Entity Framework 4 / Linq: How to convert from DateTime to string in a query?

Question

I have the following query:

from a in Products
select new ProductVM
    {
         id = a.id,
         modified = a.modified.ToString()
    }

Answer 1

Here's an alternative:

.Select( p -> SqlFunctions.StringConvert((double)
                  SqlFunctions.DatePart("m", p.modified)).Trim() + "/" +
              // SqlFunctions.DateName("mm", p.modified) + "/" + MS ERROR?
              SqlFunctions.DateName("dd", p.modified) + "/" +
              SqlFunctions.DateName("yyyy", p.modified)

Apparently DateName("MM", ..) spells out the month name where DatePart("mm", ..) provides a numeric value, thus the StringConvert( ), but this left pads the result with spaces, thus the .Trim().