Question

I’m using the Ajax control toolkit calendar extender on a textbox with a submit button. Simple.

The debugger shows that the text is properly being transferred to calling method, but this line of conversion code converts textbox text to 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM. The text box date is this: 4/15/2011

DateTime txtMyDate = Convert.ToDateTime(txtDate.Text);

What am I doing wrong?

Answer 1

You should use the DateTime.Parse() method:

DateTime txtMyDate = DateTime.Parse(txtDate.Text);

As mentioned you can also use DateTime.ParseExact() using a similar syntax as shown:

DateTime txtMyDate = DateTime.ParseExact(txtDate.Text, 
                                         [string format], 
                                         [IFormatProvider provider]);

Parse vs ParseExact:

Parse() – assumes the data is valid and does its best to fit it into the type, forcing things that seem vaguely ridiculous when a developer has a chance to invoke common sense.

ParseExact() – only allows the exact format specified and will throw on any variation.

Source on Parse vs ParseExact