How do I use DateTime TryParse with a Nullable DateTime

Question

I want to use the DateTime TryParse method to get the datetime value of a string into a Nullable   But when I try this   DateTime  d  bool success   DateTime TryParse  some date text   out  DateTime d     the compiler tells me       out  argument is not classified as a variable   Not sure what I need to do here   I ve also tried    out  DateTime d Value    and that doesn t work either   Any ideas

User · Accepted Answer

DateTime  d null  DateTime d2  bool success   DateTime TryParse  some date text   out d2   if  success  d d2     There might be more elegant solutions  but why don t you simply do something as above

User · Answer

This is the one liner you re looking fo   DateTime  d   DateTime TryParse  some date text   out DateTime dt    dt   null    If you want to make it a proper TryParse pseudo-extension method  you can do this   public static bool TryParse string text  out DateTime  dt        if  DateTime TryParse text  out DateTime date                 dt   date          return true            else               dt   null          return false

User · Answer

I don t see why Microsoft didn t handle this   A smart little utility method to deal with this  I had the issue with int  but replacing int with DateTime will be the same effect  could be           public static bool NullableValueTryParse string text  out int  nInt                int value          if  int TryParse text  out value                         nInt   value              return true                    else                       nInt   null              return false

User · Answer

What about creating an extension method   public static class NullableExtensions       public static bool TryParse this DateTime  dateTime  string dateString  out DateTime  result                DateTime tempDate          if   DateTime TryParse dateString out tempDate                         result   null              return false                     result   tempDate          return true

User · Answer

Here s a single line solution   DateTime  d   DateTime TryParse  text   out DateTime parseDate    parseDate    DateTime  null

User · Answer

You can t because Nullable lt DateTime gt  is a different type to DateTime  You need to write your own function to do it    public bool TryParse string text  out Nullable lt DateTime gt  nDate        DateTime date      bool isParsed   DateTime TryParse text  out date       if  isParsed          nDate   new Nullable lt DateTime gt  date       else         nDate   new Nullable lt DateTime gt         return isParsed      Hope this helps     EDIT  Removed the  obviously  improperly tested extension method  because  as Pointed out by some bad hoor  extension methods that attempt to change the  this  parameter will not work with Value Types   P S  The Bad Hoor in question is an old friend

User · Answer

You can t because Nullable lt DateTime gt  is a different type to DateTime  You need to write your own function to do it    public bool TryParse string text  out Nullable lt DateTime gt  nDate        DateTime date      bool isParsed   DateTime TryParse text  out date       if  isParsed          nDate   new Nullable lt DateTime gt  date       else         nDate   new Nullable lt DateTime gt         return isParsed      Hope this helps     EDIT  Removed the  obviously  improperly tested extension method  because  as Pointed out by some bad hoor  extension methods that attempt to change the  this  parameter will not work with Value Types   P S  The Bad Hoor in question is an old friend

User · Answer

Here s a single line solution   DateTime  d   DateTime TryParse  text   out DateTime parseDate    parseDate    DateTime  null

User · Answer

I don t see why Microsoft didn t handle this   A smart little utility method to deal with this  I had the issue with int  but replacing int with DateTime will be the same effect  could be           public static bool NullableValueTryParse string text  out int  nInt                int value          if  int TryParse text  out value                         nInt   value              return true                    else                       nInt   null              return false

User · Answer

As Jason says  you can create a variable of the right type and pass that  You might want to encapsulate it in your own method   public static DateTime  TryParse string text        DateTime date      if  DateTime TryParse text  out date                 return date            else               return null                or if you like the conditional operator   public static DateTime  TryParse string text        DateTime date      return DateTime TryParse text  out date    date    DateTime   null      Or in C  7   public static DateTime  TryParse string text    gt      DateTime TryParse text  out var date    date    DateTime   null

User · Answer

Here is a slightly concised edition of what Jason suggested   DateTime  d  DateTime dt  d   DateTime TryParse DateTime Now ToString    out dt   dt    DateTime  null

User · Answer

Here is a slightly concised edition of what Jason suggested   DateTime  d  DateTime dt  d   DateTime TryParse DateTime Now ToString    out dt   dt    DateTime  null

User · Answer

As Jason says  you can create a variable of the right type and pass that  You might want to encapsulate it in your own method   public static DateTime  TryParse string text        DateTime date      if  DateTime TryParse text  out date                 return date            else               return null                or if you like the conditional operator   public static DateTime  TryParse string text        DateTime date      return DateTime TryParse text  out date    date    DateTime   null      Or in C  7   public static DateTime  TryParse string text    gt      DateTime TryParse text  out var date    date    DateTime   null

User · Answer

Here is a slightly concised edition of what Jason suggested   DateTime  d  DateTime dt  d   DateTime TryParse DateTime Now ToString    out dt   dt    DateTime  null

User · Answer

Here is a slightly concised edition of what Jason suggested   DateTime  d  DateTime dt  d   DateTime TryParse DateTime Now ToString    out dt   dt    DateTime  null

User · Answer

This is the one liner you re looking fo   DateTime  d   DateTime TryParse  some date text   out DateTime dt    dt   null    If you want to make it a proper TryParse pseudo-extension method  you can do this   public static bool TryParse string text  out DateTime  dt        if  DateTime TryParse text  out DateTime date                 dt   date          return true            else               dt   null          return false

User · Answer

You can t because Nullable lt DateTime gt  is a different type to DateTime  You need to write your own function to do it    public bool TryParse string text  out Nullable lt DateTime gt  nDate        DateTime date      bool isParsed   DateTime TryParse text  out date       if  isParsed          nDate   new Nullable lt DateTime gt  date       else         nDate   new Nullable lt DateTime gt         return isParsed      Hope this helps     EDIT  Removed the  obviously  improperly tested extension method  because  as Pointed out by some bad hoor  extension methods that attempt to change the  this  parameter will not work with Value Types   P S  The Bad Hoor in question is an old friend

User · Answer

You can t because Nullable lt DateTime gt  is a different type to DateTime  You need to write your own function to do it    public bool TryParse string text  out Nullable lt DateTime gt  nDate        DateTime date      bool isParsed   DateTime TryParse text  out date       if  isParsed          nDate   new Nullable lt DateTime gt  date       else         nDate   new Nullable lt DateTime gt         return isParsed      Hope this helps     EDIT  Removed the  obviously  improperly tested extension method  because  as Pointed out by some bad hoor  extension methods that attempt to change the  this  parameter will not work with Value Types   P S  The Bad Hoor in question is an old friend

User · Answer

As Jason says  you can create a variable of the right type and pass that  You might want to encapsulate it in your own method   public static DateTime  TryParse string text        DateTime date      if  DateTime TryParse text  out date                 return date            else               return null                or if you like the conditional operator   public static DateTime  TryParse string text        DateTime date      return DateTime TryParse text  out date    date    DateTime   null      Or in C  7   public static DateTime  TryParse string text    gt      DateTime TryParse text  out var date    date    DateTime   null

User · Answer

Alternatively  if you are not concerned with the possible exception raised  you could change TryParse for Parse   DateTime  d   DateTime Parse  some valid text      Although there won t be a boolean indicating success either  it could be practical in some situations where you know that the input text will always be valid

User · Answer

What about creating an extension method   public static class NullableExtensions       public static bool TryParse this DateTime  dateTime  string dateString  out DateTime  result                DateTime tempDate          if   DateTime TryParse dateString out tempDate                         result   null              return false                     result   tempDate          return true

User · Answer

As Jason says  you can create a variable of the right type and pass that  You might want to encapsulate it in your own method   public static DateTime  TryParse string text        DateTime date      if  DateTime TryParse text  out date                 return date            else               return null                or if you like the conditional operator   public static DateTime  TryParse string text        DateTime date      return DateTime TryParse text  out date    date    DateTime   null      Or in C  7   public static DateTime  TryParse string text    gt      DateTime TryParse text  out var date    date    DateTime   null

User · Answer

Alternatively  if you are not concerned with the possible exception raised  you could change TryParse for Parse   DateTime  d   DateTime Parse  some valid text      Although there won t be a boolean indicating success either  it could be practical in some situations where you know that the input text will always be valid

[c#] How do I use DateTime.TryParse with a Nullable<DateTime>?

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