I doubt I am the only one who has come up with this solution, but if you have a better one please post it here. I simply want to leave this question here so I and others can search it later.
I needed to tell whether a valid date had been entered into a text box and this is the code that I came up with. I fire this when focus leaves the text box.
try
{
DateTime.Parse(startDateTextBox.Text);
}
catch
{
startDateTextBox.Text = DateTime.Today.ToShortDateString();
}
This question is related to
c#
datetime
validation
protected bool ValidateBirthday(String date)
{
DateTime Temp;
if (DateTime.TryParse(date, out Temp) == true &&
Temp.Hour == 0 &&
Temp.Minute == 0 &&
Temp.Second == 0 &&
Temp.Millisecond == 0 &&
Temp > DateTime.MinValue)
return true;
else
return false;
}
//suppose that input string is short date format.
e.g. "2013/7/5" returns true or
"2013/2/31" returns false.
http://forums.asp.net/t/1250332.aspx/1
//bool booleanValue = ValidateBirthday("12:55"); returns false
private void btnEnter_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
maskedTextBox1.Mask = "00/00/0000";
maskedTextBox1.ValidatingType = typeof(System.DateTime);
//if (!IsValidDOB(maskedTextBox1.Text))
if (!ValidateBirthday(maskedTextBox1.Text))
MessageBox.Show(" Not Valid");
else
MessageBox.Show("Valid");
}
// check date format dd/mm/yyyy. but not if year < 1 or > 2013.
public static bool IsValidDOB(string dob)
{
DateTime temp;
if (DateTime.TryParse(dob, out temp))
return (true);
else
return (false);
}
// checks date format dd/mm/yyyy and year > 1900!.
protected bool ValidateBirthday(String date)
{
DateTime Temp;
if (DateTime.TryParse(date, out Temp) == true &&
Temp.Year > 1900 &&
// Temp.Hour == 0 && Temp.Minute == 0 &&
//Temp.Second == 0 && Temp.Millisecond == 0 &&
Temp > DateTime.MinValue)
return (true);
else
return (false);
}
DateTime temp;
try
{
temp = Convert.ToDateTime(grd.Rows[e.RowIndex].Cells["dateg"].Value);
grd.Rows[e.RowIndex].Cells["dateg"].Value = temp.ToString("yyyy/MM/dd");
}
catch
{
MessageBox.Show("Sorry The date not valid", "Error", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Stop,MessageBoxDefaultButton.Button1,MessageBoxOptions .RightAlign);
grd.Rows[e.RowIndex].Cells["dateg"].Value = null;
}
All the Answers are Quite great but if you want to use a single function ,this may work.
private bool validateTime(string dateInString)
{
DateTime temp;
if (DateTime.TryParse(dateInString, out temp))
{
return true;
}
return false;
}
One liner:
if (DateTime.TryParse(value, out _)) {//dostuff}
DateTime temp;
try
{
temp = Convert.ToDateTime(grd.Rows[e.RowIndex].Cells["dateg"].Value);
grd.Rows[e.RowIndex].Cells["dateg"].Value = temp.ToString("yyyy/MM/dd");
}
catch
{
MessageBox.Show("Sorry The date not valid", "Error", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Stop,MessageBoxDefaultButton.Button1,MessageBoxOptions .RightAlign);
grd.Rows[e.RowIndex].Cells["dateg"].Value = null;
}
You can also define the DateTime format for a specific CultureInfo
public static bool IsDateTime(string tempDate)
{
DateTime fromDateValue;
var formats = new[] { "MM/dd/yyyy", "dd/MM/yyyy h:mm:ss", "MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm tt", "yyyy'-'MM'-'dd'T'HH':'mm':'ss" };
return DateTime.TryParseExact(tempDate, formats, System.Globalization.CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.None, out fromDateValue);
}
A problem with using DateTime.TryParse is that it doesn't support the very common data-entry use case of dates entered without separators, e.g. 011508.
Here's an example of how to support this. (This is from a framework I'm building, so its signature is a little weird, but the core logic should be usable):
private static readonly Regex ShortDate = new Regex(@"^\d{6}$");
private static readonly Regex LongDate = new Regex(@"^\d{8}$");
public object Parse(object value, out string message)
{
msg = null;
string s = value.ToString().Trim();
if (s.Trim() == "")
{
return null;
}
else
{
if (ShortDate.Match(s).Success)
{
s = s.Substring(0, 2) + "/" + s.Substring(2, 2) + "/" + s.Substring(4, 2);
}
if (LongDate.Match(s).Success)
{
s = s.Substring(0, 2) + "/" + s.Substring(2, 2) + "/" + s.Substring(4, 4);
}
DateTime d = DateTime.MinValue;
if (DateTime.TryParse(s, out d))
{
return d;
}
else
{
message = String.Format("\"{0}\" is not a valid date.", s);
return null;
}
}
}
I would use the DateTime.TryParse() method: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.datetime.tryparse.aspx
A problem with using DateTime.TryParse is that it doesn't support the very common data-entry use case of dates entered without separators, e.g. 011508.
Here's an example of how to support this. (This is from a framework I'm building, so its signature is a little weird, but the core logic should be usable):
private static readonly Regex ShortDate = new Regex(@"^\d{6}$");
private static readonly Regex LongDate = new Regex(@"^\d{8}$");
public object Parse(object value, out string message)
{
msg = null;
string s = value.ToString().Trim();
if (s.Trim() == "")
{
return null;
}
else
{
if (ShortDate.Match(s).Success)
{
s = s.Substring(0, 2) + "/" + s.Substring(2, 2) + "/" + s.Substring(4, 2);
}
if (LongDate.Match(s).Success)
{
s = s.Substring(0, 2) + "/" + s.Substring(2, 2) + "/" + s.Substring(4, 4);
}
DateTime d = DateTime.MinValue;
if (DateTime.TryParse(s, out d))
{
return d;
}
else
{
message = String.Format("\"{0}\" is not a valid date.", s);
return null;
}
}
}
Here's another variation of the solution that returns true if the string can be converted to a DateTime type, and false otherwise.
public static bool IsDateTime(string txtDate)
{
DateTime tempDate;
return DateTime.TryParse(txtDate, out tempDate);
}
One liner:
if (DateTime.TryParse(value, out _)) {//dostuff}
protected bool ValidateBirthday(String date)
{
DateTime Temp;
if (DateTime.TryParse(date, out Temp) == true &&
Temp.Hour == 0 &&
Temp.Minute == 0 &&
Temp.Second == 0 &&
Temp.Millisecond == 0 &&
Temp > DateTime.MinValue)
return true;
else
return false;
}
//suppose that input string is short date format.
e.g. "2013/7/5" returns true or
"2013/2/31" returns false.
http://forums.asp.net/t/1250332.aspx/1
//bool booleanValue = ValidateBirthday("12:55"); returns false
Don't use exceptions for flow control. Use DateTime.TryParse and DateTime.TryParseExact. Personally I prefer TryParseExact with a specific format, but I guess there are times when TryParse is better. Example use based on your original code:
DateTime value;
if (!DateTime.TryParse(startDateTextBox.Text, out value))
{
startDateTextox.Text = DateTime.Today.ToShortDateString();
}
Reasons for preferring this approach:
What about using TryParse?
I would use the DateTime.TryParse() method: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.datetime.tryparse.aspx
protected static bool CheckDate(DateTime date)
{
if(new DateTime() == date)
return false;
else
return true;
}
You can also define the DateTime format for a specific CultureInfo
public static bool IsDateTime(string tempDate)
{
DateTime fromDateValue;
var formats = new[] { "MM/dd/yyyy", "dd/MM/yyyy h:mm:ss", "MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm tt", "yyyy'-'MM'-'dd'T'HH':'mm':'ss" };
return DateTime.TryParseExact(tempDate, formats, System.Globalization.CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.None, out fromDateValue);
}
DateTime temp;
try
{
temp = Convert.ToDateTime(date);
date = temp.ToString("yyyy/MM/dd");
}
catch
{
MessageBox.Show("Sorry The date not valid", "Error", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Stop,MessageBoxDefaultButton.Button1,MessageBoxOptions .RightAlign);
date = null;
}
What about using TryParse?
protected static bool CheckDate(DateTime date)
{
if(new DateTime() == date)
return false;
else
return true;
}
Don't use exceptions for flow control. Use DateTime.TryParse and DateTime.TryParseExact. Personally I prefer TryParseExact with a specific format, but I guess there are times when TryParse is better. Example use based on your original code:
DateTime value;
if (!DateTime.TryParse(startDateTextBox.Text, out value))
{
startDateTextox.Text = DateTime.Today.ToShortDateString();
}
Reasons for preferring this approach:
What about using TryParse?
private void btnEnter_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
maskedTextBox1.Mask = "00/00/0000";
maskedTextBox1.ValidatingType = typeof(System.DateTime);
//if (!IsValidDOB(maskedTextBox1.Text))
if (!ValidateBirthday(maskedTextBox1.Text))
MessageBox.Show(" Not Valid");
else
MessageBox.Show("Valid");
}
// check date format dd/mm/yyyy. but not if year < 1 or > 2013.
public static bool IsValidDOB(string dob)
{
DateTime temp;
if (DateTime.TryParse(dob, out temp))
return (true);
else
return (false);
}
// checks date format dd/mm/yyyy and year > 1900!.
protected bool ValidateBirthday(String date)
{
DateTime Temp;
if (DateTime.TryParse(date, out Temp) == true &&
Temp.Year > 1900 &&
// Temp.Hour == 0 && Temp.Minute == 0 &&
//Temp.Second == 0 && Temp.Millisecond == 0 &&
Temp > DateTime.MinValue)
return (true);
else
return (false);
}
Don't use exceptions for flow control. Use DateTime.TryParse and DateTime.TryParseExact. Personally I prefer TryParseExact with a specific format, but I guess there are times when TryParse is better. Example use based on your original code:
DateTime value;
if (!DateTime.TryParse(startDateTextBox.Text, out value))
{
startDateTextox.Text = DateTime.Today.ToShortDateString();
}
Reasons for preferring this approach:
A problem with using DateTime.TryParse is that it doesn't support the very common data-entry use case of dates entered without separators, e.g. 011508.
Here's an example of how to support this. (This is from a framework I'm building, so its signature is a little weird, but the core logic should be usable):
private static readonly Regex ShortDate = new Regex(@"^\d{6}$");
private static readonly Regex LongDate = new Regex(@"^\d{8}$");
public object Parse(object value, out string message)
{
msg = null;
string s = value.ToString().Trim();
if (s.Trim() == "")
{
return null;
}
else
{
if (ShortDate.Match(s).Success)
{
s = s.Substring(0, 2) + "/" + s.Substring(2, 2) + "/" + s.Substring(4, 2);
}
if (LongDate.Match(s).Success)
{
s = s.Substring(0, 2) + "/" + s.Substring(2, 2) + "/" + s.Substring(4, 4);
}
DateTime d = DateTime.MinValue;
if (DateTime.TryParse(s, out d))
{
return d;
}
else
{
message = String.Format("\"{0}\" is not a valid date.", s);
return null;
}
}
}
DateTime temp;
try
{
temp = Convert.ToDateTime(date);
date = temp.ToString("yyyy/MM/dd");
}
catch
{
MessageBox.Show("Sorry The date not valid", "Error", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Stop,MessageBoxDefaultButton.Button1,MessageBoxOptions .RightAlign);
date = null;
}
Here's another variation of the solution that returns true if the string can be converted to a DateTime type, and false otherwise.
public static bool IsDateTime(string txtDate)
{
DateTime tempDate;
return DateTime.TryParse(txtDate, out tempDate);
}
What about using TryParse?
I would use the DateTime.TryParse() method: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.datetime.tryparse.aspx
Source: Stackoverflow.com