Pass datetime string from xml

Question

what would be the best way to pass the time value stored in an xml element into a datetime picker?

for instance, the below line throws an error as it doesn't like the format:

dateTimePicker1.Value = DateTime.ParseExact(person.Date, "HH:mm", null);
(person.date is my xml element it's reading from) the time is stored in the element as such: HH:mm

Vulpes · Answer

If you've extracted it OK from the XML file then it should work. For example this code works fine: string Date = 14:45; var dt = DateTime.ParseExact(Date HH:mm null); MessageBox.Show(dt.ToString()); So if it's not working then the chances are that you've not extracted it OK. Try: MessageBoxShow(person.Date); to make sure.

Vulpes · Answer

Is person.Date a string or is it an XElement or XmlElement object? If it's the latter you'll need to parse its Value or InnerText property.

Vulpes · Answer

If you have a lot of these you could leave the XML as it is but change the format to exclude the colon: dateTimePicker1.Value = DateTime .ParseExact(person.Date HHmm  null );

mike Delvotti · Answer

Vulpes forgive me your code got me on the right track the format in the xml was '1445' as soon as i changed it to '14:45' the below line now works Doh!! dateTimePicker1.Value = DateTime .ParseExact(person.Date HH:mm  null ); Thanks again.

mike Delvotti · Answer

Hi Vulpes It's a string in an elemnt stored like so: 14:45