DateTime.MaxValue Field (System)

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.NET Framework Class Library
DateTime.MaxValue Field

Updated: May 2010

Represents the largest possible value of DateTime. This field is read-only.

Namespace:  System
Assembly:  mscorlib (in mscorlib.dll)
Syntax
Visual Basic
Public Shared ReadOnly MaxValue As DateTime
C#
public static readonly DateTime MaxValue
Visual C++
public:
static initonly DateTime MaxValue
F#
static val MaxValue: DateTime
Remarks

The value of this constant is equivalent to 23:59:59.9999999, December 31, 9999, exactly one 100-nanosecond tick before 00:00:00, January 1, 10000.

Some calendars, such as the UmAlQuraCalendar, support an upper date range that is earlier than MaxValue. In these cases, trying to access MaxValue in variable assignments or formatting and parsing operations can throw an ArgumentOutOfRangeException. Rather than retrieving the value of DateTime.MaxValue, you can retrieve the value of the specified culture's latest valid date value from the System.Globalization.CultureInfo.DateTimeFormat.Calendar.MaxSupportedDateTime property.

Examples

The following example instantiates a DateTime object by passing its constructor an Int64 value that represents a number of ticks. Before invoking the constructor, the example ensures that this value is greater than or equal to DateTime.MinValue.Ticks and less than or equal to DateTime.MaxValue.Ticks. If not, it throws an ArgumentOutOfRangeException.

Visual Basic

' Attempt to assign an out-of-range value to a DateTime constructor.
Dim numberOfTicks As Long = Int64.MaxValue
Dim validDate As Date

' Validate the value.
If numberOfTicks >= Date.MinValue.Ticks And _
   numberOfTicks <= Date.MaxValue.Ticks Then
   validDate = New Date(numberOfTicks)
ElseIf numberOfTicks < Date.MinValue.Ticks Then
   Console.WriteLine("{0:N0} is less than {1:N0} ticks.", 
                     numberOfTicks, 
                     DateTime.MinValue.Ticks)      
Else                                                   
   Console.WriteLine("{0:N0} is greater than {1:N0} ticks.", 
                     numberOfTicks, 
                     DateTime.MaxValue.Ticks)     
End If
' The example displays the following output:
'   9,223,372,036,854,775,807 is greater than 3,155,378,975,999,999,999 ticks.
C#

// Attempt to assign an out-of-range value to a DateTime constructor.
long numberOfTicks = Int64.MaxValue;
DateTime validDate;

// Validate the value.
if (numberOfTicks >= DateTime.MinValue.Ticks &&
    numberOfTicks <= DateTime.MaxValue.Ticks) 
   validDate = new DateTime(numberOfTicks);
else if (numberOfTicks < DateTime.MinValue.Ticks) 
   Console.WriteLine("{0:N0} is less than {1:N0} ticks.", 
                     numberOfTicks, 
                     DateTime.MinValue.Ticks);      
else
   Console.WriteLine("{0:N0} is greater than {1:N0} ticks.", 
                     numberOfTicks,
                     DateTime.MaxValue.Ticks);
// The example displays the following output:
//   9,223,372,036,854,775,807 is greater than 3,155,378,975,999,999,999 ticks.
Version Information

.NET Framework

Supported in: 4, 3.5, 3.0, 2.0, 1.1, 1.0

.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.
See Also

Reference

DateTime Structure
System Namespace
MinValue
Change History

Date

History

Reason

May 2010

Removed the exception information section.

Content bug fix.