🔷 C# Time Handling Guide
Master C#'s DateTimeOffset, DateTime, and TimeZoneInfo for robust time handling in .NET applications.
⚡ Quick Reference
✅ Use
- • DateTimeOffset for timestamps
- • TimeZoneInfo for timezone operations
- • DateTime.UtcNow for UTC times
- • DateTimeKind.Utc explicitly
- • TimeSpan for durations
❌ Avoid
- • DateTime.Now for storage
- • DateTime without Kind specified
- • Hardcoded timezone offsets
- • TimeZone class (deprecated)
- • Naive DateTime arithmetic
🕐 DateTime vs DateTimeOffset
When to Use Each Type
🌍 Timezone Operations
TimeZoneInfo and Conversions
📝 Parsing and Formatting
Robust Date Parsing
⏱️ Duration and Arithmetic
Safe Date Calculations
🗄️ Entity Framework Integration
Database Time Handling
🧪 Testing Time Logic
Testable Time Code
📡 JSON Serialization
API-Safe Time Serialization
⚠️ Common Pitfalls
Things That Will Bite You
1. DateTime.Kind Confusion
Always specify DateTimeKind to avoid ambiguity.
2. DST Arithmetic Errors
Adding days during DST transitions can be tricky.