Using DateTime with Null

Question

I have this line of code here:

command.Parameters["@DateCompleted"].Value = items[i].DateCompleted.Equals("01/01/0001 12:00:00 AM") ? null : items[i].DateCompleted;

but I got this error:

Type of conditional expression cannot be determined because there is no implicit conversion between '<null>' and 'System.DateTime'

What I am trying to do is not use the 01/01/0001 Date and use null because the item is null.

Additional Code:

command.Parameters.Add("@DateCompleted", System.Data.SqlDbType.DateTime);

sounds like you need to take a look at the following Nullable<T> Structure — MethodMan
– MethodMan, Commented Nov 27, 2015 at 20:57

Matt Johnson-Pint · Accepted Answer · 2015-11-27 20:58:00Z

6

Simply cast the null to a DateTime?. Also, assuming DateCompleted is a DateTime (it should be), then don't compare against a string, but against DateTime.MinValue instead.

command.Parameters["@DateCompleted"].Value =
    items[i].DateCompleted.Equals(DateTime.MinValue) 
        ? (DateTime?) null
        : items[i].DateCompleted;

answered Nov 27, 2015 at 20:58

Matt Johnson-Pint

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Donald.Record · Accepted Answer · 2015-11-27 21:01:11Z

0

Use DateTime?

command.Parameters["@DateCompleted"].Value = items[i].DateCompleted.Equals("01/01/0001 12:00:00 AM") ? (DateTime?)null : items[i].DateCompleted;

answered Nov 27, 2015 at 21:01

Donald.Record

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1 Comment

Donald.Record Over a year ago

Go with Matt's: I agree with the DateTime.MinValue approach.

Nicholas Petersen · Accepted Answer · 2015-11-27 21:02:46Z

0

To use the ternary operator where one of the return types is null, the other return type has to be a nullable type, which DateTime is not, being a struct. What you could do is replace the null with default(DateTime):

DateTime value = someCondition ? default(DateTime) : items[i].DateCompleted;

answered Nov 27, 2015 at 21:02

Nicholas Petersen

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