Javascript serialization of DateTime in asp.net is not giving a javascript date object?

Question

When I parse a DateTime to json in .Net it returns a string (i.e. "\/Date(1249335194272)\/"). How do I make it return a js Date object constructor not wrap in a string?

// js server code var dteNow = <%= jsonDateNow %>;   // js rendered code var dteNow = "\/Date(1249335477787)\/";   // C# using System; using System.Collections.Generic; using System.Linq; using System.Web; using System.Web.UI; using System.Web.Script.Serialization; using System.Web.UI.WebControls;  namespace testing{     public partial class iTaxPrep : System.Web.UI.Page     {         protected string jsonDateNow;         protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)         {             if (!IsPostBack)             {                 jsonDateNow = new JavaScriptSerializer().Serialize(DateTime.Now);              }         }     } } 

Answer 1

This is a known limitation with JSON. This answer might help you, specifically:

value = new Date(parseInt(value.replace("/Date(", "").replace(")/",""), 10)); 

Answer 2

This seems to work (Thanks Chris S for the idea). In the C# do a replace to remove the string wrapper from around the date object;

    using System.Collections.Generic;         using System.Linq;         using System.Web;         using System.Web.UI;         using System.Web.Script.Serialization;         using System.Web.Script.Services;         using System.Web.Services;         using System.Web.UI.WebControls;          namespace test         {             [ScriptService]             public partial class testing: System.Web.UI.Page             {                 protected string strCaseID;                 protected string jsonCase;                  protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)                 {                     if (!IsPostBack)                     {                         strCaseID =Tools.GetQueryObject("id");                         // get a complex object with dates, string, arrays etc.                         jsonESHACase = new JavaScriptSerializer().Serialize(objCase.Get(strCaseID ))                             .Replace("\"\\/Date(", "new Date(").Replace(")\\/\"", ")");                     }                 }             }         } 

..and after removing the quotes and adding the new prefix to Date this js now works. Hooray!

testCase= <%= jsonESHACase %>;     if (testCase) {         document.write(testCase["ClosingDate"].format("MM dd yyyy"));     }