString("MMMM d, yyyy"));
    }

Gives

September 27, 2009

Is that what you need?

I don't see how that format is necessarily easy to work with in SQL queries, though.

Answer 4

Answers so far helped me come up with mine. I'm wary of UTC vs local time; ticks should always be UTC IMO.

public class Time
{
    public static void Timestamps()
    {
        OutputTimestamp();
        Thread.Sleep(1000);
        OutputTimestamp();
    }

    private static void OutputTimestamp()
    {
        var timestamp = DateTime.UtcNow.Ticks;
        var localTicks = DateTime.Now.Ticks;
        var localTime = new DateTime(timestamp, DateTimeKind.Utc).ToLocalTime();
        Console.Out.WriteLine("Timestamp = {0}.  Local ticks = {1}.  Local time = {2}.", timestamp, localTicks, localTime);
    }
}

Output:

Timestamp = 636988286338754530.  Local ticks = 636988034338754530.  Local time = 2019-07-15 4:03:53 PM.
Timestamp = 636988286348878736.  Local ticks = 636988034348878736.  Local time = 2019-07-15 4:03:54 PM.