Formatting a String to a Date String

[Bishman]

This is driving me mad, should be simple,

How can I format a date string "01122006" to be "01/12/2006"

I have tried
string teststr = String.Format(" {d}","01122006" );

AND

string teststr = String.Format(" {##/##/####","01122006 ");

and various other methods but these throw errors.

Can someone help please ?

Thanks

Jon.

[Ciaran O''Donnell]

RE: Formatting a String to a Date String

You need to make it a datetime first, Try:

DateTime.ParseE xact("01122006" , "ddMMyyyy",
DateTimeFormatI nfo.CurrentInfo ).ToString("dd/MM/yyyy");

Ciaran O'Donnell



"Bishman" wrote:

This is driving me mad, should be simple,
>
How can I format a date string "01122006" to be "01/12/2006"
>
I have tried
string teststr = String.Format(" {d}","01122006" );
>
AND
>
string teststr = String.Format(" {##/##/####","01122006 ");
>
and various other methods but these throw errors.
>
Can someone help please ?
>
Thanks
>
Jon.
>
>
>

[Gustavo Ringel]

Re: Formatting a String to a Date String

if you set sDate = "01122006"
You may try
String.Format(" {0}/{1}/{2}",sDate.subs tring(0,2),sDat e.substring(2,2 ),sDate.substri ng(4,4))

Gustavo.

"Bishman" <jonathan.bisho p@btinternet.co mwrote in message
news:ehQQSEKCHH A.5068@TK2MSFTN GP02.phx.gbl...

This is driving me mad, should be simple,
>
How can I format a date string "01122006" to be "01/12/2006"
>
I have tried
string teststr = String.Format(" {d}","01122006" );
>
AND
>
string teststr = String.Format(" {##/##/####","01122006 ");
>
and various other methods but these throw errors.
>
Can someone help please ?
>
Thanks
>
Jon.
>
>

[Bishman]

Re: Formatting a String to a Date String

Thanks for the replies,

I must have got mixed up with other types of formatting !

I will give these a go,

Jon.



"Bishman" <jonathan.bisho p@btinternet.co mwrote in message
news:ehQQSEKCHH A.5068@TK2MSFTN GP02.phx.gbl...

This is driving me mad, should be simple,
>
How can I format a date string "01122006" to be "01/12/2006"
>
I have tried
string teststr = String.Format(" {d}","01122006" );
>
AND
>
string teststr = String.Format(" {##/##/####","01122006 ");
>
and various other methods but these throw errors.
>
Can someone help please ?
>
Thanks
>
Jon.
>
>

[Rad [Visual C# MVP]]

RE: Formatting a String to a Date String

ParseExact is the way to go. However if you want to manipulate the day month
and year separately (catering for different cultures) you could to it this
way:

//
// Create a regex
//
Regex r = new Regex(@"(?<day> \d{2})(?<month> \d{2})(?<year>\ d{4})");
//
// Extract the values
//
Match m = r.Match("010220 06");
int day = int.Parse(m.Gro ups["day"].Value);
int month = int.Parse(m.Gro ups["month"].Value);
int year = int.Parse(m.Gro ups["year"].Value);
//
// Now that we have the components separately,
// Construct the datetime
//
DateTime date= new DateTime(year,m onth,day);

--


Bits. Bytes.

http://bytes.thinkersroom.com

------------------------------


"Bishman" wrote:

This is driving me mad, should be simple,
>
How can I format a date string "01122006" to be "01/12/2006"
>
I have tried
string teststr = String.Format(" {d}","01122006" );
>
AND
>
string teststr = String.Format(" {##/##/####","01122006 ");
>
and various other methods but these throw errors.
>
Can someone help please ?
>
Thanks
>
Jon.
>
>
>

[Cor Ligthert [MVP]]

Re: Formatting a String to a Date String

In my idea the only good answer until now,

All other answers are converting from string to a DateTime structure.

:-)

Cor

"Gustavo Ringel" <gustavo.ringel @gmail.comschre ef in bericht
news:uSZizTKCHH A.996@TK2MSFTNG P02.phx.gbl...

if you set sDate = "01122006"
You may try
String.Format(" {0}/{1}/{2}",sDate.subs tring(0,2),sDat e.substring(2,2 ),sDate.substri ng(4,4))
>
Gustavo.
>
"Bishman" <jonathan.bisho p@btinternet.co mwrote in message
news:ehQQSEKCHH A.5068@TK2MSFTN GP02.phx.gbl...

>This is driving me mad, should be simple,
>>
>How can I format a date string "01122006" to be "01/12/2006"
>>
>I have tried
>string teststr = String.Format(" {d}","01122006" );
>>
>AND
>>
>string teststr = String.Format(" {##/##/####","01122006 ");
>>
>and various other methods but these throw errors.
>>
>Can someone help please ?
>>
>Thanks
>>
>Jon.
>>
>>

>
>

[Jon Skeet [C# MVP]]

Re: Formatting a String to a Date String

Cor Ligthert [MVP] <notmyfirstname @planet.nlwrote :

In my idea the only good answer until now,
>
All other answers are converting from string to a DateTime structure.
>
:-)

It's entirely reasonable to convert to a DateTime structure *and then
format that*, just as in Ciaran's response.

The problem with *not* going via a DateTime is that you have no error
checking. For instance, Gustavo's code would convert "abcdef" into
"ab/cd/ef" instead of (correctly, IMO) noticing that the string isn't a
valid date.

--
Jon Skeet - <skeet@pobox.co m>
http://www.pobox.com/~skeet Blog: http://www.msmvps.com/jon.skeet
If replying to the group, please do not mail me too

[Mihai N.]

Re: Formatting a String to a Date String

In my idea the only good answer until now,

>
All other answers are converting from string to a DateTime structure.
>
>:-)
>
Cor

Sorry, but going thru a DateTime is the best thing.
Then you can format it the way you want. And ##/##/## is not how you want,
for a properly internationaliz ed application.


--
Mihai Nita [Microsoft MVP, Windows - SDK]

http://www.mihai-nita.net

------------------------------------------
Replace _year_ with _ to get the real email

[Cor Ligthert [MVP]]

Re: Formatting a String to a Date String

It's entirely reasonable to convert to a DateTime structure *and then

format that*, just as in Ciaran's response.
>
The problem with *not* going via a DateTime is that you have no error
checking. For instance, Gustavo's code would convert "abcdef" into
"ab/cd/ef" instead of (correctly, IMO) noticing that the string isn't a
valid date.

The advance with *not* going to a DateTime structure is that you have not
any problem with inbuild verification as in the DateTime structure as by
instance check on leapmonths, way of writting or whatever. There are
situations where people ignore that expressely with good reasons.

If you want the advantages of a DateTime structure, than you should use a
DateTime structure from the beginning not only to set a position extra.

Cor

Cor

[Jon Skeet [C# MVP]]

Re: Formatting a String to a Date String

Cor Ligthert [MVP] <notmyfirstname @planet.nlwrote :

It's entirely reasonable to convert to a DateTime structure *and then
format that*, just as in Ciaran's response.

The problem with *not* going via a DateTime is that you have no error
checking. For instance, Gustavo's code would convert "abcdef" into
"ab/cd/ef" instead of (correctly, IMO) noticing that the string isn't a
valid date.

>
The advance with *not* going to a DateTime structure is that you have not
any problem with inbuild verification as in the DateTime structure as by
instance check on leapmonths, way of writting or whatever. There are
situations where people ignore that expressely with good reasons.

I can't remember ever being in the situation where I *want*, say,
Februrary 29th 2005 to be a valid input. Can you give an example where
that's the case?

If you want the advantages of a DateTime structure, than you should use a
DateTime structure from the beginning not only to set a position extra.

What do you mean by "not only to set a position extra"?

--
Jon Skeet - <skeet@pobox.co m>
http://www.pobox.com/~skeet Blog: http://www.msmvps.com/jon.skeet
If replying to the group, please do not mail me too

[Jay]

Re: Formatting a String to a Date String

When importing data from an old DOS programme, I once had invalid
dates like February 29th 2005. I reasoned that since people were
happy with them in the original programme, they would be happy
with them in the new one too. Turning them into a valid date would
have been very tricky, trying to second guess what the user intended.

I can't remember ever being in the situation where I *want*, say,
Februrary 29th 2005 to be a valid input. Can you give an example
where that's the case?

[Jon Skeet [C# MVP]]

Re: Formatting a String to a Date String

Jay wrote:

When importing data from an old DOS programme, I once had invalid
dates like February 29th 2005. I reasoned that since people were
happy with them in the original programme, they would be happy
with them in the new one too. Turning them into a valid date would
have been very tricky, trying to second guess what the user intended.

Fair enough. I would hope that situations like that are a rarity rather
than a common requirement though :)

Jon

[Cor Ligthert [MVP]]

Re: Formatting a String to a Date String

29 february is not in a leap month it is a date in a leapyear in the
Gregorian calendar, a leapmonth is something else in the Hebrewic calendar,
I was sure that you would give an answer like you did.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_calendar

The rest is answered by Jay.

Cor

"Jon Skeet [C# MVP]" <skeet@pobox.co mschreef in bericht
news:MPG.1fc624 33f7a10f8898d61 6@msnews.micros oft.com...

Cor Ligthert [MVP] <notmyfirstname @planet.nlwrote :

It's entirely reasonable to convert to a DateTime structure *and then
format that*, just as in Ciaran's response.
>
The problem with *not* going via a DateTime is that you have no error
checking. For instance, Gustavo's code would convert "abcdef" into
"ab/cd/ef" instead of (correctly, IMO) noticing that the string isn't a
valid date.

>>
>The advance with *not* going to a DateTime structure is that you have not
>any problem with inbuild verification as in the DateTime structure as by
>instance check on leapmonths, way of writting or whatever. There are
>situations where people ignore that expressely with good reasons.

>
I can't remember ever being in the situation where I *want*, say,
Februrary 29th 2005 to be a valid input. Can you give an example where
that's the case?
>

>If you want the advantages of a DateTime structure, than you should use a
>DateTime structure from the beginning not only to set a position extra.

>
What do you mean by "not only to set a position extra"?
>
--
Jon Skeet - <skeet@pobox.co m>
http://www.pobox.com/~skeet Blog: http://www.msmvps.com/jon.skeet
If replying to the group, please do not mail me too

[Jon Skeet [C# MVP]]

Re: Formatting a String to a Date String

Cor Ligthert [MVP] <notmyfirstname @planet.nlwrote :

29 february is not in a leap month it is a date in a leapyear in the
Gregorian calendar, a leapmonth is something else in the Hebrewic calendar,
I was sure that you would give an answer like you did.
>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_calendar

>
The rest is answered by Jay.

So in a few very specific cases, you'd want different validation, or
perhaps no validation at all. That's fine, but I don't think that's
*nearly* as common a requirement as "normal" date checking, which is
where using DateTime is the way to go.

--
Jon Skeet - <skeet@pobox.co m>
http://www.pobox.com/~skeet Blog: http://www.msmvps.com/jon.skeet
If replying to the group, please do not mail me too

[Cor Ligthert [MVP]]

Re: Formatting a String to a Date String

You think I know.

Cor

"Jon Skeet [C# MVP]" <skeet@pobox.co mschreef in bericht
news:MPG.1fc6c2 d564cc671e98d61 8@msnews.micros oft.com...

Cor Ligthert [MVP] <notmyfirstname @planet.nlwrote :

>29 february is not in a leap month it is a date in a leapyear in the
>Gregorian calendar, a leapmonth is something else in the Hebrewic
>calendar,
>I was sure that you would give an answer like you did.
>>
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_calendar
>>
>The rest is answered by Jay.

>
So in a few very specific cases, you'd want different validation, or
perhaps no validation at all. That's fine, but I don't think that's
*nearly* as common a requirement as "normal" date checking, which is
where using DateTime is the way to go.
>
--
Jon Skeet - <skeet@pobox.co m>
http://www.pobox.com/~skeet Blog: http://www.msmvps.com/jon.skeet
If replying to the group, please do not mail me too