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C# Nullable<DateTime> to string
asked 4 years ago
viewed 7571 times
active 2 years ago

19

c# datetime

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3

edited Sep 18 '09 at 17:30

146k 21 280 387

9 Answers

asked Sep 18 '09 at 17:06

JL.
15.8k 53 195 324

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oldest

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edited Sep 18 '09 at 20:36

Front End Developer

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string date = myVariable.HasValue ? myVariable.Value.ToString() : string.Empty;

30

Looking for a job?

I have a DateTime? variable, sometimes the value is null , how can I return an empty string ""
when the value is null or the DateTime value when not null ?

answered Sep 18 '09 at 17:09

Jon Seigel
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Thank you , exactly what I was looking for JL. Sep 18 '09 at 17:10
5 What!? You can just call .ToString() on the Nullable<DateTime> instance to get String.Empty. Even Eric
Lippert (who might have even implemented this behavior) notes this. That should be the accepted answer.
codekaizen Jul 9 '10 at 1:48
1 @codekaizen - I get an exception when I try that. So no, that would not be the accepted answer. Perhaps
this is not a problem in more recent versions of c# or .net? Kimball Robinson Aug 20 '10 at 16:13
@k.robinson - perhaps that is because you are using a boxed reference to the instance. Please realize that
I'm advocating the same as Eric Lippert - one of the creators of the .Net platform itself - is pointing out in his
answer. If you have a problem, you might want to reconsider if "select isn't broken" (pragprog.com/thepragmatic-programmer/extracts/tips). codekaizen Aug 20 '10 at 16:57
@codekaizen - Ok. I still wish I could do this without a typecast: dateTimeField.Text =
dateTimeObj.HasValue ? ((DateTime) dateTimeObj).ToShortDateString() : string.Empty; Kimball Robinson
Aug 25 '10 at 0:12

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Linked
61 Nullable ToString()
2

Datetime? to string

Related
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54

Though many of these answers are correct, all of them are needlessly complex. The result of calling
ToString on a nullable DateTime is already an empty string if the value is logically null. Just call
ToString on your value; it will do exactly what you want.

49 How do I use

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313 Converting string into

answered Sep 18 '09 at 18:01

Eric Lippert
297k 67 658 1492

DateTime.TryParse with a
Nullable<DateTime>?
datetime
11 Is it better to use

2 Unless you want to use the DateTime properties like .Day .Week because that will give you the entire
DateTime string and lose the power of the DateTime class. e.g. myVariable.Value.Hour.ToString() .
Just an example reason why you might want to do otherwise. baron Aug 4 '11 at 6:01

DateTime.MinValue or a
nullable DateTime?

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Just an example reason why you might want to do otherwise. baron Aug 4 '11 at 6:01

5 Is Nullable DateTime work

correct?

@baron, those properties aren't Nullable . Sam Sep 10 '13 at 4:37

1 DateTime.Ticks for

nullable datetime
Actually, this is the default behaviour for Nullable types, that without a value they return nothing:

14

DateTime
2 Compare nullable

public class Test {

public static void Main() {
System.DateTime? dt = null;
System.Console.WriteLine("<{0}>", dt.ToString());
dt = System.DateTime.Now;
System.Console.WriteLine("<{0}>", dt.ToString());
}
}

datetime objects
0 Datetime nullable issue
2 Nullable DateTime to

String

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zeros
answered Sep 18 '09 at 17:17

146k 21 280 387

2 +1 Did not know this. However, you cannot supply a formatting string this way. Jon Seigel Sep 18 '09 at
17:20
Hm, right. Though this may not be a problem in this case. I didn't know this myself too until yesterday,
though. Stumbled over it when looking at Nullable<T> in Reflector :-) Sep 18 '09 at 17:27

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You could write an extension method

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public static string ToStringSafe(this DateTime? t) {

return t.HasValue ? t.Value.ToString() : String.Empty;
}

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employees from working
voluntary overtime?

...
var str = myVariable.ToStringSafe();
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Why is a minor 3rd consonant

but an augmented 2nd
dissonant?
answered Sep 18 '09 at 17:10
JaredPar
330k 56 693 1028

4 Or better yet: make it generic: public static string ToSafeString<T>(this T? obj) where T :
struct :) JulianR Sep 18 '09 at 17:51
Holy smokes, didn't realize .NET had this ability! tster Sep 18 '09 at 18:45

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Calling .ToString() returns an empty string for a null value.

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DateTime? d;
// stuff manipulating d;
return d != null ? d.Value.ToString() : String.Empty;
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answered Sep 18 '09 at 17:09

Cecil Has a Name
3,375 1 15 23

Is there any major difference

when comparing a variable as a
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DateTime d?;
string s = d.HasValue ? d.ToString() : string.Empty;

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Alternatives to "Like", "+1",
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share | improve this answer

Alternatives to "Like", "+1",

"Bookmark", and "Favorite"?
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DateTime? MyNullableDT;
....
if (MyNullableDT.HasValue)
{
return MyNullableDT.Value.ToString();
}
return "";
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answered Sep 18 '09 at 17:10

Patrick Desjardins
50.9k 46 188 260

edited Oct 9 '11 at 17:56

NullUserException
41.9k 11 96 164

answered Sep 18 '09 at 17:09

Ahmed Khalaf
741 5 22

edited Oct 9 '11 at 17:56

NullUserException
41.9k 11 96 164

answered Sep 18 '09 at 17:09

Mike
2,057 1 20 36

if (aDate.HasValue)
return aDate;
else
return string.Empty;
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