Convert Date and Time to UTC

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It is a common practice amongst developers to store DateTime as Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) in databases, to remove any ambiguity. This way, a user anywhere in the world can retrieve this value from the database and convert it into local datetime.

The TimeZoneInfo class in .NET contains two very useful methods called ConvertTimeToUTC() that converts the current date and time to UTC and ConvertTimeFromUTC() that converts a UTC to the time in a specified time zone.

Here’s how to use it:

static void Main(string[] args)
{
    // 24th September, 2010 10:55:23
    DateTime dt = new DateTime(2010, 9, 24, 10, 55, 23);

    // Convert into UTC
    dt = TimeZoneInfo.ConvertTimeToUtc(dt);
    Console.WriteLine("UTC Time " + dt);

    // Convert UTC to GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)
    TimeZoneInfo gmt = TimeZoneInfo.FindSystemTimeZoneById("GMT Standard Time");
    dt = TimeZoneInfo.ConvertTimeFromUtc(dt, gmt);
    Console.WriteLine("GMT Time " + dt);

    Console.ReadLine();
}

OUTPUT

Also check my article Convert DateTime to Different TimeZones

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About The Author

Suprotim Agarwal, Developer Technologies MVP (Microsoft Most Valuable Professional) is the founder and contributor for DevCurry, DotNetCurry and SQLServerCurry. He is the Chief Editor of a Developer Magazine called DNC Magazine. He has also authored two Books - 51 Recipes using jQuery with ASP.NET Controls. and The Absolutely Awesome jQuery CookBook.

Follow him on twitter @suprotimagarwal.