How to save date properly?

Question

I'm trying to save date (using C# official driver):

val = DateTime.Parse(value).Date; //Here date is {11/11/2011 12:00:00 AM}
var update = Update.Set("Date", val);
...

When I select Date from the database, the value is {11/10/2011 10:00:00 PM}

How to save only the date I want?

Rev

Answer 1

c# driver by default (without extra settings) saving local dates as utc date into database (date - time zone offset) but reading back without any action (so, utc date).

Because of this when you loading datetime from database you receive diff in 2 hours (your timezone offset). There are two approaches how to say to mongodb c# driver convert utc dates to local timezone dates during deserialization:

1.through the attributes for particular date field:

[BsonDateTimeOptions(Kind = DateTimeKind.Local)]
public DateTime SomeDateProperty {get;set;}

2.through global settings for all datetime fields (default is UtcInstance):

DateTimeSerializationOptions.Defaults = DateTimeSerializationOptions.LocalInstance;

Once you will do #1 or #2 you will see local date.

Update:

---

#2 is obsolete in latest driver version so use code below instead:

BsonSerializer.RegisterSerializer(typeof(DateTime), 
             new DateTimeSerializer(DateTimeSerializationOptions.LocalInstance));

Update:

---

#2 has changed again:

BsonSerializer.RegisterSerializer(typeof(DateTime), DateTimeSerializer.LocalInstance);

Alver

I tried the second solution and got the following warning: "MongoDB.Bson.Serialization.Options.DateTimeSerializationOptions.Defaults is obsolete: Create and register a DateTimeSerializer with the desired options instead." – Codycoe

Using the RegisterSerializer in my unit test project I get this error: SetUp : MongoDB.Bson.BsonSerializationException : There is already a serializer registered for type System.DateTime. It works only the first time – Verile

@Verile #21386847 – Hamo

Isn't it just easier to save the date as a double (seconds) UTC in mongo and then do the translation on the client side when your pulling it out? – Ideomotor

while using [BsonDateTimeOptions(Kind = DateTimeKind.UTC)] still converts my date to UTC – Paralogism

Answer 2

You're running into a timezone issue. Your date object is probably in a timezone other than UTC (2 hours ahead by the looks of it) or your default timezone is set to something other than UTC. The driver will convert the date to the appropriate timezone before storing it in the database.

Normally you wouldn't notice this since the reverse (retrieving the UTC date from the database) should convert it back to the original timezone. There might be an issue with the driver you're using or C# might require a bit more code to get it right.

Storing dates as strings is usually not a good idea since it disables range queries on dates.

Pullen

Answer 3

Mongo stores everything in UTC, in case your date time is UTC this will help

val = DateTime.SpecifyKind(val , DateTimeKind.Utc);
var update = Update.Set("Date", val);

Tarrant

Answer 4

2.2.4.26 has changed again:

BsonSerializer.RegisterSerializer(typeof(DateTime), DateTimeSerializer.LocalInstance);

Dailey

Answer 5

In my case [BsonDateTimeOptions(Kind = DateTimeKind.Local)] doesn't worked.

What i did is below

    DateTime _someDateProperty ;
    public DateTime SomeDateProperty 
    {
        get { return _someDateProperty ; }
        set
        {
            _someDateProperty = new DateTime(value.Ticks, DateTimeKind.Local);
        }
    }

Paralogism

Answer 6

Mongodb Date value stored in "UTC DateTime" format which comprises of both date & time. so you just cannot store date alone in the field. Instead you can get the date part alone in your application code after retrieving from mongo.

like in c#

datevalue.ToString("MM/dd/yyyy");

or

datevalue.ToShortDateString() 

Chaker

This doesn't work when getting midnight dates. During daylight savings they get moved back a day to 11pm the previous night... – Mill