Working with DateTime data type in C#

DateTime

This DateTime data type represents an instance in time, typically expressed as a date and time of day.

So first let’s learn about the default constructors of DateTime.

Example:

using System;
using System.Globalization;
class datetime
{
    public static void Main()
    {
      DateTime dt = new DateTime();
      DateTime dt1 = new DateTime(600);
      DateTime dt2 = new DateTime(2011,08,4);
      DateTime dt3 = new DateTime(2011,08,19,20,08,30);
      DateTime dt4 = new DateTime(2011,08,4,4,09,20,200);

      // here we are creating the object of julianCalender and some other calenders persiancalender, HijriCalendar.  
      JulianCalendar calendar = new JulianCalendar();
      DateTime dt5 = new DateTime(2011, 08, 04, calendar);
      Console.WriteLine(dt);
      Console.WriteLine("this specifies no of ticks"+dt1.Ticks);
      Console.WriteLine("this intializes year,month,day"+dt2);
      Console.WriteLine("this intializes year,month,day,hour,minute,second"+dt3);
      Console.WriteLine("this intialize year,month,day,hour,minute,second,milliseconds" + dt4);
      Console.WriteLine("julian calender: "+dt5);
    
    }    
}

Output:

Let us learn about the DateTime properties with an example.

DateTime Properties:

In below code snippet I am going to demonstrate the properties of the DateTime, for easy understandability I have written the purpose of each property as comment in the code.

Example:

using System;
class datetime
{
    public static void Main()
    {
 
        //specific reperesentation of Date Time
        DateTime dt = new DateTime(2011, 08, 4, 4, 09, 20, 200);
        //Gets a DateTime object that is set to the current date and time on this computer, expressed as the local time.
        DateTime now = DateTime.Now;
        //Gets the current date.
        DateTime today = DateTime.Today;
        
        Console.WriteLine("======================");
        Console.WriteLine("For secified Date Time:");
        //Gets the year component of the specified date time.
        Console.WriteLine("Year: " + dt.Year);
        //Gets the month component of the specified date time.
        Console.WriteLine("Month: " + dt.Month);
 
        //Gets the hour component of the specified date time.
        Console.WriteLine("Hours: " + dt.Hour);
        //Gets the minute component of the specified date time.
        Console.WriteLine("Minutes: " + dt.Minute);
        //Gets the seconds component of the specified date time.
        Console.WriteLine("Seconds: " + dt.Second);
        //Gets the milliseconds component of the specified date time.
        Console.WriteLine("Milliseconds: " + dt.Millisecond);
        //Gets the date component of the specified date time.
        Console.WriteLine("Date: " + dt.Date);
        //Gets the day of the month represented by specified date time.
        Console.WriteLine("Day: " + dt.Day);
        //Gets the day of the week represented by specified date time.
        Console.WriteLine("Day of week: " + dt.DayOfWeek);
        //Gets the day of the year represented by specified date time
        Console.WriteLine("Day of year: " + dt.DayOfYear);
        //Gets the number of ticks that represent specified date time.
        Console.WriteLine("Ticks: " + dt.Ticks);
        //Gets the time of day for specified date time
        Console.WriteLine("Time of the day: " + dt.TimeOfDay);
        Console.WriteLine("======================");
        Console.WriteLine("For Current Date Time:");
        Console.WriteLine(now);
        //Gets the year component of the specified date time.
        Console.WriteLine("Year: " + now.Year);
        //Gets the month component of the specified date time.
        Console.WriteLine("Month: " + now.Month);
        //Gets the day of the month represented by specified date time.
        Console.WriteLine("Day: " + now.Day);
        //Gets the hour component of the specified date time.
        Console.WriteLine("Hours: " + now.Hour);
        //Gets the minute component of the specified date time.
        Console.WriteLine("Minutes: " + now.Minute);
        //Gets the seconds component of the specified date time.
        Console.WriteLine("Seconds: " + now.Second);
        //Gets the milliseconds component of the specified date time.
        Console.WriteLine("Milliseconds: " + now.Millisecond);
        //Gets the date component of the specified date time.
        Console.WriteLine("Date: " + now.Date);
        //Gets the day of the week represented by specified date time.
        Console.WriteLine("Day of week: " + now.DayOfWeek);
        //Gets the day of the year represented by specified date time
        Console.WriteLine("Day of year: " + now.DayOfYear);
        //Gets the number of ticks that represent specified date time.
        Console.WriteLine("Ticks: " + now.Ticks);
        //Gets the time of day for specified date time
        Console.WriteLine("Time of the day: " + dt.TimeOfDay);
        Console.WriteLine("today: " + today);
 
    }
 
} 

When we run the above code, it looks something like this

Output

Let us learn about the DateTime Methodas with an example.

Date Time Methods

In below code snippet I am going to demonstrate the methods of the DateTime, for easy understandability I have written the purpose of each method as comment in the code.

Example:

using System;
class datetime
{
    public static void Main()
    {
        // intialization of time span
        TimeSpan value = new TimeSpan();
        //providing time span value interms of no.of Ticks, A single tick represents one hundred nanoseconds or one ten-millionth of a second. There are 10,000 ticks in a millisecond
        TimeSpan timespan = new TimeSpan(12456);
        //providing time span value in terms of hours, minutes, and seconds.
        TimeSpan timespan1 = new TimeSpan(23, 55, 50);
        //providing time span value in the format of days,hours,minutes,seconds.
        TimeSpan timespan2 = new TimeSpan(2, 10, 30, 20);
        //providing time span value in the format of days,hours,minutes,seconds,milliseconds.
        TimeSpan timespan3 = new TimeSpan(1, 0, 45, 26, 70);
 
        //specific reperesentation of Date Time
        DateTime dt = new DateTime(2011, 08, 4, 4, 09, 20, 200);
        //Gets a DateTime object that is set to the current date and time on this computer, expressed as the local time.
        DateTime now = DateTime.Now;
        //cheks weather given year is leap year or not
        bool leapyear = DateTime.IsLeapYear(2004);
        Console.WriteLine("=========================================");
        Console.WriteLine(value);
        //adds specified  timespan value to the current date time.
        Console.WriteLine("adding the timespan value: " + now.Add(timespan1));
        //this method adds no of Days to the current date time
        Console.WriteLine("addition of days: " + now.AddDays(2));
        //this method adds no of hours to the current date time.
        Console.WriteLine("addition of hours: " + now.AddHours(6));
        // this adds minutes to current date time.
        Console.WriteLine("addition of minutes: " + now.AddMinutes(30));
        //this adds no of seconds the current date time . 
        Console.WriteLine("addition of seconds: " + now.AddSeconds(45));
        //this method adds miliseconds to current date time.
        Console.WriteLine("addtion of milliseconds: " + now.AddMilliseconds(100));
        //this adds no of months to current date time
        Console.WriteLine("addtion of months: " + now.AddMonths(3));
        // this method adds no: of years to current date time
        Console.WriteLine("addtin of years: " + now.AddYears(2));
        //this method compares the two date time values.
        Console.WriteLine("comparing date times: " + now.CompareTo(dt));
        //this cheks given  date time values are equal or not.
        Console.WriteLine("checking date times for equal or not: " + now.Equals(now));
        //this gives formats of current date time 
        Console.WriteLine("Get format of dae time: " + now.GetDateTimeFormats());
        Console.WriteLine("This gives hashcode:" + now.GetHashCode());
        //Indicates whether this instance of DateTime is within the daylight saving time range for the current time zone.
        Console.WriteLine("is Day light saving time:" + now.IsDaylightSavingTime());
        //this method subracts date times values.
        Console.WriteLine("subtractin of date time: " + dt.Subtract(timespan1));
        //Serializes the current DateTime object to a 64-bit binary value that subsequently can be used to recreate the DateTime object.
        Console.WriteLine("binary value:"+now.ToBinary());
        // it gives file time,Represents the number of 100-nanosecond intervals since January 1, 1601. This structure is a 64-bit value.
        Console.WriteLine("File Time=" + dt.ToFileTime());
        Console.WriteLine(now.ToOADate());
        Console.WriteLine(now.ToShortDateString());
        Console.WriteLine(now.ToShortTimeString());
        Console.WriteLine("is leap year: " + leapyear);
    }
 
}
 

When we run the above code, it looks something like this

Output:

In case you have missed my  articles in this series, read - C# Fundamentals, DataTypes in C#.

Hope this article was useful. Do let me know your comment or feedback.

In case you want to learn ASP.NET with Tips and Tricks, I found .NET Tips and Tricks very useful.

Reference: 

1. I have taken reference of the C# 4.0 Complete reference book that I am going through these days.
2. http:// msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/system.datetime.aspx