DateTime.ToBinary() Method in C#

This method is used to serializes the current DateTime object to a 64-bit binary value that subsequently can be used to recreate the DateTime object.

Syntax: public long ToBinary ();

Return Value: This method returns a 64-bit signed integer that encodes the Kind and Ticks properties.

Below programs illustrate the use of DateTime.ToBinary() Method

Example 1:

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

class GFG {

    // Main Method
    public static void Main()
    {
        // creating object of DateTime
        DateTime date = new DateTime(2011, 1,
                                1, 4, 0, 15);

        // Serializes the current DateTime
        // object to a 64-bit binary value
        // using ToBinary() method;
        long value = date.ToBinary();

        // Display the value
        Console.WriteLine("64-bit binary value : {0}",
                                               value);
    }
}

Output:

64-bit binary value : 634294512150000000

Example 2:

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

class GFG {

    // Main Method
    public static void Main()
    {
        // calling check() method
        check(new DateTime(2010, 1,
                     3, 4, 0, 15));

        check(new DateTime(2010, 1,
                     5, 4, 0, 15));
    }

    public static void check(DateTime date)
    {

        // Serializes the current DateTime
        // object to a 64-bit binary value
        // using ToBinary() method;
        long value = date.ToBinary();

        // Display the value
        Console.WriteLine("64-bit binary value"+
                 " of {0} is {1}", date, value);
    }
}

Output:

64-bit binary value of 01/03/2010 04:00:15 is 633980880150000000
64-bit binary value of 01/05/2010 04:00:15 is 633982608150000000

Reference:

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