Skip to content

Latest commit

 

History

History
49 lines (34 loc) · 8.55 KB

system-datetime-tryparse.md

File metadata and controls

49 lines (34 loc) · 8.55 KB
Raw
title description ms.date
System.DateTime.TryParse method
Learn about the System.DateTime.TryParse method.
01/24/2024

System.DateTime.TryParse method

[!INCLUDE context]

The xref:System.DateTime.TryParse(System.String,System.IFormatProvider,System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles,System.DateTime@)?displayProperty=nameWithType method parses a string that can contain date, time, and time zone information. It is similar to the xref:System.DateTime.Parse(System.String,System.IFormatProvider,System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles)?displayProperty=nameWithType method, except that the xref:System.DateTime.TryParse(System.String,System.DateTime@)?displayProperty=nameWithType method does not throw an exception if the conversion fails.

This method attempts to ignore unrecognized data and parse the input string (s) completely. If s contains a time but no date, the method by default substitutes the current date or, if styles includes the xref:System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.NoCurrentDateDefault flag, it substitutes DateTime.Date.MinValue. If s contains a date but no time, 12:00 midnight is used as the default time. If a date is present but its year component consists of only two digits, it is converted to a year in the provider parameter's current calendar based on the value of the xref:System.Globalization.Calendar.TwoDigitYearMax%2A?displayProperty=nameWithType property. Any leading, inner, or trailing white space characters in s are ignored. The date and time can be bracketed with a pair of leading and trailing NUMBER SIGN characters ('#', U+0023), and can be trailed with one or more NULL characters (U+0000).

Specific valid formats for date and time elements, as well as the names and symbols used in dates and times, are defined by the provider parameter, which can be any of the following:

  • A xref:System.Globalization.CultureInfo object that represents the culture whose formatting is used in the s parameter. The xref:System.Globalization.DateTimeFormatInfo object returned by the xref:System.Globalization.CultureInfo.DateTimeFormat%2A?displayProperty=nameWithType property defines the formatting used in s.
  • A xref:System.Globalization.DateTimeFormatInfo object that defines the formatting used in s.
  • A custom xref:System.IFormatProvider implementation. Its xref:System.IFormatProvider.GetFormat%2A?displayProperty=nameWithType method returns a xref:System.Globalization.DateTimeFormatInfo object that defines the formatting used in s.

If provider is null, the current culture is used.

If s is the string representation of a leap day in a leap year in the current calendar, the method parses s successfully. If s is the string representation of a leap day in a non-leap year in the current calendar of provider, the parse operation fails and the method returns false.

The styles parameter defines the precise interpretation of the parsed string and how the parse operation should handle it. It can be one or more members of the xref:System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles enumeration, as described in the following table.

DateTimeStyles member Description
xref:System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.AdjustToUniversal Parses s and, if necessary, converts it to UTC. If s includes a time zone offset, or if s contains no time zone information but styles includes the xref:System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.AssumeLocal?displayProperty=nameWithType flag, the method parses the string, calls xref:System.DateTime.ToUniversalTime%2A to convert the returned xref:System.DateTime value to UTC, and sets the xref:System.DateTime.Kind property to xref:System.DateTimeKind.Utc?displayProperty=nameWithType. If s indicates that it represents UTC, or if s does not contain time zone information but styles includes the xref:System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.AssumeUniversal?displayProperty=nameWithType flag, the method parses the string, performs no time zone conversion on the returned xref:System.DateTime value, and sets the xref:System.DateTime.Kind property to xref:System.DateTimeKind.Utc?displayProperty=nameWithType. In all other cases, the flag has no effect.
xref:System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.AllowInnerWhite Although valid, this value is ignored. Inner white space is permitted in the date and time elements of s.
xref:System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.AllowLeadingWhite Although valid, this value is ignored. Leading white space is permitted in the date and time elements of s.
xref:System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.AllowTrailingWhite Although valid, this value is ignored. Trailing white space is permitted in the date and time elements of s.
xref:System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.AllowWhiteSpaces Specifies that s may contain leading, inner, and trailing white spaces. This is the default behavior. It cannot be overridden by supplying a more restrictive xref:System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles enumeration value such as xref:System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.None?displayProperty=nameWithType.
xref:System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.AssumeLocal Specifies that if s lacks any time zone information, it is assumed to represent a local time. Unless the xref:System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.AdjustToUniversal?displayProperty=nameWithType flag is present, the xref:System.DateTime.Kind property of the returned xref:System.DateTime value is set to xref:System.DateTimeKind.Local?displayProperty=nameWithType.
xref:System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.AssumeUniversal Specifies that if s lacks any time zone information, it is assumed to represent UTC. Unless the xref:System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.AdjustToUniversal?displayProperty=nameWithType flag is present, the method converts the returned xref:System.DateTime value from UTC to local time and sets its xref:System.DateTime.Kind property to xref:System.DateTimeKind.Local?displayProperty=nameWithType.
xref:System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.None Although valid, this value is ignored.
xref:System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.RoundtripKind For strings that contain time zone information, tries to prevent the conversion of a date and time string to a xref:System.DateTime value with its xref:System.DateTime.Kind property set to xref:System.DateTimeKind.Local?displayProperty=nameWithType. Typically, such a string is created by calling the xref:System.DateTime.ToString(System.String)?displayProperty=nameWithType method using either the "o", "r", or "u" standard format specifiers.

If s contains no time zone information, the xref:System.DateTime.TryParse(System.String,System.IFormatProvider,System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles,System.DateTime@)?displayProperty=nameWithType method returns a xref:System.DateTime value whose xref:System.DateTime.Kind property is xref:System.DateTimeKind.Unspecified?displayProperty=nameWithType unless a styles flag indicates otherwise. If s includes time zone or time zone offset information, the xref:System.DateTime.TryParse(System.String,System.IFormatProvider,System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles,System.DateTime@)?displayProperty=nameWithType method performs any necessary time conversion and returns one of the following:

  • A xref:System.DateTime value whose date and time reflect the local time and whose xref:System.DateTime.Kind property is xref:System.DateTimeKind.Local?displayProperty=nameWithType.
  • Or, if styles includes the xref:System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.AdjustToUniversal flag, a xref:System.DateTime value whose date and time reflect UTC and whose xref:System.DateTime.Kind property is xref:System.DateTimeKind.Utc?displayProperty=nameWithType.

This behavior can be overridden by using the xref:System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.RoundtripKind?displayProperty=nameWithType flag.

Parse custom cultures

If you parse a date and time string generated for a custom culture, use the xref:System.DateTime.TryParseExact%2A method instead of the xref:System.DateTime.TryParse%2A method to improve the probability that the parse operation will succeed. A custom culture date and time string can be complicated and difficult to parse. The xref:System.DateTime.TryParse%2A method attempts to parse a string with several implicit parse patterns, all of which might fail. In contrast, the xref:System.DateTime.TryParseExact%2A method requires you to explicitly designate one or more exact parse patterns that are likely to succeed.

For more information about custom cultures, see the xref:System.Globalization.CultureAndRegionInfoBuilder?displayProperty=nameWithType class.