Convert a string to datetime in PowerShell

Question

I am using PowerShell to try and convert a string to a datetime. It should be easy, right?

I am getting the string from a CSV import, and it comes in the format of Jul-16. I have tried multiple ways of getting it into the format I want which is yyyy-MM-dd and I am currently at the following.

$invoice = $object.'Invoice Month' $invoice = "01-" + $invoice $invoice = [datetime]::parseexact($invoice, 'yyyy-MM-dd', $null) 

But I get the error:

String was not recognized as a valid DateTime.

Am I missing something?

Answer 1

ParseExact is told the format of the date it is expected to parse, not the format you wish to get out.

$invoice = '01-Jul-16' [datetime]::parseexact($invoice, 'dd-MMM-yy', $null) 

If you then wish to output a date string:

[datetime]::parseexact($invoice, 'dd-MMM-yy', $null).ToString('yyyy-MM-dd') 

Chris

Answer 2

You can simply cast strings to DateTime:

[DateTime]"2020-7-16" 

or

[DateTime]"Jul-16" 

or

$myDate = [DateTime]"Jul-16"; 

And you can format the resulting DateTime variable by doing something like this:

'{0:yyyy-MM-dd}' -f [DateTime]'Jul-16' 

or

([DateTime]"Jul-16").ToString('yyyy-MM-dd') 

or

$myDate = [DateTime]"Jul-16"; '{0:yyyy-MM-dd}' -f $myDate