TimeZoneInfo.ToSerializedString Method
Definition
Important
Some information relates to prerelease product that may be substantially modified before it’s released. Microsoft makes no warranties, express or implied, with respect to the information provided here.
Converts the current TimeZoneInfo object to a serialized string.
public:
System::String ^ ToSerializedString();
public string ToSerializedString ();
member this.ToSerializedString : unit -> string
Public Function ToSerializedString () As String
Returns
A string that represents the current TimeZoneInfo object.
Examples
The following example tries to retrieve the Antarctica/South Pole time zone from the local system. If it fails, the code tries to retrieve information about the time zone from a text file in the application directory. If this attempt fails, the code creates the time zone and writes information about it to the text file.
private TimeZoneInfo InitializeTimeZone()
{
TimeZoneInfo southPole = null;
// Determine if South Pole time zone is defined in system
try
{
southPole = TimeZoneInfo.FindSystemTimeZoneById("Antarctica/South Pole Standard Time");
}
// Time zone does not exist; create it, store it in a text file, and return it
catch
{
const string filename = @".\TimeZoneInfo.txt";
bool found = false;
if (File.Exists(filename))
{
StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(filename);
string timeZoneInfo;
while (reader.Peek() >= 0)
{
timeZoneInfo = reader.ReadLine();
if (timeZoneInfo.Contains("Antarctica/South Pole"))
{
southPole = TimeZoneInfo.FromSerializedString(timeZoneInfo);
reader.Close();
found = true;
break;
}
}
}
if (! found)
{
// Define transition times to/from DST
TimeZoneInfo.TransitionTime startTransition = TimeZoneInfo.TransitionTime.CreateFloatingDateRule(new DateTime(1, 1, 1, 2, 0, 0), 10, 1, DayOfWeek.Sunday);
TimeZoneInfo.TransitionTime endTransition = TimeZoneInfo.TransitionTime.CreateFloatingDateRule(new DateTime(1, 1, 1, 2, 0, 0), 3, 3, DayOfWeek.Sunday);
// Define adjustment rule
TimeSpan delta = new TimeSpan(1, 0, 0);
TimeZoneInfo.AdjustmentRule adjustment = TimeZoneInfo.AdjustmentRule.CreateAdjustmentRule(new DateTime(1989, 10, 1), DateTime.MaxValue.Date, delta, startTransition, endTransition);
// Create array for adjustment rules
TimeZoneInfo.AdjustmentRule[] adjustments = {adjustment};
// Define other custom time zone arguments
string displayName = "(GMT+12:00) Antarctica/South Pole";
string standardName = "Antarctica/South Pole Standard Time";
string daylightName = "Antarctica/South Pole Daylight Time";
TimeSpan offset = new TimeSpan(12, 0, 0);
southPole = TimeZoneInfo.CreateCustomTimeZone(standardName, offset, displayName, standardName, daylightName, adjustments);
// Write time zone to the file
StreamWriter writer = new StreamWriter(filename, true);
writer.WriteLine(southPole.ToSerializedString());
writer.Close();
}
}
return southPole;
}
let initializeTimeZone () =
// Determine if South Pole time zone is defined in system
try
TimeZoneInfo.FindSystemTimeZoneById "Antarctica/South Pole Standard Time"
// Time zone does not exist create it, store it in a text file, and return it
with _ ->
let filename = @".\TimeZoneInfo.txt"
let mutable southPole = Unchecked.defaultof<TimeZoneInfo>
let mutable found = false
if File.Exists filename then
use reader = new StreamReader(filename)
while reader.Peek() >= 0 && not found do
let timeZoneInfo = reader.ReadLine()
if timeZoneInfo.Contains "Antarctica/South Pole" then
southPole <- TimeZoneInfo.FromSerializedString timeZoneInfo
reader.Close()
found <- true
if not found then
// Define transition times to/from DST
let startTransition = TimeZoneInfo.TransitionTime.CreateFloatingDateRule(DateTime(1, 1, 1, 2, 0, 0), 10, 1, DayOfWeek.Sunday)
let endTransition = TimeZoneInfo.TransitionTime.CreateFloatingDateRule(DateTime(1, 1, 1, 2, 0, 0), 3, 3, DayOfWeek.Sunday)
// Define adjustment rule
let delta = TimeSpan(1, 0, 0)
let adjustment = TimeZoneInfo.AdjustmentRule.CreateAdjustmentRule(DateTime(1989, 10, 1), DateTime.MaxValue.Date, delta, startTransition, endTransition)
// Create array for adjustment rules
let adjustments = [| adjustment |]
// Define other custom time zone arguments
let displayName = "(GMT+12:00) Antarctica/South Pole"
let standardName = "Antarctica/South Pole Standard Time"
let daylightName = "Antarctica/South Pole Daylight Time"
let offset = TimeSpan(12, 0, 0)
southPole <- TimeZoneInfo.CreateCustomTimeZone(standardName, offset, displayName, standardName, daylightName, adjustments)
// Write time zone to the file
use writer = new StreamWriter(filename, true)
writer.WriteLine(southPole.ToSerializedString())
southPole
Private Function InitializeTimeZone() As TimeZoneInfo
Dim southPole As TimeZoneInfo = Nothing
' Determine if South Pole time zone is defined in system
Try
southPole = TimeZoneInfo.FindSystemTimeZoneById("Antarctica/South Pole Standard Time")
' Time zone does not exist; create it, store it in a text file, and return it
Catch e As TimeZoneNotFoundException
Dim found As Boolean
Const filename As String = ".\TimeZoneInfo.txt"
If File.Exists(filename) Then
Dim reader As StreamReader = New StreamReader(fileName)
Dim timeZoneString As String
Do While reader.Peek() >= 0
timeZoneString = reader.ReadLine()
If timeZoneString.Contains("Antarctica/South Pole") Then
southPole = TimeZoneInfo.FromSerializedString(timeZoneString)
reader.Close()
found = True
Exit Do
End If
Loop
End If
If Not found Then
' Define transition times to/from DST
Dim startTransition As TimeZoneInfo.TransitionTime = TimeZoneInfo.TransitionTime.CreateFloatingDateRule(#02:00:00#, 10, 1, DayOfWeek.Sunday)
Dim endTransition As TimeZoneInfo.TransitionTime = TimeZoneInfo.TransitionTime.CreateFloatingDateRule(#02:00:00#, 3, 3, DayOfWeek.Sunday)
' Define adjustment rule
Dim delta As TimeSpan = New TimeSpan(1, 0, 0)
Dim adjustment As TimeZoneInfo.AdjustmentRule = TimeZoneInfo.AdjustmentRule.CreateAdjustmentRule(#10/01/1989#, Date.MaxValue.Date, delta, startTransition, endTransition)
' Create array for adjustment rules
Dim adjustments() As TimeZoneInfo.AdjustmentRule = {adjustment}
' Define other custom time zone arguments
Dim displayName As String = "(GMT+12:00) Antarctica/South Pole"
Dim standardName As String = "Antarctica/South Pole Standard Time"
Dim daylightName As String = "Antarctica/South Pole Daylight Time"
Dim offset As TimeSpan = New TimeSpan(12, 0, 0)
southPole = TimeZoneInfo.CreateCustomTimeZone(standardName, offset, displayName, standardName, daylightName, adjustments)
' Write time zone to the file
Dim writer As StreamWriter = New StreamWriter(filename, True)
writer.WriteLine(southPole.ToSerializedString())
writer.Close()
End If
End Try
Return southPole
End Function
Remarks
Applications that rely on time zones that are not typically defined in the registry of Windows systems or the ICU Library on Linux and macOScan can use the CreateCustomTimeZone method to instantiate the necessary time zones as TimeZoneInfo objects. The application can then call the ToSerializedString method to convert the time zone object to a string.
The TimeZoneInfo object should also be stored in a location where the application can retrieve it when needed. Possible locations include:
The registry on Windows systems.
An application resource file.
An external file, such as a text file.