What is the DateTimeStyles operator in .NET?

Question

When I add this code

DateTimeStyles.AdjustToUniversal | DateTimeStyles.AllowInnerWhite

Intellisense shows the following message:

DateTimeStyles DateTimeStyles.operator |(DateTimeStyles left, DateTimeStyles right).

What does this operator do?

Where in intellisense you see this and when does intellisense show it? — Tim Schmelter, Dec 07 '17 at 14:05
Why are there down-votes for this question? Given the limited information from the intellisense on Visual studio, there is very little that can be concluded or deduced on one's own for further reading. — Shivku, Mar 11 '18 at 02:48

Jon Skeet · Answer 1 · 2017-12-07T14:33:01.450

DateTimeStyles isn't an operator - it's an enum, and all enums have the | operator. All it does is apply a bitwise | for the two values. It should only be used for flag-based enums. For example:

public enum AccessMode
{
    None = 0,
    Read = 1,
    Write = 2,
    Delete = 4
}

If you use:

AccessMode mode = AccessMode.Write | AccessMode.Delete;

then you'll have a value with an underlying integer value of 6.

Basically, it allows you to specify a single value representing multiple flags within the enum - so for you're example, you're saying "I want the result to be adjusted to UTC, and allow inner whitespace when parsing."

score 3 · Accepted Answer · answered Dec 07 '17 at 14:06

3

DateTimeStyles is a Flags enumeration. The BITWISE OR operator | combines two flags.

See Enum, Flags and bitwise operators.

answered Dec 07 '17 at 14:06

Georg Patscheider

9,357
1
26
36

What is the DateTimeStyles operator in .NET?

2 Answers2