DateTime.ParseExact Method

Definition

Converts the specified string representation of a date and time to its DateTime equivalent. The format of the string representation must match a specified format exactly or an exception is thrown.

Overloads

ParseExact(String, String, IFormatProvider)

Converts the specified string representation of a date and time to its DateTime equivalent using the specified format and culture-specific format information. The format of the string representation must match the specified format exactly.

ParseExact(ReadOnlySpan<Char>, ReadOnlySpan<Char>, IFormatProvider, DateTimeStyles)

Converts the specified span representation of a date and time to its DateTime equivalent using the specified format, culture-specific format information, and style. The format of the string representation must match the specified format exactly or an exception is thrown.

ParseExact(ReadOnlySpan<Char>, String[], IFormatProvider, DateTimeStyles)

Converts the specified span representation of a date and time to its DateTime equivalent using the specified array of formats, culture-specific format information, and style. The format of the string representation must match at least one of the specified formats exactly or an exception is thrown.

ParseExact(String, String, IFormatProvider, DateTimeStyles)

Converts the specified string representation of a date and time to its DateTime equivalent using the specified format, culture-specific format information, and style. The format of the string representation must match the specified format exactly or an exception is thrown.

ParseExact(String, String[], IFormatProvider, DateTimeStyles)

Converts the specified string representation of a date and time to its DateTime equivalent using the specified array of formats, culture-specific format information, and style. The format of the string representation must match at least one of the specified formats exactly or an exception is thrown.

Remarks

Important

Eras in the Japanese calendars are based on the emperor's reign and are therefore expected to change. For example, May 1, 2019 marked the beginning of the Reiwa era in the JapaneseCalendar and JapaneseLunisolarCalendar. Such a change of era affects all applications that use these calendars. For more information and to determine whether your applications are affected, see Handling a new era in the Japanese calendar in .NET. For information on testing your applications on Windows systems to ensure their readiness for the era change, see Prepare your application for the Japanese era change. For features in .NET that support calendars with multiple eras and for best practices when working with calendars that support multiple eras, see Working with eras.

ParseExact(String, String, IFormatProvider)

Converts the specified string representation of a date and time to its DateTime equivalent using the specified format and culture-specific format information. The format of the string representation must match the specified format exactly.

public:
 static DateTime ParseExact(System::String ^ s, System::String ^ format, IFormatProvider ^ provider);
public static DateTime ParseExact (string s, string format, IFormatProvider provider);
public static DateTime ParseExact (string s, string format, IFormatProvider? provider);
static member ParseExact : string * string * IFormatProvider -> DateTime
Public Shared Function ParseExact (s As String, format As String, provider As IFormatProvider) As DateTime

Parameters

s
String

A string that contains a date and time to convert.

format
String

A format specifier that defines the required format of s. For more information, see the Remarks section.

provider
IFormatProvider

An object that supplies culture-specific format information about s.

Returns

An object that is equivalent to the date and time contained in s, as specified by format and provider.

Exceptions

s or format is null.

s or format is an empty string.

-or-

s does not contain a date and time that corresponds to the pattern specified in format.

-or-

The hour component and the AM/PM designator in s do not agree.

Examples

The following example demonstrates the ParseExact method.

using System;
using System.Globalization;

public class Example
{
   public static void Main()
   {
      string dateString, format;
      DateTime result;
      CultureInfo provider = CultureInfo.InvariantCulture;

      // Parse date-only value with invariant culture.
      dateString = "06/15/2008";
      format = "d";
      try {
         result = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, format, provider);
         Console.WriteLine("{0} converts to {1}.", dateString, result.ToString());
      }
      catch (FormatException) {
         Console.WriteLine("{0} is not in the correct format.", dateString);
      }

      // Parse date-only value without leading zero in month using "d" format.
      // Should throw a FormatException because standard short date pattern of
      // invariant culture requires two-digit month.
      dateString = "6/15/2008";
      try {
         result = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, format, provider);
         Console.WriteLine("{0} converts to {1}.", dateString, result.ToString());
      }
      catch (FormatException) {
         Console.WriteLine("{0} is not in the correct format.", dateString);
      }

      // Parse date and time with custom specifier.
      dateString = "Sun 15 Jun 2008 8:30 AM -06:00";
      format = "ddd dd MMM yyyy h:mm tt zzz";
      try {
         result = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, format, provider);
         Console.WriteLine("{0} converts to {1}.", dateString, result.ToString());
      }
      catch (FormatException) {
         Console.WriteLine("{0} is not in the correct format.", dateString);
      }

      // Parse date and time with offset but without offset's minutes.
      // Should throw a FormatException because "zzz" specifier requires leading
      // zero in hours.
      dateString = "Sun 15 Jun 2008 8:30 AM -06";
      try {
         result = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, format, provider);
         Console.WriteLine("{0} converts to {1}.", dateString, result.ToString());
      }
      catch (FormatException) {
         Console.WriteLine("{0} is not in the correct format.", dateString);
      }

      dateString = "15/06/2008 08:30";
      format = "g";
      provider = new CultureInfo("fr-FR");
      try {
         result = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, format, provider);
         Console.WriteLine("{0} converts to {1}.", dateString, result.ToString());
      }
      catch (FormatException) {
         Console.WriteLine("{0} is not in the correct format.", dateString);
      }

      // Parse a date that includes seconds and milliseconds
      // by using the French (France) and invariant cultures.
      dateString = "18/08/2015 06:30:15.006542";
      format = "dd/MM/yyyy HH:mm:ss.ffffff";
      try {
         result = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, format, provider);
         Console.WriteLine("{0} converts to {1}.", dateString, result.ToString());
      }
      catch (FormatException) {
         Console.WriteLine("{0} is not in the correct format.", dateString);
      }
   }
}
// The example displays the following output:
//       06/15/2008 converts to 6/15/2008 12:00:00 AM.
//       6/15/2008 is not in the correct format.
//       Sun 15 Jun 2008 8:30 AM -06:00 converts to 6/15/2008 7:30:00 AM.
//       Sun 15 Jun 2008 8:30 AM -06 is not in the correct format.
//       15/06/2008 08:30 converts to 6/15/2008 8:30:00 AM.
//       18/08/2015 06:30:15.006542 converts to 8/18/2015 6:30:15 AM.
open System
open System.Globalization

[<EntryPoint>]
let main _ =
    let provider = CultureInfo.InvariantCulture

    // Parse date-only value with invariant culture.
    let dateString = "06/15/2008"
    let format = "d"
    try
        let result = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, format, provider)
        printfn $"{dateString} converts to {result}."
    with :? FormatException ->
        printfn $"{dateString} is not in the correct format."

    // Parse date-only value without leading zero in month using "d" format.
    // Should throw a FormatException because standard short date pattern of
    // invariant culture requires two-digit month.
    let dateString = "6/15/2008"
    try
        let result = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, format, provider)
        printfn $"{dateString} converts to {result}."
    with :? FormatException ->
        printfn $"{dateString} is not in the correct format."

    // Parse date and time with custom specifier.
    let dateString = "Sun 15 Jun 2008 8:30 AM -06:00"
    let format = "ddd dd MMM yyyy h:mm tt zzz"
    try
        let result = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, format, provider)
        printfn $"{dateString} converts to {result}."
    with :? FormatException ->
        printfn $"{dateString} is not in the correct format."

    // Parse date and time with offset but without offset's minutes.
    // Should throw a FormatException because "zzz" specifier requires leading
    // zero in hours.
    let dateString = "Sun 15 Jun 2008 8:30 AM -06"
    try
        let result = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, format, provider)
        printfn $"{dateString} converts to {result}."
    with :? FormatException ->
        printfn $"{dateString} is not in the correct format."

    let dateString = "15/06/2008 08:30"
    let format = "g"
    let provider = CultureInfo "fr-FR"
    try
        let result = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, format, provider)
        printfn $"{dateString} converts to {result}."
    with :? FormatException ->
        printfn $"{dateString} is not in the correct format."

    // Parse a date that includes seconds and milliseconds
    // by using the French (France) and invariant cultures.
    let dateString = "18/08/2015 06:30:15.006542"
    let format = "dd/MM/yyyy HH:mm:ss.ffffff"
    try
        let result = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, format, provider)
        printfn $"{dateString} converts to {result}."
    with :? FormatException ->
        printfn $"{dateString} is not in the correct format."

    0

// The example displays the following output:
//       06/15/2008 converts to 6/15/2008 12:00:00 AM.
//       6/15/2008 is not in the correct format.
//       Sun 15 Jun 2008 8:30 AM -06:00 converts to 6/15/2008 7:30:00 AM.
//       Sun 15 Jun 2008 8:30 AM -06 is not in the correct format.
//       15/06/2008 08:30 converts to 6/15/2008 8:30:00 AM.
//       18/08/2015 06:30:15.006542 converts to 8/18/2015 6:30:15 AM.
Imports System.Globalization

Module Example
   Public Sub Main()
      Dim dateString, format As String  
      Dim result As Date
      Dim provider As CultureInfo = CultureInfo.InvariantCulture

      ' Parse date-only value with invariant culture.
      dateString = "06/15/2008"
      format = "d"
      Try
         result = Date.ParseExact(dateString, format, provider)
         Console.WriteLine("{0} converts to {1}.", dateString, result.ToString())
      Catch e As FormatException
         Console.WriteLine("{0} is not in the correct format.", dateString)
      End Try 

      ' Parse date-only value without leading zero in month using "d" format.
      ' Should throw a FormatException because standard short date pattern of 
      ' invariant culture requires two-digit month.
      dateString = "6/15/2008"
      Try
         result = Date.ParseExact(dateString, format, provider)
         Console.WriteLine("{0} converts to {1}.", dateString, result.ToString())
      Catch e As FormatException
         Console.WriteLine("{0} is not in the correct format.", dateString)
      End Try 
      
      ' Parse date and time with custom specifier.
      dateString = "Sun 15 Jun 2008 8:30 AM -06:00"
      format = "ddd dd MMM yyyy h:mm tt zzz"        
      Try
         result = Date.ParseExact(dateString, format, provider)
         Console.WriteLine("{0} converts to {1}.", dateString, result.ToString())
      Catch e As FormatException
         Console.WriteLine("{0} is not in the correct format.", dateString)
      End Try 
      
      ' Parse date and time with offset but without offset's minutes.
      ' Should throw a FormatException because "zzz" specifier requires leading  
      ' zero in hours.
      dateString = "Sun 15 Jun 2008 8:30 AM -06"
      Try
         result = Date.ParseExact(dateString, format, provider)
         Console.WriteLine("{0} converts to {1}.", dateString, result.ToString())
      Catch e As FormatException
         Console.WriteLine("{0} is not in the correct format.", dateString)
      End Try 
      
      ' Parse a date string using the French (France) culture.
      dateString = "15/06/2008 08:30"
      format = "g"
      provider = New CultureInfo("fr-FR")
      Try
         result = Date.ParseExact(dateString, format, provider)
         Console.WriteLine("{0} converts to {1}.", dateString, result.ToString())
      Catch e As FormatException
         Console.WriteLine("{0} is not in the correct format.", dateString)
      End Try

      ' Parse a date that includes seconds and milliseconds
      ' by using the French (France) and invariant cultures.
      dateString = "18/08/2015 06:30:15.006542"
      format = "dd/MM/yyyy HH:mm:ss.ffffff"
      Try
         result = Date.ParseExact(dateString, format, provider)
         Console.WriteLine("{0} converts to {1}.", dateString, result.ToString())
      Catch e As FormatException
         Console.WriteLine("{0} is not in the correct format.", dateString)
      End Try
   End Sub
End Module
' The example displays the following output:
'       06/15/2008 converts to 6/15/2008 12:00:00 AM.
'       6/15/2008 is not in the correct format.
'       Sun 15 Jun 2008 8:30 AM -06:00 converts to 6/15/2008 7:30:00 AM.
'       Sun 15 Jun 2008 8:30 AM -06 is not in the correct format.
'       15/06/2008 08:30 converts to 6/15/2008 8:30:00 AM.
'       18/08/2015 06:30:15.006542 converts to 8/18/2015 6:30:15 AM.

Remarks

The DateTime.ParseExact(String, String, IFormatProvider) method parses the string representation of a date, which must be in the format defined by the format parameter. It also requires that the <Date> and <Time> elements of the string representation of a date and time appear in the order specified by format, and that s have no white space other than that permitted by format. If format defines a date with no time element and the parse operation succeeds, the resulting DateTime value has a time of midnight (00:00:00). If format defines a time with no date element and the parse operation succeeds, the resulting DateTime value has a date of DateTime.Now.Date.

If s does not represent a time in a particular time zone and the parse operation succeeds, the Kind property of the returned DateTime value is DateTimeKind.Unspecified. If s does represent the time in a particular time zone and format allows time zone information to be present (for example, if format is equal to the "o", "r", or "u" standard format specifiers, or if it contains the "z", "zz", or "zzz" custom format specifiers), the Kind property of the returned DateTime value is DateTimeKind.Local.

The format parameter is a string that contains either a single standard format specifier, or one or more custom format specifiers that define the required format of s. For details about valid formatting codes, see Standard Date and Time Format Strings or Custom Date and Time Format Strings.

Note

If format is a custom format pattern that does not include date or time separators (such as "yyyyMMddHHmm"), use the invariant culture for the provider parameter and the widest form of each custom format specifier. For example, if you want to specify hours in the format pattern, specify the wider form, "HH", instead of the narrower form, "H".

The particular date and time symbols and strings (such as names of the days of the week in a particular language) used in s are defined by the provider parameter, as is the precise format of s if format is a standard format specifier string. The provider parameter can be any of the following:

If provider is null, the CultureInfo object that corresponds to the current culture is used.

Notes to Callers

In the .NET Framework 4, the ParseExact method throws a FormatException if the string to be parsed contains an hour component and an AM/PM designator that are not in agreement. In the .NET Framework 3.5 and earlier versions, the AM/PM designator is ignored.

See also

Applies to

ParseExact(ReadOnlySpan<Char>, ReadOnlySpan<Char>, IFormatProvider, DateTimeStyles)

Converts the specified span representation of a date and time to its DateTime equivalent using the specified format, culture-specific format information, and style. The format of the string representation must match the specified format exactly or an exception is thrown.

public static DateTime ParseExact (ReadOnlySpan<char> s, ReadOnlySpan<char> format, IFormatProvider? provider, System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles style = System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.None);
public static DateTime ParseExact (ReadOnlySpan<char> s, ReadOnlySpan<char> format, IFormatProvider provider, System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles style = System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.None);
static member ParseExact : ReadOnlySpan<char> * ReadOnlySpan<char> * IFormatProvider * System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles -> DateTime
Public Shared Function ParseExact (s As ReadOnlySpan(Of Char), format As ReadOnlySpan(Of Char), provider As IFormatProvider, Optional style As DateTimeStyles = System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.None) As DateTime

Parameters

s
ReadOnlySpan<Char>

A span containing the characters that represent a date and time to convert.

format
ReadOnlySpan<Char>

A span containing the characters that represent a format specifier that defines the required format of s.

provider
IFormatProvider

An object that supplies culture-specific formatting information about s.

style
DateTimeStyles

A bitwise combination of the enumeration values that provides additional information about s, about style elements that may be present in s, or about the conversion from s to a DateTime value. A typical value to specify is None.

Returns

An object that is equivalent to the date and time contained in s, as specified by format, provider, and style.

Applies to

ParseExact(ReadOnlySpan<Char>, String[], IFormatProvider, DateTimeStyles)

Converts the specified span representation of a date and time to its DateTime equivalent using the specified array of formats, culture-specific format information, and style. The format of the string representation must match at least one of the specified formats exactly or an exception is thrown.

public static DateTime ParseExact (ReadOnlySpan<char> s, string[] formats, IFormatProvider? provider, System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles style = System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.None);
public static DateTime ParseExact (ReadOnlySpan<char> s, string[] formats, IFormatProvider provider, System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles style = System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.None);
static member ParseExact : ReadOnlySpan<char> * string[] * IFormatProvider * System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles -> DateTime
Public Shared Function ParseExact (s As ReadOnlySpan(Of Char), formats As String(), provider As IFormatProvider, Optional style As DateTimeStyles = System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles.None) As DateTime

Parameters

s
ReadOnlySpan<Char>

A span containing the characters that represent a date and time to convert.

formats
String[]

An array of allowable formats of s.

provider
IFormatProvider

An object that supplies culture-specific format information about s.

style
DateTimeStyles

A bitwise combination of enumeration values that indicates the permitted format of s. A typical value to specify is None.

Returns

An object that is equivalent to the date and time contained in s, as specified by formats, provider, and style.

Applies to

ParseExact(String, String, IFormatProvider, DateTimeStyles)

Converts the specified string representation of a date and time to its DateTime equivalent using the specified format, culture-specific format information, and style. The format of the string representation must match the specified format exactly or an exception is thrown.

public:
 static DateTime ParseExact(System::String ^ s, System::String ^ format, IFormatProvider ^ provider, System::Globalization::DateTimeStyles style);
public static DateTime ParseExact (string s, string format, IFormatProvider provider, System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles style);
public static DateTime ParseExact (string s, string format, IFormatProvider? provider, System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles style);
static member ParseExact : string * string * IFormatProvider * System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles -> DateTime
Public Shared Function ParseExact (s As String, format As String, provider As IFormatProvider, style As DateTimeStyles) As DateTime

Parameters

s
String

A string containing a date and time to convert.

format
String

A format specifier that defines the required format of s. For more information, see the Remarks section.

provider
IFormatProvider

An object that supplies culture-specific formatting information about s.

style
DateTimeStyles

A bitwise combination of the enumeration values that provides additional information about s, about style elements that may be present in s, or about the conversion from s to a DateTime value. A typical value to specify is None.

Returns

An object that is equivalent to the date and time contained in s, as specified by format, provider, and style.

Exceptions

s or format is null.

s or format is an empty string.

-or-

s does not contain a date and time that corresponds to the pattern specified in format.

-or-

The hour component and the AM/PM designator in s do not agree.

style contains an invalid combination of DateTimeStyles values. For example, both AssumeLocal and AssumeUniversal.

Examples

The following example demonstrates the ParseExact(String, String, IFormatProvider) method. Note that the string " 5/01/2009 8:30 AM" cannot be parsed successfully when the styles parameter equals DateTimeStyles.None because leading spaces are not allowed by format. Additionally, the string "5/01/2009 09:00" cannot be parsed successfully with a format of "MM/dd/yyyyhh:mm" because the date string does not precede the month number with a leading zero, as format requires.

using System;
using System.Globalization;

public class Example
{
   public static void Main()
   {
      CultureInfo enUS = new CultureInfo("en-US");
      string dateString;
      DateTime dateValue;

      // Parse date with no style flags.
      dateString = " 5/01/2009 8:30 AM";
      try {
         dateValue = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, "g", enUS, DateTimeStyles.None);
         Console.WriteLine("Converted '{0}' to {1} ({2}).", dateString, dateValue,
                           dateValue.Kind);
      }
      catch (FormatException) {
         Console.WriteLine("'{0}' is not in an acceptable format.", dateString);
      }
      // Allow a leading space in the date string.
      try {
         dateValue = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, "g", enUS, DateTimeStyles.AllowLeadingWhite);
         Console.WriteLine("Converted '{0}' to {1} ({2}).", dateString, dateValue,
                           dateValue.Kind);
      }
      catch (FormatException) {
         Console.WriteLine("'{0}' is not in an acceptable format.", dateString);
      }

      // Use custom formats with M and MM.
      dateString = "5/01/2009 09:00";
      try {
         dateValue = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, "M/dd/yyyy hh:mm", enUS, DateTimeStyles.None);
         Console.WriteLine("Converted '{0}' to {1} ({2}).", dateString, dateValue,
                           dateValue.Kind);
      }
      catch (FormatException) {
         Console.WriteLine("'{0}' is not in an acceptable format.", dateString);
      }
      // Allow a leading space in the date string.
      try {
         dateValue = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, "MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm", enUS, DateTimeStyles.None);
         Console.WriteLine("Converted '{0}' to {1} ({2}).", dateString, dateValue,
                           dateValue.Kind);
      }
      catch (FormatException) {
         Console.WriteLine("'{0}' is not in an acceptable format.", dateString);
      }

      // Parse a string with time zone information.
      dateString = "05/01/2009 01:30:42 PM -05:00";
      try {
         dateValue = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, "MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss tt zzz", enUS, DateTimeStyles.None);
         Console.WriteLine("Converted '{0}' to {1} ({2}).", dateString, dateValue,
                           dateValue.Kind);
      }
      catch (FormatException) {
         Console.WriteLine("'{0}' is not in an acceptable format.", dateString);
      }
      // Allow a leading space in the date string.
      try {
         dateValue = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, "MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss tt zzz", enUS,
                                     DateTimeStyles.AdjustToUniversal);
         Console.WriteLine("Converted '{0}' to {1} ({2}).", dateString, dateValue,
                           dateValue.Kind);
      }
      catch (FormatException) {
         Console.WriteLine("'{0}' is not in an acceptable format.", dateString);
      }

      // Parse a string representing UTC.
      dateString = "2008-06-11T16:11:20.0904778Z";
      try {
         dateValue = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, "o", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture,
                                     DateTimeStyles.None);
         Console.WriteLine("Converted '{0}' to {1} ({2}).", dateString, dateValue,
                           dateValue.Kind);
      }
      catch (FormatException) {
         Console.WriteLine("'{0}' is not in an acceptable format.", dateString);
      }
      try {
         dateValue = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, "o", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture,
                                     DateTimeStyles.RoundtripKind);
         Console.WriteLine("Converted '{0}' to {1} ({2}).", dateString, dateValue,
                           dateValue.Kind);
      }
      catch (FormatException) {
         Console.WriteLine("'{0}' is not in an acceptable format.", dateString);
      }
   }
}
// The example displays the following output:
//    ' 5/01/2009 8:30 AM' is not in an acceptable format.
//    Converted ' 5/01/2009 8:30 AM' to 5/1/2009 8:30:00 AM (Unspecified).
//    Converted '5/01/2009 09:00' to 5/1/2009 9:00:00 AM (Unspecified).
//    '5/01/2009 09:00' is not in an acceptable format.
//    Converted '05/01/2009 01:30:42 PM -05:00' to 5/1/2009 11:30:42 AM (Local).
//    Converted '05/01/2009 01:30:42 PM -05:00' to 5/1/2009 6:30:42 PM (Utc).
//    Converted '2008-06-11T16:11:20.0904778Z' to 6/11/2008 9:11:20 AM (Local).
//    Converted '2008-06-11T16:11:20.0904778Z' to 6/11/2008 4:11:20 PM (Utc).
open System
open System.Globalization

[<EntryPoint>]
let main _ =
    let enUS = CultureInfo "en-US"

    // Parse date with no style flags.
    let dateString = " 5/01/2009 8:30 AM"
    try
        let dateValue = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, "g", enUS, DateTimeStyles.None)
        printfn $"Converted '{dateString}' to {dateValue} ({dateValue.Kind})."
    with :? FormatException ->
        printfn $"'{dateString}' is not in an acceptable format."
    
    // Allow a leading space in the date string.
    try
        let dateValue = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, "g", enUS, DateTimeStyles.AllowLeadingWhite)
        printfn $"Converted '{dateString}' to {dateValue} ({dateValue.Kind})."
    with :? FormatException ->
        printfn $"'{dateString}' is not in an acceptable format."

    // Use custom formats with M and MM.
    let dateString = "5/01/2009 09:00"
    try
        let dateValue = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, "M/dd/yyyy hh:mm", enUS, DateTimeStyles.None)
        printfn $"Converted '{dateString}' to {dateValue} ({dateValue.Kind})."
    with :? FormatException ->
        printfn $"'{dateString}' is not in an acceptable format."

    // Allow a leading space in the date string.
    try
        let dateValue = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, "MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm", enUS, DateTimeStyles.None)
        printfn $"Converted '{dateString}' to {dateValue} ({dateValue.Kind})."
    with :? FormatException ->
        printfn $"'{dateString}' is not in an acceptable format."

    // Parse a string with time zone information.
    let dateString = "05/01/2009 01:30:42 PM -05:00"
    try
        let dateValue = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, "MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss tt zzz", enUS, DateTimeStyles.None)
        printfn $"Converted '{dateString}' to {dateValue} ({dateValue.Kind})."
    with :? FormatException ->
        printfn $"'{dateString}' is not in an acceptable format."

    // Allow a leading space in the date string.
    try
        let dateValue = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, "MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss tt zzz", enUS, DateTimeStyles.AdjustToUniversal)
        printfn $"Converted '{dateString}' to {dateValue} ({dateValue.Kind})."
    with :? FormatException ->
        printfn $"'{dateString}' is not in an acceptable format."

    // Parse a string representing UTC.
    let dateString = "2008-06-11T16:11:20.0904778Z"
    try
        let dateValue = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, "o", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, DateTimeStyles.None)
        printfn $"Converted '{dateString}' to {dateValue} ({dateValue.Kind})."
    with :? FormatException ->
        printfn $"'{dateString}' is not in an acceptable format."

    try
        let dateValue = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, "o", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, DateTimeStyles.RoundtripKind)
        printfn $"Converted '{dateString}' to {dateValue} ({dateValue.Kind})."
    with :? FormatException ->
        printfn $"'{dateString}' is not in an acceptable format."


// The example displays the following output:
//    ' 5/01/2009 8:30 AM' is not in an acceptable format.
//    Converted ' 5/01/2009 8:30 AM' to 5/1/2009 8:30:00 AM (Unspecified).
//    Converted '5/01/2009 09:00' to 5/1/2009 9:00:00 AM (Unspecified).
//    '5/01/2009 09:00' is not in an acceptable format.
//    Converted '05/01/2009 01:30:42 PM -05:00' to 5/1/2009 11:30:42 AM (Local).
//    Converted '05/01/2009 01:30:42 PM -05:00' to 5/1/2009 6:30:42 PM (Utc).
//    Converted '2008-06-11T16:11:20.0904778Z' to 6/11/2008 9:11:20 AM (Local).
//    Converted '2008-06-11T16:11:20.0904778Z' to 6/11/2008 4:11:20 PM (Utc).
Imports System.Globalization

Module Example
   Public Sub Main()
      Dim enUS As New CultureInfo("en-US") 
      Dim dateString As String
      Dim dateValue As Date
      
      ' Parse date with no style flags.
      dateString = " 5/01/2009 8:30 AM"
      Try
         dateValue = Date.ParseExact(dateString, "g", enUS, DateTimeStyles.None)
         Console.WriteLine("Converted '{0}' to {1} ({2}).", dateString, dateValue, _
                           dateValue.Kind)
      Catch e As FormatException
         Console.WriteLine("'{0}' is not in an acceptable format.", dateString)
      End Try
      ' Allow a leading space in the date string.
      Try
         dateValue = Date.ParseExact(dateString, "g", enUS, DateTimeStyles.AllowLeadingWhite)
         Console.WriteLine("Converted '{0}' to {1} ({2}).", dateString, dateValue, _
                           dateValue.Kind)
      Catch e As FormatException
         Console.WriteLine("'{0}' is not in an acceptable format.", dateString)
      End Try
      
      ' Use custom formats with M and MM.
      dateString = "5/01/2009 09:00"
      Try
         dateValue = Date.ParseExact(dateString, "M/dd/yyyy hh:mm", enUS, DateTimeStyles.None)
         Console.WriteLine("Converted '{0}' to {1} ({2}).", dateString, dateValue, _
                           dateValue.Kind)
      Catch e As FormatException
         Console.WriteLine("'{0}' is not in an acceptable format.", dateString)
      End Try
      ' Allow a leading space in the date string.
      Try
         dateValue = Date.ParseExact(dateString, "MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm", enUS, DateTimeStyles.None)
         Console.WriteLine("Converted '{0}' to {1} ({2}).", dateString, dateValue, _
                           dateValue.Kind)
      Catch e As FormatException
         Console.WriteLine("'{0}' is not in an acceptable format.", dateString)
      End Try

      ' Parse a string with time zone information.
      dateString = "05/01/2009 01:30:42 PM -05:00" 
      Try
         dateValue = Date.ParseExact(dateString, "MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss tt zzz", enUS, DateTimeStyles.None)
         Console.WriteLine("Converted '{0}' to {1} ({2}).", dateString, dateValue, _
                           dateValue.Kind)
      Catch e As FormatException
         Console.WriteLine("'{0}' is not in an acceptable format.", dateString)
      End Try
      ' Allow a leading space in the date string.
      Try
         dateValue = Date.ParseExact(dateString, "MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss tt zzz", enUS, _
                                     DateTimeStyles.AdjustToUniversal)
         Console.WriteLine("Converted '{0}' to {1} ({2}).", dateString, dateValue, _
                           dateValue.Kind)
      Catch e As FormatException
         Console.WriteLine("'{0}' is not in an acceptable format.", dateString)
      End Try
           
      ' Parse a string representing UTC.
      dateString = "2008-06-11T16:11:20.0904778Z"
      Try
         dateValue = Date.ParseExact(dateString, "o", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, _
                                     DateTimeStyles.None)
         Console.WriteLine("Converted '{0}' to {1} ({2}).", dateString, dateValue, _
                           dateValue.Kind)
      Catch e As FormatException
         Console.WriteLine("'{0}' is not in an acceptable format.", dateString)
      End Try
      Try
         dateValue = Date.ParseExact(dateString, "o", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture, _
                                     DateTimeStyles.RoundtripKind)
         Console.WriteLine("Converted '{0}' to {1} ({2}).", dateString, dateValue, _
                           dateValue.Kind)
      Catch e As FormatException
         Console.WriteLine("'{0}' is not in an acceptable format.", dateString)
      End Try
   End Sub
End Module
' The example displays the following output:
'    ' 5/01/2009 8:30 AM' is not in an acceptable format.
'    Converted ' 5/01/2009 8:30 AM' to 5/1/2009 8:30:00 AM (Unspecified).
'    Converted '5/01/2009 09:00' to 5/1/2009 9:00:00 AM (Unspecified).
'    '5/01/2009 09:00' is not in an acceptable format.
'    Converted '05/01/2009 01:30:42 PM -05:00' to 5/1/2009 11:30:42 AM (Local).
'    Converted '05/01/2009 01:30:42 PM -05:00' to 5/1/2009 6:30:42 PM (Utc).
'    Converted '2008-06-11T16:11:20.0904778Z' to 6/11/2008 9:11:20 AM (Local).
'    Converted '2008-06-11T16:11:20.0904778Z' to 6/11/2008 4:11:20 PM (Utc).

Remarks

The DateTime.ParseExact(String, String, IFormatProvider, DateTimeStyles) method parses the string representation of a date, which must be in a format defined by the format parameter. It also requires that the date and time elements in s appear in the order specified by format. If s does not match the pattern of the format parameter, with any variations defined by the style parameter, the method throws a FormatException. In contrast, the DateTime.Parse(String, IFormatProvider, DateTimeStyles) method parses the string representation of a date in any one of the formats recognized by the format provider's DateTimeFormatInfo object. The DateTime.Parse(String, IFormatProvider, DateTimeStyles) method also allows the date and time elements in s to appear in any order.

If the s parameter contains only a time and no date, the current date is used unless the style parameter includes the DateTimeStyles.NoCurrentDateDefault flag, in which case the default date (DateTime.Date.MinValue) is used. If the s parameter contains only a date and no time, midnight (00:00:00) is used. The style parameter also determines whether the s parameter can contain leading, inner, or trailing white space characters.

If s contains no time zone information, the Kind property of the returned DateTime object is DateTimeKind.Unspecified. This behavior can be changed by using the DateTimeStyles.AssumeLocal flag, which returns a DateTime value whose Kind property is DateTimeKind.Local, or by using the DateTimeStyles.AssumeUniversal and DateTimeStyles.AdjustToUniversal flags, which returns a DateTime value whose Kind property is DateTimeKind.Utc. If s contains time zone information, the time is converted to local time, if necessary, and the Kind property of the returned DateTime object is set to DateTimeKind.Local. This behavior can be changed by using the DateTimeStyles.RoundtripKind flag to not convert Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to a local time and to set the Kind property to DateTimeKind.Utc.

The format parameter defines the required pattern of the s parameter. It can consist of either one or more custom format specifiers from the Custom Date and Time Format Strings table, or a single standard format specifier, which identifies a predefined pattern, from the Standard Date and Time Format Strings table.

If you do not use date or time separators in a custom format pattern, use the invariant culture for the provider parameter and the widest form of each custom format specifier. For example, if you want to specify hours in the pattern, specify the wider form, "HH", instead of the narrower form, "H".

Note

Rather than requiring that s conform to a single format for the parse operation to succeed, you can call the DateTime.ParseExact(String, String[], IFormatProvider, DateTimeStyles) method and specify multiple permitted formats. This makes the parse operation more likely to succeed.

The styles parameter includes one or more members of the DateTimeStyles enumeration that determine whether and where white space not defined by format can appear in s and that control the precise behavior of the parse operation. The following table describes how each member of the DateTimeStyles enumeration affects the operation of the ParseExact(String, String, IFormatProvider, DateTimeStyles) method.

DateTimeStyles member Description
AdjustToUniversal Parses s and, if necessary, converts it to UTC. If s includes a time zone offset, or if s contains no time zone information but styles includes the DateTimeStyles.AssumeLocal flag, the method parses the string, calls ToUniversalTime to convert the returned DateTime value to UTC, and sets the Kind property to DateTimeKind.Utc. If s indicates that it represents UTC, or if s does not contain time zone information but styles includes the DateTimeStyles.AssumeUniversal flag, the method parses the string, performs no time zone conversion on the returned DateTime value, and sets the Kind property to DateTimeKind.Utc. In all other cases, the flag has no effect.
AllowInnerWhite Specifies that white space not defined by format can appear between any individual date or time element.
AllowLeadingWhite Specifies that white space not defined by format can appear at the beginning of s.
AllowTrailingWhite Specifies that white space not defined by format can appear at the end of s.
AllowWhiteSpaces Specifies that s may contain leading, inner, and trailing white spaces not defined by format.
AssumeLocal Specifies that if s lacks any time zone information, it is assumed to represent a local time. Unless the DateTimeStyles.AdjustToUniversal flag is present, the Kind property of the returned DateTime value is set to DateTimeKind.Local.
AssumeUniversal Specifies that if s lacks any time zone information, it is assumed to represent UTC. Unless the DateTimeStyles.AdjustToUniversal flag is present, the method converts the returned DateTime value from UTC to local time and sets its Kind property to DateTimeKind.Local.
NoCurrentDateDefault If s contains time without date information, the date of the return value is set to DateTime.MinValue.Date.
None The s parameter is parsed using default values. No white space other than that present in format is allowed. If s lacks a date component, the date of the returned DateTime value is set to 1/1/0001. If s contains no time zone information, the Kind property of the returned DateTime object is set to DateTimeKind.Unspecified. If time zone information is present in s, the time is converted to local time and the Kind property of the returned DateTime object is set to DateTimeKind.Local.
RoundtripKind For strings that contain time zone information, tries to prevent the conversion to a DateTime value date and time with its Kind property set to DateTimeKind.Local. This flag primarily prevents the conversion of UTC times to local times.

The particular date and time symbols and strings (such as the names of the days of the week in a particular language) used in s are defined by the provider parameter, as is the precise format of s if format is a standard format specifier string. The provider parameter can be any of the following:

If provider is null, the CultureInfo object that corresponds to the current culture is used.

Notes to Callers

In the .NET Framework 4, the ParseExact method throws a FormatException if the string to be parsed contains an hour component and an AM/PM designator that are not in agreement. In the .NET Framework 3.5 and earlier versions, the AM/PM designator is ignored.

See also

Applies to

ParseExact(String, String[], IFormatProvider, DateTimeStyles)

Converts the specified string representation of a date and time to its DateTime equivalent using the specified array of formats, culture-specific format information, and style. The format of the string representation must match at least one of the specified formats exactly or an exception is thrown.

public:
 static DateTime ParseExact(System::String ^ s, cli::array <System::String ^> ^ formats, IFormatProvider ^ provider, System::Globalization::DateTimeStyles style);
public static DateTime ParseExact (string s, string[] formats, IFormatProvider provider, System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles style);
public static DateTime ParseExact (string s, string[] formats, IFormatProvider? provider, System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles style);
static member ParseExact : string * string[] * IFormatProvider * System.Globalization.DateTimeStyles -> DateTime
Public Shared Function ParseExact (s As String, formats As String(), provider As IFormatProvider, style As DateTimeStyles) As DateTime

Parameters

s
String

A string that contains a date and time to convert.

formats
String[]

An array of allowable formats of s. For more information, see the Remarks section.

provider
IFormatProvider

An object that supplies culture-specific format information about s.

style
DateTimeStyles

A bitwise combination of enumeration values that indicates the permitted format of s. A typical value to specify is None.

Returns

An object that is equivalent to the date and time contained in s, as specified by formats, provider, and style.

Exceptions

s or formats is null.

s is an empty string.

-or-

an element of formats is an empty string.

-or-

s does not contain a date and time that corresponds to any element of formats.

-or-

The hour component and the AM/PM designator in s do not agree.

style contains an invalid combination of DateTimeStyles values. For example, both AssumeLocal and AssumeUniversal.

Examples

The following example uses the DateTime.ParseExact(String, String[], IFormatProvider, DateTimeStyles) method to ensure that a string in a number of possible formats can be successfully parsed .

using System;
using System.Globalization;

public class Example
{
   public static void Main()
   {
      string[] formats= {"M/d/yyyy h:mm:ss tt", "M/d/yyyy h:mm tt",
                         "MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss", "M/d/yyyy h:mm:ss",
                         "M/d/yyyy hh:mm tt", "M/d/yyyy hh tt",
                         "M/d/yyyy h:mm", "M/d/yyyy h:mm",
                         "MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm", "M/dd/yyyy hh:mm",
                         "MM/d/yyyy HH:mm:ss.ffffff" };
      string[] dateStrings = {"5/1/2009 6:32 PM", "05/01/2009 6:32:05 PM",
                              "5/1/2009 6:32:00", "05/01/2009 06:32",
                              "05/01/2009 06:32:00 PM", "05/01/2009 06:32:00",
                              "08/28/2015 16:17:39.125", "08/28/2015 16:17:39.125000" };
      DateTime dateValue;

      foreach (string dateString in dateStrings)
      {
         try {
            dateValue = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, formats,
                                            new CultureInfo("en-US"),
                                            DateTimeStyles.None);
            Console.WriteLine("Converted '{0}' to {1}.", dateString, dateValue);
         }
         catch (FormatException) {
            Console.WriteLine("Unable to convert '{0}' to a date.", dateString);
         }
      }
   }
}
// The example displays the following output:
//       Converted '5/1/2009 6:32 PM' to 5/1/2009 6:32:00 PM.
//       Converted '05/01/2009 6:32:05 PM' to 5/1/2009 6:32:05 PM.
//       Converted '5/1/2009 6:32:00' to 5/1/2009 6:32:00 AM.
//       Converted '05/01/2009 06:32' to 5/1/2009 6:32:00 AM.
//       Converted '05/01/2009 06:32:00 PM' to 5/1/2009 6:32:00 PM.
//       Converted '05/01/2009 06:32:00' to 5/1/2009 6:32:00 AM.
//       Unable to convert '08/28/2015 16:17:39.125' to a date.
//       Converted '08/28/2015 16:17:39.125000' to 8/28/2015 4:17:39 PM.
open System
open System.Globalization

let formats = 
    [| "M/d/yyyy h:mm:ss tt"; "M/d/yyyy h:mm tt"
       "MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss"; "M/d/yyyy h:mm:ss"
       "M/d/yyyy hh:mm tt"; "M/d/yyyy hh tt"
       "M/d/yyyy h:mm"; "M/d/yyyy h:mm"
       "MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm"; "M/dd/yyyy hh:mm"
       "MM/d/yyyy HH:mm:ss.ffffff" |]

let dateStrings = 
    [ "5/1/2009 6:32 PM"; "05/01/2009 6:32:05 PM"
      "5/1/2009 6:32:00"; "05/01/2009 06:32"
      "05/01/2009 06:32:00 PM"; "05/01/2009 06:32:00"
      "08/28/2015 16:17:39.125"; "08/28/2015 16:17:39.125000" ]

for dateString in dateStrings do
    try
        let dateValue = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, formats, CultureInfo "en-US", DateTimeStyles.None)
        printfn $"Converted '{dateString}' to {dateValue}."
    with :? FormatException ->
        printfn $"Unable to convert '{dateString}' to a date."

// The example displays the following output:
//       Converted '5/1/2009 6:32 PM' to 5/1/2009 6:32:00 PM.
//       Converted '05/01/2009 6:32:05 PM' to 5/1/2009 6:32:05 PM.
//       Converted '5/1/2009 6:32:00' to 5/1/2009 6:32:00 AM.
//       Converted '05/01/2009 06:32' to 5/1/2009 6:32:00 AM.
//       Converted '05/01/2009 06:32:00 PM' to 5/1/2009 6:32:00 PM.
//       Converted '05/01/2009 06:32:00' to 5/1/2009 6:32:00 AM.
//       Unable to convert '08/28/2015 16:17:39.125' to a date.
//       Converted '08/28/2015 16:17:39.125000' to 8/28/2015 4:17:39 PM.
Imports System.Globalization

Module Example
   Public Sub Main()
      Dim formats() As String = {"M/d/yyyy h:mm:ss tt", "M/d/yyyy h:mm tt", _
                                 "MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm:ss", "M/d/yyyy h:mm:ss", _
                                 "M/d/yyyy hh:mm tt", "M/d/yyyy hh tt", _
                                 "M/d/yyyy h:mm", "M/d/yyyy h:mm", _
                                 "MM/dd/yyyy hh:mm", "M/dd/yyyy hh:mm",
                                 "MM/d/yyyy HH:mm:ss.ffffff" }
      Dim dateStrings() As String = {"5/1/2009 6:32 PM", "05/01/2009 6:32:05 PM", _
                                     "5/1/2009 6:32:00", "05/01/2009 06:32", _
                                     "05/01/2009 06:32:00 PM", "05/01/2009 06:32:00",
                                     "08/28/2015 16:17:39.125", "08/28/2015 16:17:39.125000" }

      Dim dateValue As DateTime
      
      For Each dateString As String In dateStrings
         Try
            dateValue = DateTime.ParseExact(dateString, formats, _
                                            New CultureInfo("en-US"), _
                                            DateTimeStyles.None)
            Console.WriteLine("Converted '{0}' to {1}.", dateString, dateValue)
         Catch e As FormatException
            Console.WriteLine("Unable to convert '{0}' to a date.", dateString)
         End Try                                               
      Next
   End Sub
End Module
' The example displays the following output:
'       Converted '5/1/2009 6:32 PM' to 5/1/2009 6:32:00 PM.
'       Converted '05/01/2009 6:32:05 PM' to 5/1/2009 6:32:05 PM.
'       Converted '5/1/2009 6:32:00' to 5/1/2009 6:32:00 AM.
'       Converted '05/01/2009 06:32' to 5/1/2009 6:32:00 AM.
'       Converted '05/01/2009 06:32:00 PM' to 5/1/2009 6:32:00 PM.
'       Converted '05/01/2009 06:32:00' to 5/1/2009 6:32:00 AM.
'       Unable to convert '08/28/2015 16:17:39.125' to a date.
'       Converted '08/28/2015 16:17:39.125000' to 8/28/2015 4:17:39 PM.

Remarks

The DateTime.ParseExact(String, String[], IFormatProvider, DateTimeStyles) method parses the string representation of a date that matches any one of the patterns assigned to the formats parameter. If the string s does not match any one of these patterns with any of the variations defined by the styles parameter, the method throws a FormatException. Aside from comparing s to multiple formatting patterns, rather than to a single formatting pattern, this overload behaves identically to the DateTime.ParseExact(String, String, IFormatProvider, DateTimeStyles) method.

The s parameter contains the date and time to parse. If the s parameter contains only a time and no date, the current date is used unless the style parameter includes the DateTimeStyles.NoCurrentDateDefault flag, in which case the default date (DateTime.Date.MinValue) is used. If the s parameter contains only a date and no time, midnight (00:00:00) is used. The style parameter also determines whether the s parameter can contain leading, inner, or trailing white space characters other than those permitted by one of the format strings in formats.

If s contains no time zone information, the Kind property of the returned DateTime object is DateTimeKind.Unspecified. This behavior can be changed by using the DateTimeStyles.AssumeLocal flag, which returns a DateTime value whose Kind property is DateTimeKind.Local, or by using the DateTimeStyles.AssumeUniversal and DateTimeStyles.AdjustToUniversal flags, which returns a DateTime value whose Kind property is DateTimeKind.Utc. If s contains time zone information, the time is converted to local time, if necessary, and the Kind property of the returned DateTime object is set to DateTimeKind.Local. This behavior can be changed by using the DateTimeStyles.RoundtripKind flag to not convert Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) to a local time and set the Kind property to DateTimeKind.Utc.

The formats parameter contains an array of patterns, one of which s must match exactly if the parse operation is to succeed. The patterns in the formats parameter consists of one or more custom format specifiers from the Custom Date and Time Format Strings table, or a single standard format specifier, which identifies a predefined pattern, from the Standard Date and Time Format Strings table.

If you do not use date or time separators in a custom format pattern, use the invariant culture for the provider parameter and the widest form of each custom format specifier. For example, if you want to specify hours in the pattern, specify the wider form, "HH", instead of the narrower form, "H".

The styles parameter includes one or more members of the DateTimeStyles enumeration that determine whether and where white space not defined by format can appear in s and that control the precise behavior of the parse operation. The following table describes how each member of the DateTimeStyles enumeration affects the operation of the ParseExact(String, String, IFormatProvider, DateTimeStyles) method.

DateTimeStyles member Description
AdjustToUniversal Parses s and, if necessary, converts it to UTC. If s includes a time zone offset, or if s contains no time zone information but styles includes the DateTimeStyles.AssumeLocal flag, the method parses the string, calls ToUniversalTime to convert the returned DateTime value to UTC, and sets the Kind property to DateTimeKind.Utc. If s indicates that it represents UTC, or if s does not contain time zone information but styles includes the DateTimeStyles.AssumeUniversal flag, the method parses the string, performs no time zone conversion on the returned DateTime value, and sets the Kind property to DateTimeKind.Utc. In all other cases, the flag has no effect.
AllowInnerWhite Specifies that white space not defined by format can appear between any individual date or time element.
AllowLeadingWhite Specifies that white space not defined by format can appear at the beginning of s.
AllowTrailingWhite Specifies that white space not defined by format can appear at the end of s.
AllowWhiteSpaces Specifies that s may contain leading, inner, and trailing white spaces not defined by format.
AssumeLocal Specifies that if s lacks any time zone information, it is assumed to represent a local time. Unless the DateTimeStyles.AdjustToUniversal flag is present, the Kind property of the returned DateTime value is set to DateTimeKind.Local.
AssumeUniversal Specifies that if s lacks any time zone information, it is assumed to represent UTC. Unless the DateTimeStyles.AdjustToUniversal flag is present, the method converts the returned DateTime value from UTC to local time and sets its Kind property to DateTimeKind.Local.
NoCurrentDateDefault If s contains time without date information, the date of the return value is set to DateTime.MinValue.Date.
None The s parameter is parsed using default values. No white space other than that present in format is allowed. If s lacks a date component, the date of the returned DateTime value is set to 1/1/0001. If s contains no time zone information, the Kind property of the returned DateTime object is set to DateTimeKind.Unspecified. If time zone information is present in s, the time is converted to local time and the Kind property of the returned DateTime object is set to DateTimeKind.Local.
RoundtripKind For strings that contain time zone information, tries to prevent the conversion to a date and time with its Kind property set to DateTimeKind.Local. This flag primarily prevents the conversion of UTC times to local times.

The particular date and time symbols and strings (such as the names of the days of the week in a particular language) used in s are defined by the provider parameter, as is the precise format of s if format is a standard format specifier string. The provider parameter can be any of the following:

If provider is null, the CultureInfo object that corresponds to the current culture is used.

Notes to Callers

In the .NET Framework 4, the ParseExact method throws a FormatException if the string to be parsed contains an hour component and an AM/PM designator that are not in agreement. In the .NET Framework 3.5 and earlier versions, the AM/PM designator is ignored.

See also

Applies to