{"id":1827,"date":"2023-05-15T08:59:38","date_gmt":"2023-05-15T01:59:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/csharptutorial.net\/?page_id=1827"},"modified":"2023-05-22T16:31:54","modified_gmt":"2023-05-22T09:31:54","slug":"csharp-datetime-parse","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.csharptutorial.net\/csharp-tutorial\/csharp-datetime-parse\/","title":{"rendered":"C# DateTime Parse"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Summary<\/strong>: in this tutorial, you will learn how to use the C# DateTime<\/code> Parse()<\/code> method to convert a string to a DateTime<\/code> value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction to C# DateTime Parse() method<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The DateTime.Parse()<\/code> method converts a string<\/a> representation of a date and time to a DateTime<\/a><\/code> value. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n

using<\/span> static<\/span> System.Console;\n\nvar<\/span> dt = DateTime.Parse(\"05\/07\/2023\"<\/span>);\nWriteLine(dt.ToLongDateString());<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
Sunday, May 7<\/span>, 2023<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
The Parse()<\/code> method converts the string 05\/07\/2023<\/code> to May 7, 2023<\/code>, not July 5, 2023<\/code>. The reason is that the Parse()<\/code> method uses the current culture of the computer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To get the current culture, you use a CultureInfo<\/code> in the second argument of the Parse()<\/code> method. For example, the following use the Parse()<\/code> method to parse the string 05\/07\/2023<\/code> but uses the en-GB<\/code> culture:<\/p>\n\n\n
using<\/span> System.Globalization;\nusing<\/span> static<\/span> System.Console;\n\nWriteLine(CultureInfo.CurrentCulture); \/\/ en-US<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
en-US<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
To instruct the Parse()<\/code> method to use an explicit culture, you can use a CultureInfo<\/code> object as the second argument like this:<\/p>\n\n\n
using<\/span> System.Globalization;\nusing<\/span> static<\/span> System.Console;\n\nvar<\/span> dt = DateTime.Parse(\n    \"05\/07\/2023\"<\/span>,\n    CultureInfo.GetCultureInfo(\"en-GB\"<\/span>)\n);\n\nWriteLine(dt.ToLongDateString());<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
Wednesday, July 5<\/span>, 2023<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
In this example, the Parse()<\/code> method parses the string 05\/07\/2023<\/code> as July 5, 2023<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the input string doesn’t have time data, the Parse()<\/code> method will assume 12:00 midnight. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n
using<\/span> System.Globalization;\nusing<\/span> static<\/span> System.Console;\n\nvar<\/span> dt = DateTime.Parse(\n    \"05\/07\/2023\"<\/span>,\n    CultureInfo.GetCultureInfo(\"en-GB\"<\/span>)\n);\n\nWriteLine(dt);<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
7<\/span>\/5<\/span>\/2023<\/span> 12<\/span>:00<\/span>:00<\/span> AM<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
If the Parse()<\/code> method cannot parse a string to a valid DateTime<\/code> value, it’ll throw a FormatException<\/code> exception. To avoid the exception, you can use the TryParse()<\/code> method instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
C# DateTime TryParse()<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The TryParse()<\/code> method parses a specified string to an equivalent DateTime<\/code> object if the conversion succeeded. The TryParse()<\/code> method returns true if the parsing succeeds or false otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The following example uses the TryParse()<\/code> method to parse a date and time string to a DateTime<\/code> object:<\/p>\n\n\n
using<\/span> System.Globalization;\nusing<\/span> static<\/span> System.Console;\n\n\nif<\/span> (DateTime.TryParse(\n    \"05\/07\/2023 10:45:00\"<\/span>,\n    CultureInfo.GetCultureInfo(\"en-US\"<\/span>),\n    out<\/span> var<\/span> dt\n))\n{\n    WriteLine(dt);\n}\nelse<\/span>\n{\n    WriteLine(\"Invalid date and time string\"<\/span>);\n}<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
5<\/span>\/7<\/span>\/2023<\/span> 10<\/span>:45<\/span>:00<\/span> AM<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
And the following example shows the failure case:<\/p>\n\n\n
using<\/span> System.Globalization;\nusing<\/span> static<\/span> System.Console;\n\n\nif<\/span> (DateTime.TryParse(\n    \"15\/07\/2023 10:45:00\"<\/span>,\n    CultureInfo.GetCultureInfo(\"en-US\"<\/span>),\n    out<\/span> var<\/span> dt\n))\n{\n    WriteLine(dt);\n}\nelse<\/span>\n{\n    WriteLine(\"Invalid date and time string\"<\/span>);\n}<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Output:<\/p>\n\n\n
Invalid date and time string<\/span><\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> C#<\/span> (<\/span>cs<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • Use the C# DateTime.Parse()<\/code> method to convert a date and time string to an equivalent DateTime<\/code> object.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Use the C# DateTime.TryParse()<\/code> method to convert a date and time string to an equivalent DateTime<\/code> object and returns false if the input string is invalid.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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