Setting DateTime to empty value c#

Question

I am trying to set the date time to an empty value in my application - I am trying in the following way

    string datetime = Convert.ToString(dataRow["dbfield"]).Trim();
    MyDateTime= string.IsNullOrEmpty(datetime)
                    ? (DateTime?) null
                    : GeneralUtilities.ConvertOTDateToDate(datetime);

The error I am getting is

cannot implicitly convert type System.Datetime? to System.Datetime, an explicit conversion exists are you missing a cast?

Please could someone help me with the correct syntax required for this please?

Thanks

score 4 · Accepted Answer · 2015-12-08 14:22:04Z

4

I assume MyDateTime is declared as a DateTime. Change it to DateTime?.

or

GeneralUtilities.ConvertOTDateToDate returns a DateTime. Cast it to DateTime?. As in:

MyDateTime= string.IsNullOrEmpty(datetime)
                ? (DateTime?) null
                : (DateTime?)GeneralUtilities.ConvertOTDateToDate(datetime);

edited Dec 8, 2015 at 14:22

answered Dec 8, 2015 at 14:20

user47589

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5 Comments

Kamil Budziewski Over a year ago

second one is true, he's returning two different values

juharr Over a year ago

@wudzik No it's definitely the first one because you can implicitly convert DateTime to DateTime?.

user47589 Over a year ago

@cFrozenDeath: It is, but that's not related to OPs issue. @juharr, it's hard to judge which it is, since the declaration of MyDateTime isn't provided, nor is the method signature to GeneralUtilities.ConvertOTDateToDate

juharr Over a year ago

@Amy, The message is about converting a DateTime? to a DateTime. The result of the ternary operator will be a DateTime? becuase of the cast regardless of what the method returns. Thus the variable is DateTime.

juharr Over a year ago

@cFrozenDeath The cast is only redundant if the method returns DateTime? if it returns DateTime then the cast will force the ternary return to be DateTime?.

Carra · Accepted Answer · 2015-12-08 14:21:48Z

2

DateTime is a struct and thus cannot be null. Change it to a DateTime? if you want to use null. Alternatively use something like DateTime.MinValue as the default value.

answered Dec 8, 2015 at 14:21

Carra

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Comments

user5654764 · Accepted Answer · 2015-12-08 14:22:06Z

0

GeneralUtilities.ConvertOTDateToDate must return a nullable DateTime instead of a normal DateTime, probably.

answered Dec 8, 2015 at 14:22

user5654764

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