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DateTime.ToFileTime Method

  • Reference

Definition

Namespace:
System
Assembly:
System.Runtime.dll
Assembly:
mscorlib.dll
Assembly:
netstandard.dll
Source:
DateTime.cs
Source:
DateTime.cs
Source:
DateTime.cs

Converts the value of the current DateTime object to a Windows file time.

public:
 long ToFileTime();
public long ToFileTime ();
member this.ToFileTime : unit -> int64
Public Function ToFileTime () As Long

Returns

Int64

The value of the current DateTime object expressed as a Windows file time.

Exceptions

ArgumentOutOfRangeException

The resulting file time would represent a date and time before 12:00 midnight January 1, 1601 C.E. UTC.

Examples

The following example demonstrates the ToFileTime method.

int main()
{
   System::Console::WriteLine( "Enter the file path:" );
   String^ filePath = System::Console::ReadLine();
   if ( System::IO::File::Exists( filePath ) )
   {
      System::DateTime fileCreationDateTime = System::IO::File::GetCreationTime( filePath );
      __int64 fileCreationFileTime = fileCreationDateTime.ToFileTime();
      System::Console::WriteLine( "{0} in file time is {1}.", fileCreationDateTime, fileCreationFileTime );
   }
   else
   {
      System::Console::WriteLine( "{0} is an invalid file", filePath );
   }
}

open System.IO

printfn "Enter the file path:"
let filePath = stdin.ReadLine()

if File.Exists filePath then
    let fileCreationDateTime =
        File.GetCreationTime filePath

    let fileCreationFileTime = fileCreationDateTime.ToFileTime()

    printfn $"{fileCreationDateTime} in file time is {fileCreationFileTime}."

else
    printfn $"{filePath} is an invalid file"

static void Main(string[] args)
{
    System.Console.WriteLine("Enter the file path:");
    string filePath = System.Console.ReadLine();

    if (System.IO.File.Exists(filePath)) {
        System.DateTime fileCreationDateTime =
            System.IO.File.GetCreationTime(filePath);

        long fileCreationFileTime = fileCreationDateTime.ToFileTime();

        System.Console.WriteLine("{0} in file time is {1}.",
                                 fileCreationDateTime,
                                 fileCreationFileTime);
    }
    else {
        System.Console.WriteLine("{0} is an invalid file", filePath);
    }
}

Public Shared Sub Main()

   System.Console.WriteLine("Enter the file path:")
   Dim filePath As String
   filePath = System.Console.ReadLine()

   If System.IO.File.Exists(filePath) Then
      Dim fileCreationDateTime As System.DateTime
      fileCreationDateTime = System.IO.File.GetCreationTime(filePath)

      Dim fileCreationFileTime As Long
      fileCreationFileTime = fileCreationDateTime.ToFileTime()

      System.Console.WriteLine("{0} in file time is {1}.", _
                               fileCreationDateTime, _
                               fileCreationFileTime)
   Else
      System.Console.WriteLine("{0} is an invalid file", filePath)
   End If
End Sub

Remarks

A Windows file time is a 64-bit value that represents the number of 100-nanosecond intervals that have elapsed since 12:00 midnight, January 1, 1601 A.D. (C.E.) Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Windows uses a file time to record when an application creates, accesses, or writes to a file.

The ToFileTime method uses the Kind property to determine whether the current DateTime object is a local time, a UTC time, or an unspecified kind of time which is treated as a local time.

Notes to Callers

Ordinarily, the FromFileTime(Int64) method restores a DateTime value that was saved by the ToFileTime() method. However, the two values may differ under the following conditions:

  • If the serialization and deserialization of the DateTime value occur in different time zones. For example, if a DateTime value with a time of 12:30 P.M. in the U.S. Eastern Time zone is serialized, and then deserialized in the U.S. Pacific Time zone, the original value of 12:30 P.M. is adjusted to 9:30 A.M. to reflect the difference between the two time zones.

  • If the DateTime value that is serialized represents an invalid time in the local time zone. In this case, the ToFileTime() method adjusts the restored DateTime value so that it represents a valid time in the local time zone.

    For example, the transition from standard time to daylight saving time occurs in the U.S. Pacific Time zone on March 14, 2010, at 2:00 A.M., when the time advances by one hour, to 3:00 A.M. This hour interval is an invalid time, that is, a time interval that does not exist in this time zone. The following example shows that when a time that falls within this range is converted to a long integer value by the ToFileTime() method and is then restored by the FromFileTime(Int64) method, the original value is adjusted to become a valid time. You can determine whether a particular date and time value may be subject to modification by passing it to the IsInvalidTime(DateTime) method, as the example illustrates.

    using System;

public class Example
{
   public static void Main()
   {
      DateTime date1 = new DateTime(2010, 3, 14, 2, 30, 00);
      Console.WriteLine("Invalid Time: {0}",
                        TimeZoneInfo.Local.IsInvalidTime(date1));
      long ft = date1.ToFileTime();
      DateTime date2 = DateTime.FromFileTime(ft);
      Console.WriteLine("{0} -> {1}", date1, date2);
   }
}
// The example displays the following output:
//       Invalid Time: True
//       3/14/2010 2:30:00 AM -> 3/14/2010 3:30:00 AM

    open System

let date1 = DateTime(2010, 3, 14, 2, 30, 00)
printfn $"Invalid Time: {TimeZoneInfo.Local.IsInvalidTime date1}"

let ft = date1.ToFileTime()
let date2 = DateTime.FromFileTime ft
printfn $"{date1} -> {date2}"

// The example displays the following output:
//       Invalid Time: True
//       3/14/2010 2:30:00 AM -> 3/14/2010 3:30:00 AM

    Module Example
   Public Sub Main()
      Dim date1 As New DateTime(2010, 3, 14, 2, 30, 00)
      Console.WriteLine("Invalid Time: {0}", TimeZoneInfo.Local.IsInvalidTime(date1))
      Dim ft As Long = date1.ToFileTime()
      Dim date2 As DateTime = DateTime.FromFileTime(ft)
      Console.WriteLine("{0} -> {1}", date1, date2) 
   End Sub
End Module
' The example displays the following output:
'       Invalid Time: True
'       3/14/2010 2:30:00 AM -> 3/14/2010 3:30:00 AM

Applies to

See also