What is the correct format to use for Date Time in an XML file

Question

What format do I use for Date Time when writing to an XML file using  NET  Do I simply use DateTime ToString    or do I have to use a specific format

User · Accepted Answer

I always use the ISO 8601 format  e g  2008-10-31T15 07 38 6875000-05 00  -- date ToString  o    It is the XSD date format as well  That is the preferred format and a Standard Date and Time Format string  although you can use a manual format string if necessary if you don t want the  T  between the date and time  date ToString  yyyy-MM-dd HH mm ss     EDIT  If you are using a generated class from an XSD or Web Service  you can just assign the DateTime instance directly to the class property  If you are writing XML text  then use the above

User · Answer

The XmlConvert class provides these kinds of facilities  About DateTimes  in particular  be careful about obsolete methods  See also  https   stackoverflow com a 7457718 1288109

User · Answer

What does the DTD have to say   If the XML file is for communicating with other existing software  e g   SOAP   then check that software for what it expects   If the XML file is for serialisation or communication with non-existing software  e g   the one you re writing   you can define it   In which case  I d suggest something that is both easy to parse in your language s  of choice  and easy to read for humans   e g   if your language  whether VB NET or C  NET or whatever  allows you to parse ISO dates  YYYY-MM-DD  easily  that s the one I d suggest

User · Answer

What does the DTD have to say   If the XML file is for communicating with other existing software  e g   SOAP   then check that software for what it expects   If the XML file is for serialisation or communication with non-existing software  e g   the one you re writing   you can define it   In which case  I d suggest something that is both easy to parse in your language s  of choice  and easy to read for humans   e g   if your language  whether VB NET or C  NET or whatever  allows you to parse ISO dates  YYYY-MM-DD  easily  that s the one I d suggest

User · Answer

What does the DTD have to say   If the XML file is for communicating with other existing software  e g   SOAP   then check that software for what it expects   If the XML file is for serialisation or communication with non-existing software  e g   the one you re writing   you can define it   In which case  I d suggest something that is both easy to parse in your language s  of choice  and easy to read for humans   e g   if your language  whether VB NET or C  NET or whatever  allows you to parse ISO dates  YYYY-MM-DD  easily  that s the one I d suggest

User · Answer

EDIT  This is bad advice  Use  o   as above   s  does the wrong thing   I always use this   dateTime ToUniversalTime   ToString  s      This is correct if your schema looks like this    lt xs element name  startdate  type  xs dateTime   gt    Which would result in    lt startdate gt 2002-05-30T09 00 00 lt  startdate gt    You can get more information here  http   www w3schools com xml schema dtypes date asp

User · Answer

If you are manually assembling the XML string use var ToUniversalTime   ToString  yyyy-MM-dd T HH mm ss fffffffZ      That will output the official XML Date Time format   But you don t have to worry about format if you use the built-in serialization methods

User · Answer

What does the DTD have to say   If the XML file is for communicating with other existing software  e g   SOAP   then check that software for what it expects   If the XML file is for serialisation or communication with non-existing software  e g   the one you re writing   you can define it   In which case  I d suggest something that is both easy to parse in your language s  of choice  and easy to read for humans   e g   if your language  whether VB NET or C  NET or whatever  allows you to parse ISO dates  YYYY-MM-DD  easily  that s the one I d suggest

User · Answer

If you are manually assembling the XML string use var ToUniversalTime   ToString  yyyy-MM-dd T HH mm ss fffffffZ      That will output the official XML Date Time format   But you don t have to worry about format if you use the built-in serialization methods

User · Answer

The XmlConvert class provides these kinds of facilities  About DateTimes  in particular  be careful about obsolete methods  See also  https   stackoverflow com a 7457718 1288109

User · Answer

EDIT  This is bad advice  Use  o   as above   s  does the wrong thing   I always use this   dateTime ToUniversalTime   ToString  s      This is correct if your schema looks like this    lt xs element name  startdate  type  xs dateTime   gt    Which would result in    lt startdate gt 2002-05-30T09 00 00 lt  startdate gt    You can get more information here  http   www w3schools com xml schema dtypes date asp

User · Answer

If you are manually assembling the XML string use var ToUniversalTime   ToString  yyyy-MM-dd T HH mm ss fffffffZ      That will output the official XML Date Time format   But you don t have to worry about format if you use the built-in serialization methods

User · Answer

EDIT  This is bad advice  Use  o   as above   s  does the wrong thing   I always use this   dateTime ToUniversalTime   ToString  s      This is correct if your schema looks like this    lt xs element name  startdate  type  xs dateTime   gt    Which would result in    lt startdate gt 2002-05-30T09 00 00 lt  startdate gt    You can get more information here  http   www w3schools com xml schema dtypes date asp

User · Answer

EDIT  This is bad advice  Use  o   as above   s  does the wrong thing   I always use this   dateTime ToUniversalTime   ToString  s      This is correct if your schema looks like this    lt xs element name  startdate  type  xs dateTime   gt    Which would result in    lt startdate gt 2002-05-30T09 00 00 lt  startdate gt    You can get more information here  http   www w3schools com xml schema dtypes date asp

User · Answer

If you are manually assembling the XML string use var ToUniversalTime   ToString  yyyy-MM-dd T HH mm ss fffffffZ      That will output the official XML Date Time format   But you don t have to worry about format if you use the built-in serialization methods

[.net] What is the correct format to use for Date/Time in an XML file

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