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Unit test failing because of millisecond compare on (DateTime?) nullable type (.NET 2.0)

Hi,

I have an assert
Assert.AreEqual(savedUser.DateCreated, loadUser.DateCreated, "DateCreated");

The problem is that it fails because loading up from SQL changes the value of the milliseconds (i know why).
My question is, how do i compare dates?
Note: User.DateCreated is type (DateTime?), nullable

ORIGINAL ASSERT
Assert.AreEqual(savedUser.DateCreated, loadUser.DateCreated, "DateCreated");
ERROR
Test_UserData.Load : DateCreated
Expected: 2007-10-11 08:51:01.638
But was: 2007-10-11 08:51:01.640

NEXT ATTEMPT
Assert.AreEqual(savedUser.DateCreated.Value.ToString("yyyymmnn H:nn:ss"), loadUser.DateCreated.Value.ToString("yyyymmnn H:nn:ss"), "DateCreated");
ERROR
Test_UserData.Load : System.InvalidOperationException : Nullable object must have a value.

That is because DateCreated is null.

How do i compare without the millisecond component in an efficient manner?

thanks

Bob Learned

If you are working with a Nullable type, then I would check that DateCreated has a value before asserting that the values are equal.

Bob

Valimai

ASKER

ok, i ended up doing this for each of my dates. 4 in this object.

CompareNullableDate(savedUser.DateCreated, loadUser.DateCreated, "DateCreated");

private static void CompareNullableDate(DateTime? expectedDate, DateTime? compareDate, string fieldName)
{
      if (expectedDate == null)
      {
            Assert.IsNull(expectedDate);
      }
      else
      {
            Assert.AreEqual(expectedDate.Value.ToString("yyyymmnn H:nn:ss"), compareDate.Value.ToString("yyyymmnn H:nn:ss"), fieldName);
      }
}

Valimai

ASKER

changed
Assert.IsNull(expectedDate, fieldName);

Valimai

ASKER

whoops, i meant
Assert.IsNull(compareDate, fieldName);

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

dstanley9

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