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Format Date in View Model DisplayFor and EditorFor

I had a question on Forums.Asp.Net that asked
"The Format date in view Model at http://forums.asp.net/t/1945089.aspx?Format+Date+in+view+model tells how to add an attribute to a date property in the model like below to get it to display as a Date only. However I am wondering if this is done with an Entity Framework Database First Model, will this be maintained after you do an Update From Database?"
The code I am referring to is here:

Display(Name = "Start Date")]
        [Required(ErrorMessage = "Please enter a start date")]
        [DataType(DataType.Date)]
        [DisplayFormat(DataFormatString = "{0:MM/dd/yyyy}")]
        public string startDate { get; set; }

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I was told to use the Metadata files so eventually I changed the meta data files as below

using System;
using System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations;
using System.Data.Entity;
using System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure;
using System.Data.Objects;
using System.Data.Objects.DataClasses;
using System.Linq;
using System.Web.Mvc;

namespace VFS_ProcurementTracking.Models
{
    [MetadataType(typeof(prc_RequirementMetaData))]
    public partial class prc_Requirement
    {
        internal sealed class prc_RequirementMetaData
        {
            private prc_RequirementMetaData()
            {
            }
        }

        [DisplayFormat(ApplyFormatInEditMode = true, DataFormatString = "{0:MM/dd/yyyy}")]
        public Nullable<System.DateTime> CustomerRDD { get; set; }

        [DisplayFormat(ApplyFormatInEditMode = true, DataFormatString = "{0:MM/dd/yyyy}")]
        public System.DateTime Import_CreateDate { get; set; }
    }
}

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However the EditorFor's and DisplayFor's did not display the specified format. does anyone see what I am doing incorrectly and provide guidance? It is important to note that both of those fields have JQueryUI datepickers attached so that it is important that it can read the entry as a date.

Carl Tawn

How are you outputting the value in your view? The strongly typed editors (i.e. TextBoxFor, etc) don't support the DataFormatString, whereas the more general EditorFor does

Edward Joell

ASKER

I am using EditorFor and DisplayFor. I am insufficiently experienced to play around with tools other than those two and dropDownlistfor.

Carl Tawn

Your metadata properties should be inside the metadata class. Like:

namespace VFS_ProcurementTracking.Models
{
    [MetadataType(typeof(prc_RequirementMetaData))]
    public partial class prc_Requirement
    {
        internal sealed class prc_RequirementMetaData
        {
            private prc_RequirementMetaData()
            {
            }
 
            [DisplayFormat(ApplyFormatInEditMode = true, DataFormatString = "{0:MM/dd/yyyy}")]
            public Nullable<System.DateTime> CustomerRDD { get; set; }

            [DisplayFormat(ApplyFormatInEditMode = true, DataFormatString = "{0:MM/dd/yyyy}")]
            public System.DateTime Import_CreateDate { get; set; }
        }
    }
}

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If that still doesn't work, can you post the code for your View too.

Edward Joell

ASKER

Maybe my eyes aren't working properly. However, I fail to see how that differs from the code I posted above. Can someone point out what I am missing?

Carl Tawn

In your original post you have the Metadata properties outside of your metadata class. The revised version moves the closing brace of the metadata class down, so that it incorporates the properties.

So basically the brace at line 20 in your original post is now at line 17 of the revised version.

Edward Joell

ASKER

Great. i will try that.

Edward Joell

ASKER

I set up the meta data like this

using System;
using System.ComponentModel.DataAnnotations;
using System.Data.Entity;
using System.Data.Entity.Infrastructure;
using System.Data.Objects;
using System.Data.Objects.DataClasses;
using System.Linq;
using System.Web.Mvc;

namespace VFS_ProcurementTracking.Models
{
    [MetadataType(typeof(prc_RequirementMetaData))]
    public partial class prc_Requirement
    {
        internal sealed class prc_RequirementMetaData
        {
            private prc_RequirementMetaData()
            {
            }
        

            [DisplayFormat(ApplyFormatInEditMode = true, DataFormatString = "{0:MM/dd/yyyy}")]
            public Nullable<System.DateTime> CustomerRDD { get; set; }

            [DisplayFormat(ApplyFormatInEditMode = true, DataFormatString = "{0:MM/dd/yyyy}")]
            public System.DateTime Import_CreateDate { get; set; }
        }
    }
}

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It made no difference. Both date and time are shown in EditorFor and DisplayFor.
Same fields different issue. The one field is nullable but the other is not. So when an empty "Create" view is shown, the editorfor is showing 01/01/0001 12:00:00 AM. I would like that to show the current date and only the date by default. How can I do that.

Carl Tawn

Is your prc_Requirement class in the same namespace as the underlying Entity Framework class?

The code you have is technically correct for what you are trying to do, so the issue may be that it is treating your class as separate from the underlying entitiy.

Edward Joell

ASKER

yes

Edward Joell

ASKER

As state above the the prc_Requirement class is in the same namespace. So what would be treating my class as separate from the underlying entity, and why?

Edward Joell

ASKER

Here is a thought
The model being displayed in the view contains a property of type "prc_Requirement" above. Maybe, it is not enough to set the DisplayFormat in metadata for the "prc_Requirement model" but in metadata for the "RequirementViewShowingModel" as well?

Edward Joell

ASKER

But the question is since the fields CustomerRDD and Import_ExportDate are in the Requirements Model I do I refer to them in the Metadata file? Just setting them with there own names did not work as the view could not find the fields for which the metadata was created. Referring to them as Requirement.CustomerRDD and Requirement.Import_ExportDate did not work because of compile time errors.

SOLUTION

Edward Joell

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Edward Joell

ASKER

I've requested that this question be closed as follows:

Accepted answer: 0 points for Joeller's comment #a40068533

for the following reason:

This works excellently. CUDOS to Rachel Appel

Edward Joell

ASKER

Need to Undo this as solved because the templates do not work on the Create view because at that time the Model's DateTime property is null and the template caused an error "The model item passed into the dictionary is null, but this dictionary requires a non-null model item of type 'System.DateTime'." So I need a way for this to work in the create View

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Edward Joell

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Edward Joell

ASKER

Kudos to StackOverflow's Fabian, and Rachel Appel