PowerShell abolishes Christmas
I was experimenting, OK I was playing around, with dates and decided to put in Christmas Day
PS> $xmas = [datetime]"25/12/09"
Cannot convert value "25/12/09" to type "System.DateTime". Error: "String was not recognized as a valid DateTime."
At line:1 char:19
+ $xmas = [datetime] <<<< "25/12/09"
+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (:) [], RuntimeException
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : RuntimeException
Oops PowerShell doesn’t allow Christmas!!
Blank look at the screen for a few moments before remembering that we have to use the US format for dates when we are entering them in PowerShell. If I want to enter a date eg 12th March 2009 I would instinctively write
PS> $dwrong = [datetime]"12/3/09"
PS> $dwrong
03 December 2009 00:00:00
And as you can see I would not get what I wanted. What I need to enter is
PS> $dright = [datetime]"3/12/09"
PS> $dright
12 March 2009 00:00:00
And so Christmas becomes
PS> $xmas = [datetime]"12/25/09"
PS> $xmas
25 December 2009 00:00:00
Living in the UK dates are dd/mm/yyyy not mm/dd/yyyyy so this has been an issue I’ve tripped over a few times. I had thought that it was a case of PowerShell not having had the bits done to allow other date formats but it turns out it is a design decision.
Lee Holmes has a really good post - http://www.leeholmes.com/blog/DateTimeCastsAreLanguagePrimitives.aspx – explaining the thinking behind the decision.
Having read it I now understand why I have to perform an un-natural act and put the month first. Still find it awkward but I least I understand.
Read the complete post at http://richardsiddaway.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!43CFA46A74CF3E96!2007.entry