DateTime.ToString Method ()

Converts the value of the current DateTime object to its equivalent string representation.

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

public:
virtual String^ ToString () override
public String ToString ()
public override function ToString () : String
Not applicable.

Return Value

A string representation of the value of the current DateTime object.

The value of the current DateTime object is formatted using the general date and time format specifier ('G').

The .NET Framework provides extensive formatting support, which is described in greater detail in the following formatting topics:

This method uses formatting information derived from the current culture. For more information, see CurrentCulture.

The following code example formats a DateTime object using the thread current culture, a specified culture, and all the standard date and time format specifiers.

// This code example demonstrates the ToString(String) and 
// ToString(String, IFormatProvider) methods for the DateTime 
// type in conjunction with the standard date and time 
// format specifiers.

using namespace System;
using namespace System::Globalization;
using namespace System::Threading;

    int main() 
    {
    String^ msgShortDate = "(d) Short date: . . . . . . . ";
    String^ msgLongDate  = "(D) Long date:. . . . . . . . ";
    String^ msgShortTime = "(t) Short time: . . . . . . . ";
    String^ msgLongTime  = "(T) Long time:. . . . . . . . ";
    String^ msgFullDateShortTime = 
                          "(f) Full date/short time: . . ";
    String^ msgFullDateLongTime =
                          "(F) Full date/long time:. . . ";
    String^ msgGeneralDateShortTime = 
                          "(g) General date/short time:. ";
    String^ msgGeneralDateLongTime = 
                          "(G) General date/long time (default):\n" +
                          "    . . . . . . . . . . . . . ";
    String^ msgMonth   =   "(M) Month:. . . . . . . . . . ";
    String^ msgRFC1123 =   "(R) RFC1123:. . . . . . . . . ";
    String^ msgSortable =  "(s) Sortable: . . . . . . . . ";
    String^ msgUniSortInvariant = 
                          "(u) Universal sortable (invariant):\n" + 
                          "    . . . . . . . . . . . . . ";
    String^ msgUniSort =   "(U) Universal sortable: . . . ";
    String^ msgYear =      "(Y) Year: . . . . . . . . . . ";
    String^ msgRoundtripLocal        = "(o) Roundtrip (local):. . . . ";
    String^ msgRoundtripUTC          = "(o) Roundtrip (UTC):. . . . . ";
    String^ msgRoundtripUnspecified  = "(o) Roundtrip (Unspecified):. ";

    String^ msg1 = "Use ToString(String) and the current thread culture.\n";
    String^ msg2 = "Use ToString(String, IFormatProvider) and a specified culture.\n";
    String^ msgCulture  = "Culture:";
    String^ msgThisDate = "This date and time: {0}\n";

    DateTime^ thisDate  = DateTime::Now;
    DateTime^  utcDate  = thisDate->ToUniversalTime();
    DateTime^ unspecifiedDate = gcnew DateTime(2000, 3, 20, 13, 2, 3, 0, DateTimeKind::Unspecified);
    CultureInfo^ ci;

// Format the current date and time in various ways.
    Console::Clear();
    Console::WriteLine("Standard DateTime Format Specifiers:\n");
    Console::WriteLine(msgThisDate, thisDate);
    Console::WriteLine(msg1);

// Display the thread current culture, which is used to format the values.
    ci = Thread::CurrentThread->CurrentCulture;
    Console::WriteLine("{0,-30}{1}\n", msgCulture, ci->DisplayName);

    Console::WriteLine(msgShortDate            +        thisDate->ToString("d"));
    Console::WriteLine(msgLongDate             +        thisDate->ToString("D"));
    Console::WriteLine(msgShortTime            +        thisDate->ToString("t"));
    Console::WriteLine(msgLongTime             +        thisDate->ToString("T"));
    Console::WriteLine(msgFullDateShortTime    +        thisDate->ToString("f"));
    Console::WriteLine(msgFullDateLongTime     +        thisDate->ToString("F"));
    Console::WriteLine(msgGeneralDateShortTime +        thisDate->ToString("g"));
    Console::WriteLine(msgGeneralDateLongTime  +        thisDate->ToString("G"));
    Console::WriteLine(msgMonth                +        thisDate->ToString("M"));
    Console::WriteLine(msgRFC1123              +         utcDate->ToString("R"));
    Console::WriteLine(msgSortable             +        thisDate->ToString("s"));
    Console::WriteLine(msgUniSortInvariant     +         utcDate->ToString("u"));
    Console::WriteLine(msgUniSort              +        thisDate->ToString("U"));
    Console::WriteLine(msgYear                 +        thisDate->ToString("Y"));
    Console::WriteLine(msgRoundtripLocal       +        thisDate->ToString("o"));
    Console::WriteLine(msgRoundtripUTC         +         utcDate->ToString("o"));
    Console::WriteLine(msgRoundtripUnspecified + unspecifiedDate->ToString("o"));
    Console::WriteLine();

// Display the same values using a CultureInfo object. The CultureInfo class 
// implements IFormatProvider.
    Console::WriteLine(msg2);

// Display the culture used to format the values. 
    ci = gcnew CultureInfo("de-DE");
    Console::WriteLine("{0,-30}{1}\n", msgCulture, ci->DisplayName);

    Console::WriteLine(msgShortDate            +        thisDate->ToString("d", ci));
    Console::WriteLine(msgLongDate             +        thisDate->ToString("D", ci));
    Console::WriteLine(msgShortTime            +        thisDate->ToString("t", ci));
    Console::WriteLine(msgLongTime             +        thisDate->ToString("T", ci));
    Console::WriteLine(msgFullDateShortTime    +        thisDate->ToString("f", ci));
    Console::WriteLine(msgFullDateLongTime     +        thisDate->ToString("F", ci));
    Console::WriteLine(msgGeneralDateShortTime +        thisDate->ToString("g", ci));
    Console::WriteLine(msgGeneralDateLongTime  +        thisDate->ToString("G", ci));
    Console::WriteLine(msgMonth                +        thisDate->ToString("M", ci));
    Console::WriteLine(msgRFC1123              +         utcDate->ToString("R", ci));
    Console::WriteLine(msgSortable             +        thisDate->ToString("s", ci));
    Console::WriteLine(msgUniSortInvariant     +         utcDate->ToString("u", ci));
    Console::WriteLine(msgUniSort              +        thisDate->ToString("U", ci));
    Console::WriteLine(msgYear                 +        thisDate->ToString("Y", ci));
    Console::WriteLine(msgRoundtripLocal       +        thisDate->ToString("o", ci));
    Console::WriteLine(msgRoundtripUTC         +         utcDate->ToString("o", ci));
    Console::WriteLine(msgRoundtripUnspecified + unspecifiedDate->ToString("o", ci));
    Console::WriteLine();
    }

/*
This code example produces the following results:

Standard DateTime Format Specifiers:

This date and time: 4/17/2006 2:38:09 PM

Use ToString(String) and the current thread culture.

Culture:                      English (United States)

(d) Short date: . . . . . . . 4/17/2006
(D) Long date:. . . . . . . . Monday, April 17, 2006
(t) Short time: . . . . . . . 2:38 PM
(T) Long time:. . . . . . . . 2:38:09 PM
(f) Full date/short time: . . Monday, April 17, 2006 2:38 PM
(F) Full date/long time:. . . Monday, April 17, 2006 2:38:09 PM
(g) General date/short time:. 4/17/2006 2:38 PM
(G) General date/long time (default):
    . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4/17/2006 2:38:09 PM
(M) Month:. . . . . . . . . . April 17
(R) RFC1123:. . . . . . . . . Mon, 17 Apr 2006 21:38:09 GMT
(s) Sortable: . . . . . . . . 2006-04-17T14:38:09
(u) Universal sortable (invariant):
    . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2006-04-17 21:38:09Z
(U) Universal sortable: . . . Monday, April 17, 2006 9:38:09 PM
(Y) Year: . . . . . . . . . . April, 2006
(o) Roundtrip (local):. . . . 2006-04-17T14:38:09.9417500-07:00
(o) Roundtrip (UTC):. . . . . 2006-04-17T21:38:09.9417500Z
(o) Roundtrip (Unspecified):. 2000-03-20T13:02:03.0000000

Use ToString(String, IFormatProvider) and a specified culture.

Culture:                      German (Germany)

(d) Short date: . . . . . . . 17.04.2006
(D) Long date:. . . . . . . . Montag, 17. April 2006
(t) Short time: . . . . . . . 14:38
(T) Long time:. . . . . . . . 14:38:09
(f) Full date/short time: . . Montag, 17. April 2006 14:38
(F) Full date/long time:. . . Montag, 17. April 2006 14:38:09
(g) General date/short time:. 17.04.2006 14:38
(G) General date/long time (default):
    . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17.04.2006 14:38:09
(M) Month:. . . . . . . . . . 17 April
(R) RFC1123:. . . . . . . . . Mon, 17 Apr 2006 21:38:09 GMT
(s) Sortable: . . . . . . . . 2006-04-17T14:38:09
(u) Universal sortable (invariant):
    . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2006-04-17 21:38:09Z
(U) Universal sortable: . . . Montag, 17. April 2006 21:38:09
(Y) Year: . . . . . . . . . . April 2006
(o) Roundtrip (local):. . . . 2006-04-17T14:38:09.9417500-07:00
(o) Roundtrip (UTC):. . . . . 2006-04-17T21:38:09.9417500Z
(o) Roundtrip (Unspecified):. 2000-03-20T13:02:03.0000000

*/

The following code example demonstrates different ways of formatting a DateTime value using the invariant DateTimeFormatInfo.

using namespace System;
using namespace System::Globalization;
void main()
{
   DateTime dt = DateTime::Now;
   array<String^>^format = {L"d",L"D",L"f",L"F",L"g",L"G",L"m",L"r",L"s",L"t",L"T",L"u",L"U",L"y",L"dddd, MMMM dd yyyy",L"ddd, MMM d \"'\"yy",L"dddd, MMMM dd",L"M/yy",L"dd-MM-yy"};
   String^ date;
   for ( int i = 0; i < format->Length; i++ )
   {
      date = dt.ToString( format[ i ], DateTimeFormatInfo::InvariantInfo );
      Console::WriteLine( String::Concat( format[ i ], L" :", date ) );

   }
   
   /** Output.
       *
       * d :08/17/2000
       * D :Thursday, August 17, 2000
       * f :Thursday, August 17, 2000 16:32
       * F :Thursday, August 17, 2000 16:32:32
       * g :08/17/2000 16:32
       * G :08/17/2000 16:32:32
       * m :August 17
       * r :Thu, 17 Aug 2000 23:32:32 GMT
       * s :2000-08-17T16:32:32
       * t :16:32
       * T :16:32:32
       * u :2000-08-17 23:32:32Z
       * U :Thursday, August 17, 2000 23:32:32
       * y :August, 2000
       * dddd, MMMM dd yyyy :Thursday, August 17 2000
       * ddd, MMM d "'"yy :Thu, Aug 17 '00
       * dddd, MMMM dd :Thursday, August 17
       * M/yy :8/00
       * dd-MM-yy :17-08-00
       */
}


import System.*;
import System.Globalization.*;

public class MainClass
{
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        DateTime dT = DateTime.get_Now();
        String format[] =  { "d", "D", "f", "F", "g", "G", "m", "r", "s", "t", 
            "T", "u", "U", "y", "dddd, MMMM dd yyyy", "ddd, MMM d \"'\"yy", 
            "dddd, MMMM dd", "M/yy", "dd-MM-yy" };
        String date;
        for (int i = 0; i < format.get_Length(); i++) {
            date = dT.ToString(format[i], DateTimeFormatInfo.get_InvariantInfo());
            Console.WriteLine(String.Concat(format[i], " :", date));
        }
    } //main 
} //MainClass 

 /** Output.
    *
    * d :08/17/2000
    * D :Thursday, August 17, 2000
    * f :Thursday, August 17, 2000 16:32
    * F :Thursday, August 17, 2000 16:32:32
    * g :08/17/2000 16:32
    * G :08/17/2000 16:32:32
    * m :August 17
    * r :Thu, 17 Aug 2000 23:32:32 GMT
    * s :2000-08-17T16:32:32
    * t :16:32
    * T :16:32:32
    * u :2000-08-17 23:32:32Z
    * U :Thursday, August 17, 2000 23:32:32
    * y :August, 2000
    * dddd, MMMM dd yyyy :Thursday, August 17 2000
    * ddd, MMM d "'"yy :Thu, Aug 17 '00
    * dddd, MMMM dd :Thursday, August 17
    * M/yy :8/00
    * dd-MM-yy :17-08-00
    */

import System;
import System.Globalization; 
 

var dt : DateTime = DateTime.Now;
var format : String[] = [
    "d", "D",
    "f", "F",
    "g", "G",
    "m",
    "r",
    "s",
    "t", "T",
    "u", "U",
    "y",
    "dddd, MMMM dd yyyy",
    "ddd, MMM d \"'\"yy",
    "dddd, MMMM dd",
    "M/yy",
    "dd-MM-yy",
    ];
var date : String;
for (var i : int = 0; i < format.Length; i++) {
    date = dt.ToString(format[i], DateTimeFormatInfo.InvariantInfo);
    Console.WriteLine(format[i] + " :" + date);
}

  
   /** Output.
    *
    * d :08/17/2000
    * D :Thursday, August 17, 2000
    * f :Thursday, August 17, 2000 16:32
    * F :Thursday, August 17, 2000 16:32:32
    * g :08/17/2000 16:32
    * G :08/17/2000 16:32:32
    * m :August 17
    * r :Thu, 17 Aug 2000 23:32:32 GMT
    * s :2000-08-17T16:32:32
    * t :16:32
    * T :16:32:32
    * u :2000-08-17 23:32:32Z
    * U :Thursday, August 17, 2000 23:32:32
    * y :August, 2000
    * dddd, MMMM dd yyyy :Thursday, August 17 2000
    * ddd, MMM d "'"yy :Thu, Aug 17 '00
    * dddd, MMMM dd :Thursday, August 17
    * M/yy :8/00
    * dd-MM-yy :17-08-00
    */

Windows 98, Windows Server 2000 SP4, Windows CE, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows Mobile for Pocket PC, Windows Mobile for Smartphone, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition, Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Starter Edition

The Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 is supported on Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows XP SP2, and Windows Server 2003 SP1.

.NET Framework

Supported in: 3.0, 2.0, 1.1, 1.0

.NET Compact Framework

Supported in: 2.0, 1.0

XNA Framework

Supported in: 1.0

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