DateTime.Parse() / DateTime.TryParse()

// Converts a string to DateTime (throws an exception on failure).
DateTime dt = DateTime.Parse(string s);

// Attempts conversion and returns true on success or false on failure (no exception).
bool success = DateTime.TryParse(string s, out DateTime result);

// Converts using a specified format.
DateTime dt = DateTime.ParseExact(string s, string format, IFormatProvider provider);
bool success = DateTime.TryParseExact(string s, string format, IFormatProvider provider, DateTimeStyles style, out DateTime result);

using System;
using System.Globalization;

// Convert using DateTime.Parse().
DateTime dt1 = DateTime.Parse("2024/01/15");
Console.WriteLine(dt1); // 2024/01/15 0:00:00

DateTime dt2 = DateTime.Parse("2024-03-20 14:30:00");
Console.WriteLine(dt2); // 2024/03/20 14:30:00

// Convert safely using TryParse() (recommended for user input).
string input = "2024/06/01";
if (DateTime.TryParse(input, out DateTime result)) {
	Console.WriteLine($"Converted: {result:yyyy/M/d}");
} else {
	Console.WriteLine("Conversion failed.");
}

// A string that cannot be converted returns false.
bool success = DateTime.TryParse("abc", out DateTime failed);
Console.WriteLine($"Success: {success}"); // False

// Specify a strict format using ParseExact().
DateTime dt3 = DateTime.ParseExact("20240115", "yyyyMMdd", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture);
Console.WriteLine(dt3); // 2024/01/15 0:00:00

// Example using TryParseExact().
bool ok = DateTime.TryParseExact(
	"15-01-2024",
	"dd-MM-yyyy",
	CultureInfo.InvariantCulture,
	DateTimeStyles.None,
	out DateTime dt4
);
Console.WriteLine($"Success: {ok}, Result: {dt4:yyyy/MM/dd}");

When converting strings from user input or files to DateTime, use TryParse() or TryParseExact(), which do not throw exceptions. Use Parse() only for strings with a guaranteed format, such as constants or database values.

When the format is fixed to a specific pattern (such as filenames in yyyyMMdd format), ParseExact() is convenient. Specifying CultureInfo.InvariantCulture ensures locale-independent conversion.

For formatting a DateTime value after conversion, see DateTime.ToString() / DateTime.AddDays().