How to convert String to DateTime and DateTime to String

Converting from String to DateTime is not a trivial task as it requires some parsing. Fortunately .NET provides the DateTime.ParseExact method.

using System;

02.using System.Globalization;

03. 

04.public class MyClass

05.{

06.public static void Main()

07.{

08. 

09.string dateString, format;

10.DateTime dateTime;

11.CultureInfo cultureInfo = CultureInfo.CurrentCulture;

12. 

13.format = CultureInfo.CurrentCulture.DateTimeFormat.ShortDatePattern.ToString();

14.// if format = "dd/MM/yyyy"

15.dateString = "01/03/1995";

16. 

17.try {

18.dateTime = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, format, provider);

19.Console.WriteLine("{0} converts to {1}.", dateString, dateTime.ToString());

20.}

21.catch (FormatException) {

22.Console.WriteLine("{0} is not in the correct format.", dateString);

23.}

24.}

25.}

will output

1.01/03/1995 converts to 01/03/1995 00:00:00.

If one needs to convert this DateTime to a custom format like “dd.MM.YY” one would use the DateTime.ToString method:

01.using System;

02.using System.Globalization;

03. 

04.public class MyClass

05.{

06.public static void Main()

07.{

08. 

09.string dateString, format;

10.DateTime dateTime;

11.CultureInfo cultureInfo = CultureInfo.CurrentCulture;

12. 

13.format = CultureInfo.CurrentCulture.DateTimeFormat.ShortDatePattern.ToString();

14.// if format = "dd/MM/yyyy"

15.dateString = "01/03/1995";

16.try {

17.dateTime = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, format, cultureInfo);

18.Console.WriteLine("{0} converts to {1}.", dateString, dateTime.ToString());

19.dateString = dateTime.ToString("dd.MM.yy");

20.Console.WriteLine("converted to {0}.", dateString);

21.}

22.catch (FormatException) {

23.Console.WriteLine("{0} is not in the correct format.", dateString);

24.}

25. 

26.}

27.}

Output:

01/03/1995 converts to 01/03/1995 00:00:00.

.converted to 01.03.95.