How do you format a DateTime that's displayed by TextBoxFor() in MVC3?

Question

I have ASP.NET MVC3 installed. I need datepicker with formatted date. I tried this, but it's not working (when passing "{0:dd/MM/yyyy}" as format parameter, it still does not format):

    private static MvcHtmlString FormattedDateTextBoxFor<TModel, TProperty>(this HtmlHelper<TModel> htmlHelper, Expression<Func<TModel, TProperty>> expression, string format, RouteValueDictionary htmlAttributes)
    {
        var metadata = ModelMetadata.FromLambdaExpression(expression, htmlHelper.ViewData);

        if (metadata.Model != null && metadata.Model as DateTime? != null)
            htmlAttributes.Add("value", string.Format(format, (DateTime)metadata.Model));

        return htmlHelper.TextBoxFor(expression, htmlAttributes);
    }

EDIT: My code works if format is "{0:dd-MM-yyyy}" but not only for "{0:dd/MM/yyyy}"

I know that MVC4 has already this functionality, but unfortunately my project is written on MVC3. Can you help me?

Answer 1

The only format I have even gotten to work is this:

@Html.TextBoxFor(m => m.Birthdate, "{0:MM/dd/yyyy}")

Answer 2

The syntax is: @Html.TextBoxFor( expression, string format, object htmlAttributes)

eg:

   @Html.TextBoxFor(x => x.DateUtc, "{0:yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss}",
            new { @class = "form-control", placeholder = "Enter Title", id="myDate"})

Answer 3

In your Model, use the following:

[DisplayFormat(DataFormatString="{0:dd/MM/yyyy}")]
public DateTime YourDate { get; set; }

Here is what it should do in the View:

@Html.EditorFor(model => model.YourDate, new { @class = "date" })

This should give you a date formatted out to the format of dd/MM/yyyy.

Answer 4

Display will depend on culture. And while in most cases all other answers are correct, it did not work for me. Culture issue will also cause different problems with jQuery datepicker, if attached.

If you wish to force the format escape / in the following manner:

@Html.TextBoxFor(model => model.YourDate, "{0:MM\\/dd\\/yyyy}")

If not escaped for me it show 08-01-2010 vs. expected 08/01/2010.

Also if not escaped jQuery datepicker will select different defaultDate, in my instance it was May 10, 2012.