How do I use DateTime.TryParse with a Nullable<DateTime>?

Question

I want to use the DateTime.TryParse method to get the datetime value of a string into a Nullable. But when I try this:

DateTime? d; bool success = DateTime.TryParse("some date text", out (DateTime)d); 

the compiler tells me

'out' argument is not classified as a variable

Not sure what I need to do here. I've also tried:

out (DateTime)d.Value  

and that doesn't work either. Any ideas?

Answer 1

As Jason says, you can create a variable of the right type and pass that. You might want to encapsulate it in your own method:

public static DateTime? TryParse(string text) {     DateTime date;     if (DateTime.TryParse(text, out date))     {         return date;     }     else     {         return null;     } } 

... or if you like the conditional operator:

public static DateTime? TryParse(string text) {     DateTime date;     return DateTime.TryParse(text, out date) ? date : (DateTime?) null; } 

Or in C# 7:

public static DateTime? TryParse(string text) =>     DateTime.TryParse(text, out var date) ? date : (DateTime?) null; 

Answer 2

DateTime? d=null; DateTime d2; bool success = DateTime.TryParse("some date text", out d2); if (success) d=d2; 

(There might be more elegant solutions, but why don't you simply do something as above?)