DateTime.Kind Property (System)

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.NET Framework Class Library

DateTime.Kind Property

Gets a value that indicates whether the time represented by this instance is based on local time, Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), or neither.

Namespace: System
Assembly: mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)

Syntax

Visual Basic

Public ReadOnly Property Kind As DateTimeKind

public DateTimeKind Kind { get; }

Visual C++

public:
property DateTimeKind Kind {
	DateTimeKind get ();
}

member Kind : DateTimeKind

Property Value

Type: System.DateTimeKind
One of the enumeration values that indicates what the current time represents. The default is Unspecified.

Remarks

You can explicitly set the Kind property of a new DateTime value to a particular DateTimeKind value by calling the SpecifyKind method.

The Kind property allows a DateTime value to clearly reflect either Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) or the local time. In contrast, the DateTimeOffset structure can unambiguously reflect any time in any time zone as a single point in time.

Examples

The following example uses the SpecifyKind method to demonstrate how the Kind property influences the ToLocalTime and ToUniversalTime conversion methods.

Visual Basic



' This code example demonstrates the DateTime Kind, Now, and
' UtcNow properties, and the SpecifyKind(), ToLocalTime(), 
' and ToUniversalTime() methods.
Imports System

Class Sample
    Public Shared Sub Main() 
        ' Get the date and time for the current moment, adjusted 
        ' to the local time zone.
        Dim saveNow As DateTime = DateTime.Now

        ' Get the date and time for the current moment expressed 
        ' as coordinated universal time (UTC).
        Dim saveUtcNow As DateTime = DateTime.UtcNow
        Dim myDt As DateTime

        ' Display the value and Kind property of the current moment 
        ' expressed as UTC and local time.
        DisplayNow("UtcNow: ..........", saveUtcNow)
        DisplayNow("Now: .............", saveNow)
        Console.WriteLine()

        ' Change the Kind property of the current moment to 
        ' DateTimeKind.Utc and display the result.
        myDt = DateTime.SpecifyKind(saveNow, DateTimeKind.Utc)
        Display("Utc: .............", myDt)

        ' Change the Kind property of the current moment to 
        ' DateTimeKind.Local and display the result.
        myDt = DateTime.SpecifyKind(saveNow, DateTimeKind.Local)
        Display("Local: ...........", myDt)

        ' Change the Kind property of the current moment to 
        ' DateTimeKind.Unspecified and display the result.
        myDt = DateTime.SpecifyKind(saveNow, DateTimeKind.Unspecified)
        Display("Unspecified: .....", myDt)
    End Sub 'Main

    ' Display the value and Kind property of a DateTime structure, the 
    ' DateTime structure converted to local time, and the DateTime 
    ' structure converted to universal time. 

    Public Shared datePatt As String = "M/d/yyyy hh:mm:ss tt"

    Public Shared Sub Display(ByVal title As String, ByVal inputDt As DateTime) 
        Dim dispDt As DateTime = inputDt
        Dim dtString As String

        ' Display the original DateTime.
        dtString = dispDt.ToString(datePatt)
        Console.WriteLine("{0} {1}, Kind = {2}", title, dtString, dispDt.Kind)

        ' Convert inputDt to local time and display the result. 
        ' If inputDt.Kind is DateTimeKind.Utc, the conversion is performed.
        ' If inputDt.Kind is DateTimeKind.Local, the conversion is not performed.
        ' If inputDt.Kind is DateTimeKind.Unspecified, the conversion is 
        ' performed as if inputDt was universal time.
        dispDt = inputDt.ToLocalTime()
        dtString = dispDt.ToString(datePatt)
        Console.WriteLine("  ToLocalTime:     {0}, Kind = {1}", dtString, dispDt.Kind)

        ' Convert inputDt to universal time and display the result. 
        ' If inputDt.Kind is DateTimeKind.Utc, the conversion is not performed.
        ' If inputDt.Kind is DateTimeKind.Local, the conversion is performed.
        ' If inputDt.Kind is DateTimeKind.Unspecified, the conversion is 
        ' performed as if inputDt was local time.
        dispDt = inputDt.ToUniversalTime()
        dtString = dispDt.ToString(datePatt)
        Console.WriteLine("  ToUniversalTime: {0}, Kind = {1}", dtString, dispDt.Kind)
        Console.WriteLine()
    End Sub 'Display


    ' Display the value and Kind property for DateTime.Now and DateTime.UtcNow.

    Public Shared Sub DisplayNow(ByVal title As String, ByVal inputDt As DateTime) 
        Dim dtString As String = inputDt.ToString(datePatt)
        Console.WriteLine("{0} {1}, Kind = {2}", title, dtString, inputDt.Kind)
    End Sub 'DisplayNow
End Class 'Sample

'
'This code example produces the following results:
'
'UtcNow: .......... 5/6/2005 09:34:42 PM, Kind = Utc
'Now: ............. 5/6/2005 02:34:42 PM, Kind = Local
'
'Utc: ............. 5/6/2005 02:34:42 PM, Kind = Utc
'  ToLocalTime:     5/6/2005 07:34:42 AM, Kind = Local
'  ToUniversalTime: 5/6/2005 02:34:42 PM, Kind = Utc
'
'Local: ........... 5/6/2005 02:34:42 PM, Kind = Local
'  ToLocalTime:     5/6/2005 02:34:42 PM, Kind = Local
'  ToUniversalTime: 5/6/2005 09:34:42 PM, Kind = Utc
'
'Unspecified: ..... 5/6/2005 02:34:42 PM, Kind = Unspecified
'  ToLocalTime:     5/6/2005 07:34:42 AM, Kind = Local
'  ToUniversalTime: 5/6/2005 09:34:42 PM, Kind = Utc
'


// This code example demonstrates the DateTime Kind, Now, and
// UtcNow properties, and the SpecifyKind(), ToLocalTime(), 
// and ToUniversalTime() methods.

using System;

class Sample 
{
    public static void Main() 
    {
// Get the date and time for the current moment, adjusted 
// to the local time zone.

    DateTime saveNow = DateTime.Now;

// Get the date and time for the current moment expressed 
// as coordinated universal time (UTC).

    DateTime saveUtcNow = DateTime.UtcNow;
    DateTime myDt;

// Display the value and Kind property of the current moment 
// expressed as UTC and local time.

    DisplayNow("UtcNow: ..........", saveUtcNow);
    DisplayNow("Now: .............", saveNow);
    Console.WriteLine();

// Change the Kind property of the current moment to 
// DateTimeKind.Utc and display the result.

    myDt = DateTime.SpecifyKind(saveNow, DateTimeKind.Utc);
    Display("Utc: .............", myDt);

// Change the Kind property of the current moment to 
// DateTimeKind.Local and display the result.

    myDt = DateTime.SpecifyKind(saveNow, DateTimeKind.Local);
    Display("Local: ...........", myDt);

// Change the Kind property of the current moment to 
// DateTimeKind.Unspecified and display the result.

    myDt = DateTime.SpecifyKind(saveNow, DateTimeKind.Unspecified);
    Display("Unspecified: .....", myDt);
    }

// Display the value and Kind property of a DateTime structure, the 
// DateTime structure converted to local time, and the DateTime 
// structure converted to universal time. 

    public static string datePatt = @"M/d/yyyy hh:mm:ss tt";
    public static void Display(string title, DateTime inputDt)
    {
    DateTime dispDt = inputDt;
    string dtString;

// Display the original DateTime.

    dtString = dispDt.ToString(datePatt);
    Console.WriteLine("{0} {1}, Kind = {2}", 
                      title, dtString, dispDt.Kind);

// Convert inputDt to local time and display the result. 
// If inputDt.Kind is DateTimeKind.Utc, the conversion is performed.
// If inputDt.Kind is DateTimeKind.Local, the conversion is not performed.
// If inputDt.Kind is DateTimeKind.Unspecified, the conversion is 
// performed as if inputDt was universal time.

    dispDt = inputDt.ToLocalTime();
    dtString = dispDt.ToString(datePatt);
    Console.WriteLine("  ToLocalTime:     {0}, Kind = {1}", 
                      dtString, dispDt.Kind);

// Convert inputDt to universal time and display the result. 
// If inputDt.Kind is DateTimeKind.Utc, the conversion is not performed.
// If inputDt.Kind is DateTimeKind.Local, the conversion is performed.
// If inputDt.Kind is DateTimeKind.Unspecified, the conversion is 
// performed as if inputDt was local time.

    dispDt = inputDt.ToUniversalTime();
    dtString = dispDt.ToString(datePatt);
    Console.WriteLine("  ToUniversalTime: {0}, Kind = {1}", 
                      dtString, dispDt.Kind);
    Console.WriteLine();
    }

// Display the value and Kind property for DateTime.Now and DateTime.UtcNow.

    public static void DisplayNow(string title, DateTime inputDt)
    {
    string dtString = inputDt.ToString(datePatt);
    Console.WriteLine("{0} {1}, Kind = {2}", 
                      title, dtString, inputDt.Kind);
    }
}

/*
This code example produces the following results:

UtcNow: .......... 5/6/2005 09:34:42 PM, Kind = Utc
Now: ............. 5/6/2005 02:34:42 PM, Kind = Local

Utc: ............. 5/6/2005 02:34:42 PM, Kind = Utc
  ToLocalTime:     5/6/2005 07:34:42 AM, Kind = Local
  ToUniversalTime: 5/6/2005 02:34:42 PM, Kind = Utc

Local: ........... 5/6/2005 02:34:42 PM, Kind = Local
  ToLocalTime:     5/6/2005 02:34:42 PM, Kind = Local
  ToUniversalTime: 5/6/2005 09:34:42 PM, Kind = Utc

Unspecified: ..... 5/6/2005 02:34:42 PM, Kind = Unspecified
  ToLocalTime:     5/6/2005 07:34:42 AM, Kind = Local
  ToUniversalTime: 5/6/2005 09:34:42 PM, Kind = Utc

*/

Version Information

.NET Framework

Supported in: 4, 3.5, 3.0, 2.0

.NET Framework Client Profile

Supported in: 4, 3.5 SP1

Portable Class Library

Supported in: Portable Class Library

Platforms

Windows 7, Windows Vista SP1 or later, Windows XP SP3, Windows XP SP2 x64 Edition, Windows Server 2008 (Server Core not supported), Windows Server 2008 R2 (Server Core supported with SP1 or later), Windows Server 2003 SP2

The .NET Framework does not support all versions of every platform. For a list of the supported versions, see .NET Framework System Requirements.

Reference

DateTime Structure

System Namespace

DateTime.SpecifyKind