DateTime.GetDateTimeFormats() Method in C# | Set – 1

This method is used to convert the value of this instance to all the string representations supported by the standard date and time format specifiers. There are total 4 methods in the overload list of this method:

• GetDateTimeFormats()
• GetDateTimeFormats(Char)
• GetDateTimeFormats(IFormatProvider)
• GetDateTimeFormats(Char, IFormatProvider)

GetDateTimeFormats()

This method is used to convert the value of this instance to all the string representations supported by the standard date and time format specifiers.

Syntax: public string[] GetDateTimeFormats ()

Return Value: This method returns a string array where each element is the representation of the value of this instance formatted with one of the standard date and time format specifiers.

Below programs illustrate the use of GetDateTimeFormats() Method:

Example 1:

// C# program to demonstrate the
// DateTime.GetDateTimeFormats()
// Method
using System;
using System.Globalization;

class GFG {

    // Main Method
    public static void Main()
    {
        // creating object of DateTime
        DateTime date = new DateTime(2010, 1,
                                     1, 4, 0, 15);

        // getting format in string array
        // using GetDateTimeFormats() method;
        string[] value = date.GetDateTimeFormats();

        // Print out value in all DateTime
        // formats using the default culture.
        foreach(string format in value)
            Console.WriteLine(format);
    }
}

Output:

01/01/2010
2010-01-01
Friday, 01 January 2010
Friday, 01 January 2010 04:00
Friday, 01 January 2010 04:00 AM
Friday, 01 January 2010 4:00
Friday, 01 January 2010 4:00 AM
Friday, 01 January 2010 04:00:15
01/01/2010 04:00
01/01/2010 04:00 AM
01/01/2010 4:00
01/01/2010 4:00 AM
2010-01-01 04:00
2010-01-01 04:00 AM
2010-01-01 4:00
2010-01-01 4:00 AM
01/01/2010 04:00:15
2010-01-01 04:00:15
January 01
January 01
2010-01-01T04:00:15.0000000
2010-01-01T04:00:15.0000000
Fri, 01 Jan 2010 04:00:15 GMT
Fri, 01 Jan 2010 04:00:15 GMT
2010-01-01T04:00:15
04:00
04:00 AM
4:00
4:00 AM
04:00:15
2010-01-01 04:00:15Z
Friday, 01 January 2010 04:00:15
2010 January
2010 January

Example 2:

// C# program to demonstrate the
// DateTime.GetDateTimeFormats()
// Method
using System;
using System.Globalization;

class GFG {

    // Main Method
    public static void Main()
    {
        // creating object of DateTime
        DateTime date = new DateTime(2019, 1,
                              30, 9, 49, 15);

        // getting format in string array
        // using GetDateTimeFormats() method;
        string[] value = date.GetDateTimeFormats();

        // Print out value in all DateTime
        // formats using the default culture.
        for (int i = 1; i <= 6; i++)
            Console.WriteLine(value[i]);
    }
}

Output:

2019-01-30
Wednesday, 30 January 2019
Wednesday, 30 January 2019 09:49
Wednesday, 30 January 2019 09:49 AM
Wednesday, 30 January 2019 9:49
Wednesday, 30 January 2019 9:49 AM

GetDateTimeFormats(Char)

This method is used to convert the value of this instance to all the string representations supported by the specified standard date and time format specifier.

Syntax: public string[] GetDateTimeFormats (char format);
Here it takes a standard date and time format string.

Return Value: This method returns a string array where each element is the representation of the value of this instance formatted with the format standard date and time format specifier.

Exceptions: This method will give FormatException if the format is not a valid standard date and time format specifier character.

Below programs illustrate the use of GetDateTimeFormats(Char) Method:

Example 1:

// C# program to demonstrate the
// DateTime.GetDateTimeFormats(Char)
// Method
using System;
using System.Globalization;

class GFG {

    // Main Method
    public static void Main()
    {
        try {
            // creating object of DateTime
            DateTime date = new DateTime(2010, 1,
                                     1, 4, 0, 15);

            // Get the long date formats using the current
            // culture. using GetDateTimeFormats() method
            string[] value = date.GetDateTimeFormats('D');

            // Print out value in all DateTime
            // formats using the default culture.
            foreach(string format in value)
                Console.WriteLine(format);
        }
        catch (FormatException e) {
            Console.Write("Exception Thrown: ");
            Console.Write("{0}", e.GetType(), e.Message);
        }
    }
}

Output:

Friday, 01 January 2010

Example 2: For FormatException

// C# program to demonstrate the
// DateTime.GetDateTimeFormats(Char)
// Method
using System;
using System.Globalization;

class GFG {

    // Main Method
    public static void Main()
    {
        try {
            // creating object of DateTime
            DateTime date = new DateTime(2010, 1,
                                         1, 4, 0, 15);

            // Get the date format
            // using GetDateTimeFormats(Char) method;
            string[] value = date.GetDateTimeFormats('X');

            // Print out value in all DateTime
            // formats using the default culture.
            foreach(string format in value)
                Console.WriteLine(format);
        }
        catch (FormatException e) {
            Console.Write("Exception Thrown: ");
            Console.Write("{0}", e.GetType(), e.Message);
        }
    }
}

Output:

Exception Thrown: System.FormatException

Reference:

• https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/api/system.datetime.getdatetimeformats?view=netframework-4.7.2